Gage Barton and his girlfriend, Nia.
Many young teens in Clarkston are nervous about entering high school. Most of the time, the reason is that they don’t know what to expect, nor do they know how to act in a new, big school. I interviewed a former student of Clarkston High School, Gage Barton, from the class of 2020. Barton is currently working on buying a house for himself. He’s come forward to give his tips on the high school experience.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life after high school, to be honest,” said Barton. “Once I was a senior, it was that time when I had to start looking at the bigger picture…it was scary, but I figured it out.”
For teens for will soon be attending Clarkston High School, Barton provided some tips to current students in the community based on his experiences. “Try to be nice to everyone and respectful, obviously, and grades are important, but make sure you really get an idea of what you want to do with the rest of your life,” said Barton.
Personally, I think this is great advice. These mechanisms have definitely helped me through the start of freshman year and I am sure they will continue to be effective later on.
I asked Barton’s mom, Sonja Perry, about Barton in school. She explains how she helped keep her son on track. “I had to keep on top of him and make sure he was doing the things that needed to be done, not getting in trouble, and staying caught up,” said Perry.
Overall, Barton’s perspective and his mom’s support highlight the importance of kindness, responsibility, and self-awareness as students face the transition to high school. Their experiences serve as lessons for current and future students to approach this exciting, yet challenging, time.