New students were greeted early Thursday morning by the wild cheers of FIRE crew leaders, a tunnel of teachers, and Foothill’s dragon mascot as they made their way to an orientation in Spirito Hall.
Cabrillo Middle School alumni Annalyse Lewey and Delaney Warren waited outside the doors in anticipation.
“I’ve heard people say [Foothill is] awesome,” Lewey said, noting the academics and teachers as her reason for choosing the school.
Math teacher Anthony Villa served as activities director for the day and those who were at orientation did not miss a beat as Villa led the large group through a series of chants, hand jives, back-rubs, and games.
While many of the new students were reluctant to join in on the fun, others jumped at the chance to take an active part in the orientation.
“We notice three types of students who come to Foothill,” Villa said, “There are the ones who make things happen, the ones who watch things happen…and then there are the ones who walk in and say ‘What happened?’ High school is one of the things where you have to be here to make things happen.”
Principal Joe Bova introduced himself to the students, giving them words of encouragement as they start their high school careers. This will be his tenth year working at Foothill.
“We believe that every one of you is going to succeed here,” Bova told the students.
FIRE crew, a support group made up of upperclassmen dedicated to aiding freshmen or students with an overall grade point average under 3.0, helped run the orientation. George Myring, a junior and first time FIRE crew leader is one of several students volunteering his time with the freshmen.
“We get to help the new students into the transition of high school student,” Myring said, citing Villa as having been helpful in guiding the FIRE {sidebar id=27}crew leaders.
Celine Gomez, a former Anacapa Middle School student looks forward to her years at Foothill.
“I just liked [Foothill] a lot better than Buena. I couldn’t see myself there,” Gomez said.
Keegan Cole, an incoming senior from Buena High School is pleased to have been admitted to Foothill this year.
“I’ve been trying to get in every other year…this is the first time I got in,” Cole said.
Cole is looking forward to the experiences he will have at Foothill, as he has heard various things about the school.
“I’ve heard that Foothill is the greatest school ever…it’s paved with gold,” Cole said.
Other students such as freshmen Mikayla Flynn have other reasons for attending the school.
“I’m going here because my sister goes here,” Flynn said. “I’m looking forward to meeting new people even though I already know everyone.”
Balboa Middle School alumni Andrew Miech and Kaylie Matthews are ready to begin their first year at Foothill. Miech says that the strong academics and close-knit environment as some of the best features of Foothill while Matthews appreciates the small size and cleanliness of the school.
