Woodlawn encourages travel through school-sanctioned trips; I went to Costa Rica with Woodlawn two years ago and that experience was eye opening. But the teachers at Woodlawn are passionate about personal travel as well, and motivate us by bringing travel opportunities to campus. Sassy Smyth from TCTW (Teens Camping Tour of the West) in Mooresville came to Woodlawn to talk with us about a 4-week camping trip across the United States, and I applied immediately. We found out a few months ago that I was accepted for their July trip (7/9-7/31). Learning through travel will deepen my understanding of Native Americans, which we'll be discussing in history class this fall.

The staff and teachers at Woodlawn have helped me relate to the outdoors on a new level. I have always appreciated the beauty of nature, but didn't give much thought to how our mountain ranges were formed until our science class studied rock formations. Our family likes to hike in the Linville Gorge area off the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway. We were standing on the top of Hawks Bill, and it hit me that I was standing on new rock with much older rock underneath (usually it's the other way around). I'm curious to learn more about the area and look forward to our hikes this summer.

In 7th grade, I didn't understand the connection of math to my favorite hobby - gaming. My math teacher, Mrs. Verlin, encouraged me to continue working towards more difficult match concepts and find ways outside of the classroom to actually use these concepts. I am taking a weekly coding class at SkilStak in Cornelius and was surprised at how much algebra is used. I am glad that my teacher advised me to keep going, because I see job opportunities that this skill will bring.