story by Sabrina Redlingshafer, photos by Julia Hammond

Once you hit eighth grade, you start searching for high schools, contemplating where you want to spend the next four years of your life. Some girls may not have a choice, being born knowing that STA is the school for them. Others choose to shadow multiple schools to have options and then make a final decision.

Principal of academic affairs Barbara McCormick said an estimated 400 eighth graders will shadow STA this year. Almost all current STA students have shadowed prior to enrolling.

Figuring out who you want to shadow, setting a date, picking out your outfit, trying to ease your nerves as you arrive on campus and walking up the stairs of Donnelly Building and into Zahner Lounge all seemed so nerve-racking back then.

Some girls chose to shadow on a normal day; some picked Halloween. Some shadowed their sisters; some selected random person. No matter the shadow experience, everyone has a story.

The Dart asked current students about their unique shadow experiences.

Sophomore Maddie Summers

“I had a 103 degree fever and I was really sick and threw up [in the morning] before I shadowed, but I didn’t want to reschedule because I was afraid my mom never would actually reschedule. So I told her I was fine and I went to school with my cousin, Gracie Fleming. We went for a tour and I was sweating profusely. And then I don’t really remember what happened, but I fell asleep [in the Quad] and woke up when everyone was passing by for passing period and Gracie was no where to be found. Eventually I found her. She came back and had her books. I was too scared to ask to go to the bathroom [during the next class] because I felt like throwing up, so I just kind of sat there. I was like praying school would be over, even though I really liked [STA], I was hoping [my shadow day] would be over so I could go home. But then my aunt, who works [at STA] told me I had to help her with something after school and I cried and called my mom. My mom came and picked me up and I threw up in the car on the way home. So there’s that.”

Junior Zoe Royer

“Well, when I got to STA I went in to meet my shadow person but she wasn’t there yet. So I sat down on the couch and waited but then the bell rang and she still wasn’t there. So I stayed with Ms. Warwick for a while until she came. Then after we went to two classes, she had a doctor’s appointment so she just left me with her friends who all happened to have tests that day so they passed me around so I wouldn’t have to sit through that. I ended up going to the same math class three times and passed between four people.”

Junior Maddy Niemuth

“My shadow day was fantastic, but also nerve-wracking at the same time because my hostess had a broken foot. This kind of changed the whole schedule around because we would leave class early and get to classes a few minutes later. Also, the way she had to navigate the school made it a lot more confusing than it really is when you just use the stairs. I was glad I got the STA experience through a different perspective, but it made me a little nervous for my time because it was a little out of the ordinary. The one problem I had was that I wasn’t physically and mentally prepared for those stairs freshman year because I got to ride in the elevators!

Senior Molly Waris

“I shadowed [alum] Holli Hogge, who lived right down the street from me so I just drove with her there. I was also there for the auction pep rally which I remembering not [understanding]. Her first class was drama and I thought that was the best class ever. They played [the game] “Murder, Murder” the whole time. I don’t really remember being pounded like questions like shadows are now. But I was really nervous and wanted to impress the other girls. Except for when I tripped up the stairs. I am pretty sure we were on the way to Dolan’s room? Like every other embarrassing thing I have done, I just push it away from my mind. I just remember everyone laughing and asking if I was okay. I was probably quite flustered too. At the time I thought it was a huge deal and I would be known as that one eighth grader who tripped up the stair, or some other clever name. But as I know now its not that big of a deal and its quite easy to get over. I think being at STA has changed that.”

The Dart asked different students to describe their shadow experiences in a couple of sentences.

compiled by Sabrina Redlingshafer

Senior Molly Corless: “My host kept having somewhere to go and so I was with four different people throughout the day.”

Senior Natalie Kilgore: “I shadowed on Halloween too, and I got there late and had to be walked to class by a senior dressed as a loufa.”

Senior Kathleen Blanck: I shadowed with strep throat and I’m pretty sure I got the whole choir class sick?

Senior Katie Tampke: “I shadowed on Halloween.”

Senior Katherine Becker: “I shadowed on Halloween too.”

Senior Libby Torres: “Mr. Himes kicked over an entire row of desks and yelled a lot when I shadowed.”

Junior Jessie Culver: “I shadowed my neighbor and good friend on Halloween. Best day to shadow.”

Junior Grace Sly: “I accidentally stepped on a girls netbook and she freaked out.”

Sophomore Sophia Mandacina: “My shadow laughed so hard she farted.”

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