New Student, Mathilda Tataw, gives her first impression of T.C. Williams
Mathilda Tataw
In early January, I had never heard of T.C. Williams High School, but on February 3, 2020, I became one of its newest students. This is the school where I hope to remain for the rest of my junior year and hopefully up to graduation. Within the span of two weeks, I went from the home of the Lightning Bolt to the home of the Titans. Leaving Maryland for Virginia, after growing up there my whole life, was a major change.
My nerves were officially on edge the second I set foot in the main office and saw the crowd of students flooding into the building. This moment was proof for me that the T.C. student population was indeed triple my last school’s size.
Eager to receive my schedule and get to first period, I looked for my counselor, but found that she had not yet arrived would not be here that day. Even so, I was kindly given directions to my academy as well as my schedule from a kind woman, whom I later learned was Ms. Bailey.
I’ll be honest, if someone were to ask me to explain T.C.’s dynamics, I would not be able to. This school is very different from my last one. We did not have “red” or “blue” days, academies, or parts of our school sectionalized by the English lexicon. We did not have superintendents or four principals.
My last school had only one principal and six classes a day, with only our fourth period alternating between two elective classes. We had a decent football team and an amazing basketball team, but honestly T.C. does too. We had a small population and students had access to the WiFi with ease.
T.C. is a complete 180 degrees from what I was used to or had ever experienced before.
But, with the help of T.C. staff and students, I was able to navigate through the halls and classes of T.C. without much trouble. Within my first three days here. I have seen that students and staff do care for each other and that teachers strive to both understand and help their students no matter where they are from.
Coming from Maryland to Virginia was a big change for me. It’s hard because everyone I know is in Maryland. Despite this both students and teachers have been nothing but welcoming and helped me to feel accepted in this new learning environment.
Every school is different because it has its own quirks and qualities, but at the end of the day, it is the people who make and represent it that matter.
