As the Class of 2015 brought their junior year to a close, many were familiar with what the future held: senior privileges, college applications, and one last fun-filled year with friends. However, that is not the case for every senior this year.

While most are prepared to start anew freshman year of college, others had to do the unthinkable and start all over for only one year. Five seniors, one from Lyons Township and four from Mount Assisi Academy, joined the Class of 2015 at Nazareth Academy.

With friendships well established and the ins and outs of Nazareth Academy known by heart, transferring as a senior was not as easy as some might have thought.

Sister Terry Middendorf, Academic Dean, is always concerned about transfer seniors’ relationships with classmates. “Coming into a new school for senior year students find that many strong friendships have already been established. It takes patience, self-confidence and a strong positive attitude to find your way in new situations,” Middendorf said.

Transfer Gabriela Suarez had a firsthand experience with this challenge. “I didn’t like Nazareth at first, but then I started to meet people, which made everything better,” Suarez said.

Some seniors felt that many did not know how to approach the situation, especially for those who transferred from Mount Assisi Academy, the all-girls high school that closed this past May.

The main challenges transfer seniors have faced are getting to know the large building, familiarizing themselves with new teachers and staff members, and not being able to graduate with friends from previous schools.

A transfer orientation was held at the beginning of this school year to aid transfers with some of these challenges. Teachers and counselors also worked alongside the transfer students during this difficult adjustment.

Some of these challenges have benefits, though, and life skills such as dealing with drastic changes were learned through this process. While difficult at first, the new seniors have grown to look at this challenge in a more positive light.

“There’s more diversity at Nazareth along with more activities, classes, and clubs to choose from, which is a major benefit for me,” said Senior Madeline Cahue.

“As a school we would like to do more to help students feel welcome and at home. We’ll continue looking for ways to make that happen,” said Middendorf.

Overall, the senior transfers felt a warm “Nazareth family welcome” over the past few months and are now looking forward to what comes next.