Okay, so I have a startling – and even shocking – confession to make. (Whew. You ready? Here goes.) I never thought I would be a “public school kid.”

That label scared me, public school scared me. But it’s really not that big of a deal, right. It really shouldn’t be. But for some Buckhead families the idea of putting their child into public school is actually a scary one. Because of misperceptions and misinformation, the decision becomes a big deal in the houses of some families within the North Atlanta cluster.

But I would have something to say to these families. Because of my own very positive journey from being a student at (much smaller) Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School to the (much larger) North Atlanta High School I can tell you that the strengths of the public school environment are significant and many. And they might not even be known to the parents who keep their children in private school up to their graduations.

Back in April of last school year, I made the decision to join the Warrior community. Once I got to North Atlanta, we knew it was the right thing to do. So here it is: The story of my transition from private school to public school.

I arrived at North Atlanta with just six weeks left in the school year. For me, it was a scary experience. I was going into a completely new place and I barely knew anyone. There were so many questions going through my mind, “How will I know where to go?” “Will my grades transfer?” “Will I know anyone?” “How does lunch go?” “What will I wear?” “Do I buy lunch or bring it?” “What do I even bring for lunch?” “Should I bring my laptop?” “Do I take the stairs or elevator?” “Should I bring a sweatshirt?” “Do we get to go outside?” “How will I make an all new friend group?” “

Luckily, I had some friends to help answer all my questions, but a lot of students don’t, and they come in completely clueless.

My very first day of school was overwhelming. North Atlanta is much bigger than my old school and I felt like I had never seen so many people in one place before. But all the students I met were so welcoming. I knew right away that North Atlanta was where I needed to be.

All the negative stereotypes that I had been fed at my private school proved to be wrong. More people need to know how great our public schools are. It’s big, different, and may seem scary, but it’s the real world. After a total of three months here, I’m embracing the label of “public school kid.” In fact, the best decision I made this year was transferring to North Atlanta. Like any other school, this one has its flaws. But for me my new school – our school – has been such a great experience and I can’t wait to see what comes next.