Reflection after the First Day Back at Debakey

As I transitioned from online school to in-person school, my stomach twisted and rumbled with excitement. I felt the oldness of freshman year fall away as a new year blossomed in its place. Goodbye to the long hours of staring at a computer screen and hello to all the new faces and smells and possibilities of a new day!

When I arrived at Debakey, it felt so old yet so new. I spent a whole year getting to know the people and subjects taught there, but I’d never gotten the chance to see the bright school lights or walk the flights of stairs. 

Before the day grew hectic, I took the time to observe things that are often taken for granted - the milk white walls, the sound of the tin pots and pans from inside the cafeteria kitchen, and the cheerful mingling of the teachers getting ready for class.

Each new day is teeming with opportunity! As young students, our creative minds can build ideas and put them into action. We are capable of being the light that shines in the dark, reaching out to others and making the world a better place.

As I get ready to return home, I board the big, yellow school bus with my friend, Safa Naji. We watch the colorful world pass by through the window, embracing every peaceful moment after the hectic days of in-person school. 

As I look through the bus window, I observe many new things - bubbly restaurants, calm neighborhoods, and beautiful graveyards. I realized how beautiful everything was in its own time, and how different it was seeing life from the window of your soul, rather than from a computer screen.