Before I entered high school, I had no idea what to anticipate. When I came to Hillcrest, it was 2020, which was the year COVID-19 shook the whole world up. At first, I was excited at the idea of online classes, but quickly, that excitement went away.

Being at home instead of in a school setting left room for distraction. During classes, I was watching TV, scrolling through social media, and sometimes sleeping. With so much freedom, I had no discipline to keep me on the right track.

Thankfully, I soon picked myself up and gained a sense of self-control. I began to wake up early for class and set up in a comforting and quiet environment.  In order to avoid having to get up and move around for class, I would also make sure I had everything I needed. From there on, my grades started to improve. I grew to despise my classes as I thought they were boring.

But there was one subject I was looking forward to: science, which was often my highest grade.

Freshman year, I had physics, which was my least favorite science class of all. Learning about electric circuits and thermodynamics wasn’t my thing. During my sophomore year, I took chemistry, which I really enjoyed. Being able to learn about the different elements and understand the periodic table piqued my interest. AP Bio in my junior year really shook me up. The thought of me sharing DNA with bananas and strawberries scared me. Anatomy has quickly become my favorite of all the scientific courses I’ve done. Being able to understand each component of the body and how it works together to maintain homeostasis is commendable.

Human anatomy and physiology are important concepts for me to understand because I intend to become a nurse in the near future. My favorite science year was this one. I am sure that I am familiar with the names of all the muscles and skeletal components. Our anatomy class dissected a cat, which was a fantastic learning opportunity. The skin of a cadaver’s hind and forelimbs had to be removed before we could identify the cat’s main muscles and structures. I laughed as I saw my peers’ repulsion.

Ms. Tate, my anatomy instructor, does a wonderful job of preparing my other students and me for jobs in the sciences.  This class taught me topics I had no idea existed, and I am anxious to study more about science in the future.