(this whole thing got deleted so now I have to write it again... *sigh*)
Ever since we first came to Veritas during the pandemic, we have been surrounded by caring teachers and loving friends. From hilarious classmates to cheerful best friends, Veritas has it all. We love Veritas because of its rigorous curriculum and faith-based structure. Thanks to the school, both Annabel and Daniel have grown, both in their faith and in academics. Now, Annabel is graduating and Daniel is soon going to start his sixth year here.
"When I first came to Veritas in fourth grade, I was a nervous wreck. Thankfully, I soon met a girl named Henrietta, and she immediately made me feel at ease. She helped me adjust to my new environment, and we became best friends. Since the day I first stepped foot on Veritas grounds, I've been surrounded by friendly people, both teachers and students, who truly care about me, which has been a huge influence on who I am now.
"For as long as I can remember, Veritas has always used "TRUTH" as an acronym. It stands for:
Truth Seekers
Resilient Souls
Unconditional Love
Teachable Hearts
High Expectations
"'High Expectations' has always stood out to me, and I think it's because high expectations have a huge impact on my life. From swimming Silvers times to getting all A's, I often feel like I have a constant to-do list of expectations to live up to and goals to reach. While many people feel like having high expectations is a bad thing, I think it's the opposite. Expectations help you make "checkpoints" in your life, little steps that keep your life progressing instead of being stuck in place, or being swept wherever the wind blows you. Of course, goals that are unattainable are unhelpful, but I believe giving yourself a small series of steps that lead to an overarching goal can help you achieve what might have been thought as impossible before. It's helpful to break down large goals. For example, since I've been little, I've always wanted to be a doctor and go to Harvard. A stereotypical goal, perhaps, but it's one I've been working towards for a while. However, college is pretty far away, even for an eighth grader like me. So what can I do? Well, what I've spent the last year doing is high school applications. Going to a good high school makes it a lot easier to get into top schools. For example, about 20% of Groton graduates go on to Ivy League colleges.
"However, when you don't exceed, or even meet, expectations, it can be disheartening. Despite this, I believe that failure is only a step in the process of life. It's hard to succeed if you aren't willing to fail. Mistakes help you learn what you did wrong and what to do next time. When I was applying to schools, I was overconfident. I thought I could get into some of the best schools just because of my stellar grades and good essays. However, they take into account a lot more than just that. I ended up getting waitlisted from Groton, and I was devastated. I still was going to a good school, Lexington Christian Academy, but going to the #1 school in the US would have been great for my college applications. However, through my failure, when I do my college applications in junior/senior year, I'll know more about what and what not to do, and that it's not just academics. If I had gotten into Groton, I probably wouldn't have realized a lot of my shortcomings, so even though I failed, I'm still grateful for the whole experience.
"Another example of a high expectation is this --- Run For the Future. While 75k might sound like a lot, it always ends up comprised of lots of little $10 donations. Every donation is a step towards a seemingly large goal. From a company donation to a $5 one, everything is helpful towards reaching our goal and helping the Veritas middle school move to the new property. Originally, my class was supposed to be the first one to graduate there, but unfortunately, it just didn't work out. However, I hope that it might still be possible for my brother's class, or maybe even the sixth graders.
"I'm sad to be leaving Veritas next year, but I'll always have the important lessons and fond memories this school has given me."
-Annabel
Veritas is very important to me, too. We have been here for 5 years, and during those years, I have learned a lot. I have developed close relationships with my friends, and I feel known by everyone, even my teachers. Additionally, I have felt my faith expand as a result of attending this school.
At the end of every summer, I find myself excited to get back to school, and see my friends. I have never felt this way abount any of the other schools I have been to. Veritas feels like a second home to me, and others will definitely agree. I want Veritas to affect more people's lives, and one og the first steps for this is expanding the school.
Finally, my friends and I love playing sports on the field. It is really fun, but children scampering on the grass field has worn it out over time, and now the field is just hard dirt (which hurts). With a new campus, younger students would be able to play on turf.
Because of these reasons, I want Veritas to expand, so more people can reach experience what it is like to be at an amazing school like VCA, and every single donation helps bring more people to Veritas and Christ.
-Daniel
