Bianca P. ’28 has attended the same school as her sister since kindergarten. While some may find it annoying, Bianca is incredibly grateful to have her sister Brooklyn P. ’25 by her side. They are now able to experience one year of high school together before Brooklyn leaves for college.
“It’s nice because she’s been driving me since junior year, but it will be sad when she leaves,” Bianca said. She and Brooklyn have always been inseparable, from sharing a room to carpooling to school every day. “I like that we are able to see each other every day and that we’re on the same campus so we can talk whenever we need,” she explained. Bianca also appreciates her sister because of the advice she receives about teachers and fellow classmates. “Brooklyn has warned me about never wearing a college sweatshirt since I don’t want to be bullied by the seniors.”
Bianca joined the Westridge community in fourth grade, which felt strange at first, but since everyone was new, it was easier to adjust to a brand new school. And since she was already at Westridge for five years prior to high school, she felt prepared coming in as a freshman. She now enjoys the freedom of high school, since there are more opportunities to take different classes that are more aligned with her interests. Just like her sister, Bianca loved humanities in middle school, so her favorite class this year is World Views with History Teacher Ms. Jennifer Cutler. “I want to take chemistry in the future, but I also really love history, so I am excited for the next three years of different history classes.” However, Bianca especially loves Westridge because of the friends she has made since fourth grade.
“Westridge is a very strong community and the friendships go deeper than any other school I have ever been to.” – Bianca P. ’28
As chaotic as freshman year may be, Bianca found comfort with the flag football team. “I played football in middle school and I liked it. I love watching NFL games and my dad wanted me to play too, so that made me want to play in high school,” she said. The flag football team made it to CIF for the first time in Westridge history, and Bianca is proud to say that she was a part of their success. Her sister Brooklyn was actually one of the students who helped keep score for the games. “When my sister was working at my games, it was kind of funny. We would always end up yelling at each other over something stupid.” Bianca loved how she could go straight home after each game and even get some advice from her sister at times. “She would say good job or tell me if I made a mistake. It was a nice experience.”
Of course, there are cons to having an older sister at Westridge, and Bianca named a few. “I see [Brooklyn] everywhere and it is hard to not do embarrassing stuff around campus, because she is always around.” Ms. Cutler also often calls Bianca her sister’s name. “I’ll be in class, and Ms. Cutler would say, ‘Oh good job, Brooklyn!’ But I have given up on correcting her.” Bianca is especially scared that a teacher will have a personal vendetta against her because of her sister. But Brooklyn has warned Bianca about certain classes, giving her tips on her writing and how to impress the teacher.
When asked about what Bianca will miss when Brooklyn leaves for college, she said, “She’s actually a really good person to talk to. She’s a support beam for me, ‘cause I don’t really talk to my parents about everything, so it’s nice to have someone to lean on.” The two sisters are only three years apart, but Bianca knows Brooklyn is more mature and can help her as she navigates her freshman year of high school.
So far the friendships she has made so far have been the highlight of her year. “It’s nice to know so many upperclassmen because they are role models for me and my friends. Flag football also had a bunch of new freshmen so I got to meet a wide range of people from different grades.” Following the end of her triumphant season, she is happy to be a part of a community that she can lean on when her sister leaves for college.
