It was your first day of school on a new campus as a new freshman student. As you stepped into your first class, you noticed a group of students huddled together, laughing and chattering with one another. Everyone in the class seemed to know each other except for you. 

For many new freshmen, the fear of not being able to make friends at the beginning of the year was a recurring theme. But as their year comes to a close, students have been able to create community with their peers through classes and activities.

As a freshman who came from Sequoyah School, Alma S. ’29 described feeling nervous at the beginning of the year about not having peers to talk to. But, throughout the year, Alma was able to find comfort and form friendships with students in the same classes as her. “Some of my [friends] have been here at Westridge before me, so if I have any questions about what’s happening or what to expect, I go to them,” she said. One of the closest friends she made thus far was her seat partner in the Biology I class, Sara K. ’29, who has been at Westridge since lower school.

Similar to Alma, Jessica L. ’29 also formed friendships through her academics. At the beginning of the year, she described that the peers she talked to in her math class became her closest friends. Throughout the year, they helped her develop confidence by motivating her to learn from her struggles. “They [told] me it’s okay to fail at the beginning of the year,” she said.

New freshmen also formed friendships through extracurricular activities. Nylee B. ’29, a freshman who came to Westridge from La Cañada High School, described how the sports culture made her first year at Westridge memorable. “That kind of opened me up to meeting most, if not all, of my friends that I still hang out with today,” Nylee said. She recalled a few of her favorite moments during her flag football practices being water breaks or warm-ups, when she could catch up with her teammates.

Likewise, Nikki W. ’29 referred to her sports, tennis, as a gateway toward making friends at the beginning of the year. “The sports community would always be welcoming…I love how they cheer you on and how supportive they are,” she said. Nikki also recalled her fear of not making friends or finding anyone to talk to at the beginning of the year. Fortunately, as the year progressed, she was able to increase her self-confidence by talking to people on her tennis during training sessions.

For freshman Morgan R., theatre was a place for her to form friendships. “I got to do an activity with people who love the same thing I do,” she said. Morgan felt that her experience as a part of the cast for the musical at Westridge allowed her to be more herself. Before joining theatre, “I was very reserved, and I wouldn‘t talk that much,” she said.

One of the ways Kadence C. ’29 was able to make friends was through her identity. “Our Taiwanese affinity is huge, and I love our meetups,” said Kadence. She described how, in her previous schools, she struggled to find many people who shared her Taiwanese cultural background.

As the 2025–2026 school year approaches the finish line, new ninth graders were able to form friendships with both returning and other new students through various engagements, despite initial nerves. “I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a place for myself, but I was able to find people who make me happy,” said Kadence.