It’s important to understand the history of our school to truly comprehend our school pride over the years. You may ask, “What even is school pride?” School pride is a sense of satisfaction felt for one’s achievements; in this case, it’s the achievements of our school and the Tualatin community as a whole, plus how we as students love being Timberwolves. It’s about how loud you scream during roll call, how many times you go out of your way to see your friends play in their big game, and how happy you are to see them at school. I learned, however, that this is not everything.

It’s hard to really capture a full glance of our school when we each hold a limited perspective of only four years at TuHS, which is why I got some help from past Timberwolves. With two older siblings who have been through this before, I feel like I have a unique perspective on how our school has really changed throughout the past couple of years. From the moment I stepped into this school, just as my siblings did before me, I didn’t know what anything was or how to feel with so much going on around me. As time went on, it seemed to get easier and I joined various clubs to help get me through the stressful hours of studying. My older brother Tobin (alumnus of TuHS, Class of 2015) explained to me that as you are exposed to different environments within Tualatin High School, it becomes easier to come to school and get through the tough days. Once you have that group of people that you feel like you can trust, you care about and you can vent to each day, the days get so much better.

Along with this, a big part of the back-to-school season is the spirit and fun events that come with it. The very definition of spirit can go in many different directions. Most people think of this word and misinterpret the meaning of it. You don’t have to be jumping up and down at every football game to be spirited; just having fun with that one group of friends that makes you feel like you truly belong is the most important part. I learned this slowly over time, trying my hardest to be with that one group that everyone wanted to be with, when really it was the friends that were there for me that I needed to put my effort into. Something as small as the friend that always meets you during break can make your day, and even year, better than ever.

Find your place, your group that makes you feel most spirited, and then that definition of spirit will change for you, and you alone. Overall, I learned that school pride is what you make of it, whether it be good or bad, and your approach will influence your school experience.