Apprehension Melts as Rashaya Leavy Embraces Huntington
Rashaya Leavy is the first one to admit she was quite apprehensive when she started school here. The area was foreign to her and she really didn’t know anyone. High school can be intimidating enough, but the teenager’s transfer into the district midway through her freshman year proved challenging.
“When I first came to Huntington High School I was kind of upset that I had moved in the middle of ninth grade,” said Ms. Leavy, a member of the Class of 2014. “Huntington was a very different environment for me, especially after all the moving around that I had been through.”
Prior to coming to Huntington, Ms. Leavy lived in Virginia, arriving in the Old Dominion from Queens in the middle of seventh grade. Her transfer to Huntington after just two years in Virginia was trying, but not for long.
“My entire perspective changed as soon as I had experienced my first week in Huntington,” the teenager said. “Everyone already began opening up within my first week or two. I became very close with a few students and acquaintances with many others over my three and a half years attending Huntington.”
As Ms. Leavy began to settle into her new school, she started learning about the courses, teachers and students of Huntington. She quickly adapted to her new surroundings.
“One of the first teachers I met in ninth grade was Mr. [Michael] Schwendemann” Ms. Leavy said about one of Huntington’s popular English teachers. “Schwendy often gave me words of wisdom, especially when I needed it the most. His colorful personality and style of teaching definitely brought me closer to him. This year I decided to take his theater arts class in an effort to experience his awesome style of teaching one more time before graduating.”
Ms. Leavy has grown personally and as a student during her time here. “Upon entering Huntington, I was very rough around the edges, but throughout my years of attending school here I have learned to control my emotions and put my hyper-energy into my class work,” the senior said. “My entire attitude and grades have changed for the better. My experiences at this school have shaped me into a much better individual and for that I will never forget my friends, teachers and counselors here at Huntington High School.”
The teenager intends to return to Virginia for college. “My declared major will be criminal justice,” Ms. Leavy said. While attending a criminal justice class at Wilson Tech’s Manor Plains campus, the senior said she “decided to become a correctional officer for juveniles.”
Ms. Leavy plans to study for an associate degree at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University for a bachelor’s degree.
As she prepares to leave Huntington High School, she offered some words of wisdom for incoming ninth graders. “A word of advice that I would give to freshmen is to stay in school, choose a goal and stick to it,” she said. “The sky is the limit, but it takes effort to get where you want to be in life. Nothing is given, everything is earned. Take the education that is offered to you because knowledge definitely is power.”