On March 22, 2023, sophomore Jenny Nguyen prepares her possibility of leaving Kerr and contemplates her schedule if she were to leave.

Q: Why do you want to leave Kerr or why do you wish to be at another school?

A: Being at another normal school like every other high schooler would allow me to experience a normal high school experience.

Q: What were some of the reasons?

A: Being at Kerr, it makes you stressed because it’s competitive here. There aren’t that many sports and many students are too busy focusing on their studies to stay after school or participate in after school clubs. From what I’ve seen and felt, many students here would feel like a failure, or their life is “over” because of a failing grade in a class, even though they tried their best in it. The electives here are also very limited, so if I wanted to gain experience in the medical field, I wouldn’t be able to like other students.

Q: What are some benefits and drawbacks of leaving Kerr?

A: Some benefits of leaving Kerr include most likely being less stressed, being able to participate in different sports and discovering what you like (sports wise) and being able to take 4.0 electives you actually want to take without having to worry much about your GPA and rank. Some drawbacks of leaving Kerr would include leaving my current friends, teachers I like, and definitely missing the stress I felt for almost every core class.

Q: What are some things that you would miss about Kerr if you were to leave?

A: I would miss the memories I made in each center with my friends, stressing with my classmates right before we take a test, the freedom we have or how we can control what we want to do each day, and the main stairs where I fell down.

Q: What is your current plan to leave Kerr? What do you have prepared?

A: I don’t truly have a plan laid out. I only have some courses in mind of taking over there.

Q: What do you feel about leaving Kerr?

A: I am still hesitant about whether or not to leave Kerr.
Q: What are some classes you plan on taking if you are leaving Kerr?

A: Some classes I plan on taking if I do leave Kerr would include Spanish 3, possibly 4, Orchestra, APUSH, Culinary Arts, and maybe another language class like Chinese.

Q: What does Hastings have that Kerr doesn’t?

A: Hastings have sports and mostly mentally stable students, which are what Kerr does not have.

Q: What some reasons you came to Kerr in the first place? And how have those thoughts changed since being here for 2 years or so?

A: A reason I came to Kerr was because I didn’t get accepted into Alief Early College but another reason I came to Kerr was because I wanted to have the freedom over my studies and experience the “college life” to be prepared. At first, I thought it would be nice for a challenge. However, over 2 years, I believe it’s not that worth it, especially if you care about your mental health. After all, you’re just a teenager still growing, but also having lots of pressure placed on you at a young age. It’s best to live life before going to college, which is when it might start going downhill.

Q: Do you feel prepared?

A: I don’t feel that prepared because I’m still unsure if I want to transfer. I’m also not sure how dual credit classes work over there, how the environment is, and if it’s actually worth it transfer.