Senior Katie Jacobson graduates after 13 years at FCS

I walked through Mrs. (Linda) Tapley’s door terrified of my first day of school at Fresno Christian. At only four years old, the youngest one there, I felt alone.

Classmates made friends from preschool the year before, but not me. I never went to preschool. The alphabet, counting to one hundred, reading, and spelling my name presented no problem for me, but it took some time to make a friend.

Seth Johnsen, about a year older than I, attended the afternoon class with Mrs. (Amy) Witters. Our moms met between the end of the morning class and the start of the afternoon. They became friends, therefore Seth and I befriended each other as well.

I remember the big events of kindergarten: Valentine’s Day, 100th day of school, Red White and Blue Day, and my personal favorite, Dad’s Day.

My face lit up and happiness flooded my brain as one of my favorite people in the whole world stayed at school with me. I got to show him how I tried my best everyday and knew he’d tell Mom as soon as we returned home. That day we filled stockings with soil to make little faces, built a volcano, and played basketball. The picture taken on that day still hangs on the wall in my room.

The first day of grade one, I left my Strawberry Shortcake backpack in the backseat of my mother’s car. At five years old I believed my life ended over just because I forgot my backpack. With watery eyes and quivering lips, I approached the teacher.

“Mrs. (Denise) Tally,” I said with a soft voice, “I forgot my backpack in Mama’s car.”

She told me not to worry and I made the right decision to tell her. She used me as an example for the class. My brother attended Mrs. Tally’s class as well, and she knew my timid personality.

The rest of my elementary years remained uneventful as far as school goes. The majority of my development happened in junior high and high school at Fresno Christian.

Seventh grade: The year my journey began. Who wants to remember their junior high years? Not me, for sure. During Mr. (Terry) Richards’ lecture on respiratory, I began to feel lightheaded and every breath became a chore. Mr. Richards knew precisely how to help.

I’ll never forget the look on my best friend’s face. He looked as pale as I felt when he flew downstairs to request a call for an ambulance. I blacked out for a bit and opened my eyes to see another boy, eyes wide with fright. Someone cared. Someone always cares.

The LA trip in seventh grade, filled with smiles and great memories, sticks in my mind to this day. A majority of night one was spent at a skating rink kept open just for us. Many felt sick therefore they sat around the sides. Now the seventh graders spend their nights in a hotel. We camped out in a big gym on the floor. Countless memorable experiences took place in that gym. Between tossing the frisbee back and forth to playing basketball, we all got involved somehow.

Fresno Christian goes undefeated when it comes to field trips. Between the LA trip in seventh grade and the Calvin Crest trip in eighth, a better experience in school seemed out of reach. I grew immensely in the duration of those two trips. I stand corrected as of this past September. The choir retreat at Bass Lake, choir trip to LA and senior retreat topped the junior high memories.

Early on in high school, I thought the four years would never end. High school turned out to be the exact opposite of what television programs engrained in my mind. Yes, hardships occurred, accompanied by thoughts of doubt. The question of whether or not I’d make it through seemed to blink in front of my eyes everyday. However, great things came along, too.

High school becomes enjoyable only when you put in the effort to make it great. Last year I participated in Board Game Club for the last few months of the semester. Clubs provide an opportunity to construct new relationships with peers. I got to know people I never thought I’d hang around and now they’re the people I sit with everyday.

Throughout high school, I became more confident. As the years went on, I began to get involved in more school activities. As my four years in the high school hallways come to a close, I look back with only one regret: I wish I had gotten more involved.

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Senior Katie Jacobson is is a “FC Lifer” and is planning on attending Clovis Community College in the fall. She started as a Fresno Christian kindergarten student in 2004/2005 school year. Eight of the 52 current seniors are Lifers and will graduate at a ceremony in the Peoples Church auditorium, May 25.

For more articles, read, Senior Reflection: Dawson Triplitt or Senior Reflection: Nick LeBlanc.