Wood joins FC community once again

This column is part one of a two-part series. The first installment can be found here.

Sophomore year was the greatest year of high school. I loved sophomore year, all my close friends that I have now, I met my sophomore year. I am so blessed to have met them, meeting them was the greatest thing to ever happen to me.

My friend, Lauren Castile, would make me laugh so hard my sides would hurt and tears would stream down my face every single day. She is hands down the absolute funniest person I know and I am so grateful to call her one of my best friends. I always say that I’ve never had a “miracle” happen to me, but writing this now makes me realize that meeting her was my miracle.

Next is Hallie, I met Hallie when one of my close friends, Kass, moved to San Diego, when Kass left it was just me and Hallie in Spanish together. Over time we started to become closer and closer, we realized we had multiple classes together and we started spending more time together and hanging out everyday at school.

Hallie and I are the same person, we are each others missing half. We have a joke that Hallie and I are one, but it truly isn’t a joke. We think the same, act the same, have gone through the same things. We’re there for each other and have more inside jokes than you could imagine. Hallie is so sweet and hilarious and smart, I am blessed to have her in my life. I don’t know what I would do without her, she is amazing, down to earth and talented.

Lastly of my close friends of CN are Alyssa Talent and Morgan Goodin. Alyssa is my partner in crime, literally. We have been through so much together and have each other’s backs no matter what. Her personality is just amazing, she is always smiling and running her mouth.

I met Alyssa in softball P.E. We would tease each other constantly and laugh at people with each other, and just got along perfectly. She is extremely supportive of me no matter what, it is very rare you find a friend like her. Her energy just makes you drawn to her, she’s a phenomenal person, talented, sweet, supportive. We became incredibly close this summer, we were on the same travel team and we went through quite a lot, and had each other’s back through thick and thin. I am so grateful for Alyssa Talent.

Last, but most certainly not least, is Morgan Goodin. She is probably one of the funniest people you will ever meet, and the best part of it all is that she doesn’t have a clue she’s funny. She gives herself such a hard time, and she needs to stop. I also met Morgan through Softball P.E. at CN. Our friendship has been a little rocky, but what friendship hasn’t?

Morgan is the type of person who doesn’t realize how funny and great she is. You could tell her a thousand times and she won’t listen. One of the reasons were friends is because we are both stubborn and it’s quite a trip. She is also on my softball travel team and I tease her about everything, but I tease out of love. She is kind, funny, smart and has such a big heart. I am lucky to have Morgan as a friend.

Going to Fresno Christian opens up a new window of opportunity. You get a fresh start, get to go back to all your old friends that you miss so much. I think Fresno Christian is a great choice academically and athletically, I felt that you would do better in the academic department and with no doubt be the starting pitcher. — Adam Wood, Vanessa’s Brother

Sophomore year changed my life, I was impacted in so many ways. Either by teachers, students or friends. The teachers were fantastic, my favorite teachers were my biology teacher Mrs. Salvador and my english teacher Mrs. Aguilar. They knew how to really help you understand the content they were teaching, they never got mad, they were relaxed and liked to have fun, but at the same time they got students to really understand the material they were teaching. I loved them and their classes.

When they walked into the room I immediately knew something big was about to happen, I just didn’t know if it was going to be good or bad. They said an opportunity has come up so that I am able to go back to FC for my junior and senior year. I was flabbergasted, I had no words, I could not process what they had just said.

At first I was outraged and responded, “Absolutely not! I can’t leave all my friends, we were supposed to graduate together.” My dad said he would give me a few days to think about it. I thought about it for a very long time, writing out the pros and cons; imagining what it would be like to leave CN and all my friends.

“Going to Fresno Christian opens up a new window of opportunity,” Adam said. “You get a fresh start, get to go back to all your old friends that you miss so much. I think Fresno Christian is a great choice academically and athletically, I felt that you would do better in the academic department and with no doubt be the starting pitcher.”

After thinking long and hard about this huge decision, and talking to my friends from CN and FC, I had finally decided. I could not believe the decision I was about to make, I was going back to Fresno Christian.

At that point I had thought about my decision for a week and school was just around the corner. I had a week to get prepared, I was nervous, happy and sad. If you look at it one way, I get to go back and make a full circle. However if you look at it the other way, I’m leaving all my closest friends and can only hope that we stay close and keep in touch.

My father, Ralph Wood, felt that FC would open new windows of opportunities for me that I couldn’t receive at CN.

“I wanted you to have the best opportunities,” Ralph said. “And I felt that Fresno Christian could give you that. An opportunity came up where we were able to transfer you back and I thought it was a perfect idea. Fresno Christian could give you academic and athletic opportunities that Clovis North couldn’t.”

It’s been about three weeks into the school year at FC and I am going to be honest, it’s been a little rough. It’s been hard getting used to the size and the fact that I’m not going to school with my best friends. There’s been some bumps in the road over these past few weeks, and some pot holes. However, I trust that this is God’s plan and that I will be okay, because everything happens for a reason.

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @_VanessaWood and via email: Vanessa Wood.