Fyodor Dostoevsky once said, “The second half of a man’s life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half.” Thus, it is vital that the school we go to and friends we choose help us build a strong and correct moral foundation, and I cannot think of a better environment than Fresno Christian.

I joined this school in fifth grade after going to various public schools. At first, I was unsure what to expect. My knowledge about the Bible and Christianity was fairly low when I came but as I have progressed through my education, this school has done an excellent job of equipping Christians with the tools needed to succeed after high school.

There are some who complain about the small size of the school or massive emphasis placed on connecting Biblical themes with academics, yet to me, both are endearing qualities about Fresno Christian.

If I had attended a large public school, there wouldn’t have been as many opportunities, such as publishing articles for The Feather or participating in Academic Decathlon. Such activities greatly strengthened my college applications and helped me determine my college major choice.

An important thing many people forget about school is that it is a massive social influence on students. Much of what was learned in high school is retaught in college, but its social influence stays with you for the rest of your life. That is why I am grateful to be immersed in a Christian environment with supportive friends.

While some view the various rules and guidelines of this school as constricting, I value having a fence to protect me from the dangers of this world and keep me on the narrow path (though I occasionally veer off).

As for The Feather, my experience writing for the school newspaper has certainly been enlightening. I joined my junior year, though I had been thinking about it since when I first accessed the newspaper.

At first, I was worried about the quality of my articles, since writing is not exactly my forte. But since then, my skills have definitely improved and my writing has helped influence my major choice, Political Science. Regardless of your desired major or even your opinion towards The Feather, I encourage everyone to join as it helps build numerous skills from work ethic to personal accountability, in addition to writing.

While I do have some complaints about the school, I have absolutely no regrets about coming here and I admire all of my teachers for helping prepare me for college. Since this is a Christian school, I feel obligated to leave with a Bible passage and my second favorite verse (Ephesians 2:8-9 is my favorite but not really applicable in this circumstance) Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Senior Zachary Diaz de la Cuesta will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall where he will major in Political Science.

For more senior columns, read the May 14 article, Electives, musical groups mold high school career.