A new school year always brings new faces, with different outlooks on the environment surrounding them compared to the ones who’ve been there before. With 2,496 students from grades 9-12 in the school, inevitably, some of them were not originally students of this campus. That alone doesn’t even account for the many new staff members at the school experiencing their first year here. With these new faces, come new opinions and points of view returning Wildkats may not think to consider.

Willis High School has the perk of many CTE classes that offer certification and training so students can quickly enter their chosen careers after graduation. While most schools in Texas do offer CTE courses, Willis has over 20 options for students to fill their four years with. These classes offer great opportunities even if someone isn’t 100% sure what to do after high school because they delve into all the possible jobs their career cluster connects to and the skills it gives someone even if they do not pursue a career in that field.

A huge plus at Willis is having a personal Chromebook, an opportunity not all schools have. Each WHS student is provided their own Chromebook free of charge to do their work on, not having to worry if a teacher does not have a Chrome cart for the day when they need one like they could at another school. Having consistent access to your work, especially with the concerns of using phones during class, is exceptionally beneficial for both staff and students.

Not everyone enjoys school, it can be boring going through the routine of classes five days a week. That doesn’t mean students can’t look at the bright side of going specifically to their school.[/pullquote]A need WHS both has and solves is having on-campus police. Large schools are always harder to manage especially when it comes to conflict. There are over 2000 students here and only five APs, making it extremely difficult to manage things like fights, threats or drug possession. One could find them annoying, especially if they are one of the students affected by their presence, but overall they help handle the major issues that come with a large population of students. Not everyone is provided this security or safety, which can put them at higher risk of things getting out of control.

Something many staff at WHS offer is after-school tutorials for their classes. These tutorials are a great time for students who struggle to get free help from someone who is experienced in the specific topics causing them to struggle. Some schools don’t offer any form of tutor-based help to their students, leaving them to rely on the internet, which may not always be accurate, or to guess what they know.

Not everyone enjoys school, it can be boring going through the routine of classes five days a week. That doesn’t mean students can’t look at the bright side of going specifically to their school. WHS has many things others do not have, and being surrounded by them every day can make the importance or advantage of them less visible to returning students and staff. Rather than consistently think of the downsides you feel WHS has, acknowledge the privileges that being a Wildkat provides.