Freshmen Focus: Watsonville High School welcomes incoming freshmen

More than 100 freshmen at Watsonville High School sat in on an orientation which would introduce them to everything about the school they’re close to calling their own.

Somewhere in the crowd sat Lucynell Rosales and Jason Naranjo. Each of them carrying a piece of advice from their parents, plus what their goals are as the school year begins.

“My parents told me to do my best to go out for sports and clubs,” says Jason. “Put myself out in the community and everything.”

Lucy, meanwhile, hopes to go to college while helping her parents out with their needs. Her thoughts also lean to finding a place to live after high school or college as she is “always looking ahead to the future.”

Jason had the same goal in mind, aiming for some of the big name schools.

Lucy and Jason are athletic hopefuls, too. Lucy hopes to play softball or volleyball for Watsonville High while Jason is looking forward to basketball season.

Both of them have differing perspectives on what high school may hold for them in the future.

Jason understands how big a transition middle school to high school is. He expects much of the instruction to be more challenging.

Lucy, meanwhile, brought up the topic of friendship, saying “you’re supposed to lose all your friends.”

“That’s probably what scares me the most because they’re my friends and I want them to stick with me. But I’ve already seen some change so, it kinda sucks.”

Watsonville High Principal Elaine Legorreta says the transition from middle school to high school can be stressful for freshmen. More than 600 of them are expected to jump into a school with more than 2,000 students slated to join the school overall.

Lucy and Jason spent much of their first few days at Watsonville High School geting acquainted with the campus, staff and students through the “Step Up” program.

As Lucy learns about Watsonville High through the program she also thought of her little brother.

She offered this piece of advice for the kid: “Try your hardest, and never give up. Because I know he might want something in life and he’ll feel like he can’t get it but if he works his hardest, he’ll get it.”

Sounds pretty wise, right?

“No! I need advice…if anything I’m the one who needs the advice, not gives it,” Lucy responds.