Dear NAI,

Today in English, Mr. Geibel taught my class a very valuable lesson. He told us that our personal heroes shouldn’t be our favorite singers or actors or even our parents or grandparents. Our personal heroes should be ourselves ten years from now.

At first, I wondered what my twenty six year old self would be like. Would I be my own hero? Or would I simply live to disappoint? I didn’t know what to say or do, except that I knew that I couldn’t predict or change the future. So, I looked back at my six year old self, walking the halls of Bradford Woods, and pondered the same question – Am I my own hero?

From a general, quick look at my life, I’d probably say no. I haven’t done anything grand, and the biggest achievement I’ve ever received is being nominated for “Outstanding Performance in Little Women” (thank you Mr. Kiggins and Mrs. Feliciani). But doesn’t happiness count for something? Not “Yay My Sister Just Turned Eighteen and Can Buy Me a Juul” happiness, but real, pure happiness. All of our lives, we’ve been taught that excellence is what leads to success and success is what leads to a happy life, but isn’t it the other way around? No amount of money can buy me what I love most in life – my family and my friends. So NAI, because of you, I change my answer: I am my own hero.

In the leading years before I entered NAI, my life was absolute mayhem. I tried so hard to fit in with all of the “cool girls” and spent hours at the mall trying to figure out what was hot in fashion. I studied way too much in school and stressed out over grades, until I’d end each evening in a crying fit. But now I’m (cringey word alert) chill. I realize that a B or even a C is not the end of the world. I don’t know how or why NAI taught me this lesson, but I’m glad it did. Better late than never, I suppose.

If only I had someone back then telling me that my grades didn’t matter. Because they don’t, right? I’m a reasonable girl with a stable noggin on my head, and I can guarantee you that I can have a good career without knowing that P₁V₁=P₂V₂ is Boyle’s Law. Do I need to know it now? Sure. Why? That’s beyond me.

My time here at NAI is soon coming to a close. I’d like to say that I’m sad, but in all honesty, I’m not. Because I know that I’m going to bigger and better places – not necessarily NASH, which has more bald principals than windows, but life in general. I know that I am going to have a wonderful life, and I hope you do too.

So thank you, NAI.

Stay happy,

Lucie Flagg

Dear NAI,

There’s something I want to tell you, so I’d appreciate if you’d be nice enough to remove your earbuds/airpods/whatever-you-call-’ems so you could actually focus on the message.   I’d also appreciate if you’d set your phone down for a second, too. At this point, I’m sure you’re guessing that this is going to be some rant about all the flaws of your generation.  Wrong! I want to remind you of the most important thing you can CONTINUE to do. Just a reminder. Not a lecture. Not a demand. Not a scolding.

And so, this is it:

Always, no matter what circumstance you find yourself in, please BE THE KIND KID.

I know you can.  I’ve seen you do it a million times.  I see you picking up someone’s dropped pencil in the hallway, I see you washing your teacher’s car to show your appreciation, I see you sharing a snack with a classmate, I see you befriending someone who’s new during your lunch period, I see you helping a classmate figure out how to do something on the computer, I see you sharing the homemade cupcakes you baked, I see you. I see all of you.  And I wish you could see yourselves.

You are the best YOU when you reach out to others.  You need to maximize your potential and do what it takes to have a life that you can call “happy”.  The most efficient and effective way to be happy is to make an effort to make others happy. All that it takes, my sweet-hearted friends, is for you to continue to be the nice kid.  Be the kind kid.

So, thanks for the great year!  I hope you have a fun and relaxing summer, and every once in a while, remember to turn down the music, look up from your phone, and see how you can participate in this world.  Be the kind kid as often as you can.

Dear NAI,

       Through my two, eye opening years here I have learned so much. I have learned that success does not just come to those who wait for it, but to those who work for it. When I walked in the doors on my first day of freshman year I was overwhelmed. I wasn’t ready for what was to come, or at least that’s what I thought. Teachers, students, and parents have all made my transition from middle school to high school much easier. After my first nine weeks my mind was much more at ease then it had been on that first day. Ever since then, despite all the hard tests, hours of homework, and late nights spent finishing projects my spirit has yet to break. One class that inspired me the most were my art classes that I took last year. Not only did I have a fantastic time during the class, I also decided to spend more time creating art outside of class hours. Ever since taking that class I have used my creative abilities in many ways and have tried new things, I once thought would never get my interest. One club that I did that I loved was key club. I enjoyed volunteering my time to help people out in our community. It made me feel really good about myself and appreciate my life even more. I will continue to volunteer my time for as long as I can. NAI has helped me find my liking for business and pave my path for a future career. Another thing that has made my time at NAI so enjoyable is the friends I have made. They have helped me through everything and have given me nothing but countless laughs and memories. It’s crazy to think that I am leaving so soon because it feels like I was hardly here. One day I was walking into school and what feels like a week later, I’m out and off to a brand new one. One factor that sets NAI aside from all other high schools is the people inside. I’ve been inspired by countless teachers and even students. Many who have helped me through some of the hardest moments of my life. One teacher in particular that stood out to me was my ninth grade history teacher Mr. Lamm. Not only was he focused on teaching us all about US history he also focused on helpful life tips. He taught us all about life and how to stand up to anyone. I will remember the things I learned in that class for the rest of my life. Something that calms my anxieties is seeing how much I’ve grown and changed as a person during my time here. I know that the next two years at NASH will treat me just as well as NAI has, but it still hurts knowing I have to leave this place. Knowing that I can grow and overcome any obstacle is refreshing and will for sure help me throughout the rest of my academic journey. Overall, I just want to say thank you for everything and helping me look at the world with whole new eyes.

           Sincerely, Meghan Phrampus

Dear NAI,

Mr. Hull asked me to write this letter to you, my delay in doing so spawns only from the lack of vocabulary I possess to describe all that you have done for me. Although waking up every morning has dredged up a severe intolerance for the sound of my alarm, my interactions with this school have (mostly) been positive.

Pre-freshman-year-Samhita had an idealist’s view of high school: easy classes and good times. The one thing I was really worried about was if my friend group would become dissolved in the sea of 700 other freshmen, my new peers. Somehow, thanks to our counselors’ wonderful scheduling, I was able to have at least one friend in each of my classes and I was smoothly sailing. The only struggle we all really had was sprinting to lunch every day so that one of us could reserve a table for all of us (@8th period lunch >:(  ).

Sophomore year, was, if possible, even better than freshman year. Although I didn’t have many friends in all my classes, I had gotten the lay of the land and I was comfortable navigating the waters of NAI. Every single day had a new memory: my camera roll can attest to that.

But that’s just a summary of my time here. Let’s get to the ~substance~.

My ride here at NAI is finally pulling into the station (bear with me on this metaphor), and all I can say are there have been many ups and downs. There have been meltdowns, locker jams, times where I don’t do any of my homework (what I like to call self-care), bad tests, bad days, all that good ish. Funnily enough, I can’t seem to recall any of the details on those sorts of things.

The things that I do remember however, are the times where I laughed so hard I choked on my water, the late nights coming home soaked to the bone from a soccer game (but we still won!), hiding presents in my friends’ lockers on their birthdays, taking “mental health days” in English, eating lunch in Mr. Anticole’s room when people took our booth, taking naps in Journalism (after we did our work, don’t worry), things like that.

Memories like those are ones that will remain ingrained in my mind. I know there will be more locker jams and assorted misfortunes to come, but NAI has taught me that there will also be more good stuff. More tears from laughter, not sadness. More sitting-in-the-halls-pretending-to-work-on-a-project-but-really-just-eating-lunch because the cafeteria was just not our vibe that day. More pickleball championships (doubles 😉 ), more NA games, more of everything that I was gifted by this school in the past two years.

As the sun sets on my time here, I think about everything I have ever learned within these walls. I’ve memorized quite a few equations, learned some vocabulary words, wrote more than a handful of essays, read some Shakespeare, did some experiments. But I think that all that amounts to more than just book knowledge. It amounts to shared experiences and triumphs, moments of victory we all share together.

NAI has taught me that learning goes a whole lot deeper than a textbook– it carves the way for our characters.

Okay, I’m done being dramatic now.

Love,

Samhita Vasudevan

Dear NAI,

The past two years have gone fast, so I’m guessing the final days of the school year will fly by as well. And for some reason, I’m surprised that the thought fills me with just a little bit of dread instead of the typical exhilarating thoughts of summer sunshine. Usually, I’m a girl who looks to the future and plans ahead. I used to not be able to wait until I got to the “big kids’” school– NASH. But with less than a dozen days left at this intermediate high school, I’m feeling a little nostalgic.

I mean, how could I not be? After everything that’s happened here– the greatest hits and the lowest of lows– how do I just accept that I’m leaving the place where I did so much of my growing up? We all walked into these doors as weird little middle schoolers, and at some point, in the past two years, we became whoever we are today.

I, like many of my peers, came to NAI with some very warped expectations that can probably be blamed on Disney Movies (ie High School Musical). I pictured the dances, the Friday night football games, the romance, the big parties. High school comes with a lot of expectations.

Instead, I was met with stress, drama, and the daunting task of figuring out what kind of person I wanted in a world of seemingly endless opportunity. As scary as that was (and still is), I think I got the hang of it.

Here. At NAI.

That’s why it matters so much, why this place touched my heart, why it made me more sentimental than usual.

Because here I met teachers who supported me inside and outside of the classroom. They pushed me out of my comfort zone and inspired me to do better. I could always pop in one of their classrooms and instantly feel comfortable. Their doors were wide open, and they made me believe in myself. That kind of self-confidence is a vital thing to a kid trying to figure themselves out. I still stop in and bother Mr. Lamm when I can, and tell Dr. Gallo all about my current classes and how lacrosse season’s going.

Here, I found a diverse, weirdly wonderful group of friends who made me feel welcome. They made me laugh and smile and take everything in stride. I can officially say that I found some of “my people.”

Here I tried new things. I signed up for  HOSA, a club for kids who want to go into healthcare, and ended up being an officer and loving the responsibility. I played high school lacrosse in all it’s terrifyingly terrific glory. I joined journalism, and it was one of the best decisions of my life– a decision that brought me so much joy and truth and lessons.

And at some point in between discovering and loving everything that this school offered me, I found myself.

To me, that’s what’s growing up’s all about.

It was sitting in the Lounge, writing and discovering a talent I never knew I had. It was the exciting feeling that came when you realized you were doing something you loved and that it felt effortless. It was hanging out with my friends every morning in the alcove at the very top of D-hall, where we’d laugh and complain about how early it was and finish up homework. It was meeting my best friend outside of her English class every day and feeling like everything was right in the world.

It was my locker that jammed every time I tried to put my lacrosse bag in it. It was my math classroom that was always freezing cold. It was working on group projects and goofing off while sitting on the floor in the otherwise empty hallways. It was studying in the library during seventh period like clockwork. It was spraining my ankle on the gravel loop outside. It was being brought nearly to tears in the bathroom after I failed my first test, and, later, figuring out that those tests grades didn’t mean as much as I thought they did. It was hugging my friends in the halls. It was creating some of the oddest, most wonderful memories.

It was everything that happened here. I overcame some of the biggest challenges and rolled with some of the toughest punches. I was taught how to create my own voice. I learned how to use it in an effective manner. I found my worth and happiness outside of scores and statistics. I have never felt more confident or more empowered, and it’s all thanks to the environment I spent the past two years growing up in.

It’s amazing that this school is considered by some to just be a “stepping-stone.” Because when I think of it, I think of bright colors. I think of music filling the rooms and beautiful art lining the walls. I imagine cool furniture and a sense of comfort. This place was never perfect, but I like to think it was full of passion and that unexplainable take-on-the-world kind of feeling. It turned into my own little community– with my friends, teachers, and supporters.

So, I may not look back at ninth and tenth grade and remember the typical high school movie shenanigans. I, unfortunately, did not meet my very own Troy Bolton. And the truth is, I really don’t know if my first two years of high school were supposed to be like this. I don’t know if it was supposed to be more fun and less studying and cheesy self-discovery. But I’m okay with that. Besides, I somehow have a feeling that NAI is an entirely different adventure of its own.

No matter the case, at the end of the day, I’m absolutely sure of one thing: I’ll miss it here.

So, thanks, NAI.

Yours truly,

Kristen Kinzler

Dear NAI,

As most of your journeys are just beginning, mine is slowly coming to a close. Yeah, I’ll be around to pester the current freshmen (Future Sophomores) in AP, but I’d like to share some of my feeling about this old building and the people who have passed through it.

My parents moved me and my dog from the north side neighborhood called “City View/Spring Hill”  (above the big church you can see on 2-79) about the same time as this building was dedicated in 1954, so it and I have had a LOOOONG relationship. I didn’t go to elementary school at McKnight (I went to St. Teresa’s) but most of my friends did and I finally got to the big school with the big “Bubble” on the back (the big gym) in 9th grade. We were the biggest class yet (Baby boomers) and they were building Carson so we did split scheduling in 9th and 10th grade – we went from 12:00 – 4:30: – no lunches, no study halls but it was great to sleep in (Seniors went from 7:30 – 11:30).

I graduated from NAI (before they built NASH) and have played soccer here, coached here, and finally taught here for what seems like all of my life. But enough reminiscing about my life. This school is MUCH more than just a building. While it had won architectural design acclaim when it was new, it is the people who make it someplace special. Each of the administrators puts their own special mark on the building and the interaction of students with each other and with teachers makes this one of the most cherished memories for students after they leave.

I can only hope that I have left a positive shadow on the kids I have had a chance to know, and speaking from an “old person’s” perspective – it’s the people and places in your your life that will shape who you are and most of the people who I went here with still remember the GREAT times and forget about the rest.

So as the years come to a close stop by and tell one of your friends that you will miss them or stop and say Hi to a favorite teacher who doesn’t know it – we are surprised every year by someone – maybe it will be you.

Mr. Hildy

Querido NAI,

Después de los ~175 días solo puedo decir “ufff” y darte las gracias.  Gracias por darme la bienvenida a tu familia, por los recuerdos, y por tu trabajo tan duro.  Era un placer conocerte este año.  Yo espero que sientas igual.  Me has enseñado mucho de la vida y mucho más de tus habilidades de aprender.  Tengo muchísimas ganas de volver después de un descanso muy merecido.  Ojalá que tú puedas descansar mucho y estresarte menos.  ¡No te olvides de practicar el español!  ¡Qué tengas un buen verano!

Un abrazo fuerte,

DeGarmo

Dear NAI,
My time spent at NAI has felt rather fast. The lessons learned and laughs I have had have been countless and unforgettable. My friends have been a big part of my time at nai, some have stayed some have gone but a stable friend group is something I am very grateful to have thanks to NAI. Seeing my best friends in school and being able to talk, laugh, and chat is one of my favorite parts of going to school at nai.  Nai has been a great school with so many unforgettable memories made the stressful times were all for good reason, and for preparation for harder work in college. It’s crazy to think that next school year I will be a junior. when I think of nash i think of the “old” kids but now thinking about being one of those “older” kids is absolutely insane. Time has flown by with new friends new experiences and growth physically and mentally. I’m hoping my time at nash won’t go as fast as nai because the people that will be there truly do feel like my family at times. Nash has a certain vibe and atmosphere that is exciting to be placed into. NAIs workload has been stressful. The countless tests and endless studying seems repetitive and exhausting at times but the great teachers here at nai have been great to help balance the workload in a healthy way. The counselors and staff here are all great at their job and help make kids feel welcome. One teacher that really stood out to me was my 9th grade study hall teacher, Mr. Mac although he did not teach me a subject, he always taught us great life lessons and was great to have conversations with about how my day was going. Even though some of the classes seem pointless and the things taught will never be used again, some classes at NAI seem very useful and are some of my favorite courses. Journalism and adventures in foods have been 2 of my most fun and interesting classes to take at NAI. The skills taught in these classes have been useful and used again in my life making the courses fun and exciting. North Allegheny is such a great school district and is involved in such an amazing thing to help others such as Project Water. As a member of project water, the wonderful help and support this organization brings to others is amazing to watch and be a part of there truly is no greater feeling than helping people that are desperately in need. My brother Joshua started project water and NA is great to keep it going to keep helping people in need. Overall, NAI has been an unforgettable school with unforgettable times had along the way. I will never forget everything nai has given me including my friends. Moving up to nash seems scary but I am excited for the new things to come.

Dear NAI,

Your lives will be marked by many defining moments.  Here are a few of mine…

I will never forget the moment my wife, Livia, and I decided to commit the rest of our lives to one another.  It forever changed my life for the better. The premature birth of our son, James, and his one-month hospital stay quickly schooled us on the complex emotions of parenting.  His birth, along with those of his younger siblings Evelyn and Andrew forever changed our lives. My father was my role model and mentor; losing him to cancer taught me that no matter how hard you fight you are never fully in control.  Now approaching 40, I can begin to appreciate all these life-changing moments. I am fortunate that most of them have been positive experiences. All of these events have helped shape my values, beliefs and purpose for life.

I was fortunate enough to experience another one of these life-changing moments at NAI.  Five years ago, Josh Thomas captured the attention and imagination of both NAI students and staff with his vision for Project Water.  The goal was to raise enough money to build a water well in an African village for those who did not have access to the basic need of clean water.  It was astonishing to see his passion and urgency for people whom he never met. Along the way, Josh began to awaken a service mentality that had been dormant in me for years.  He reminded me that I am truly blessed; therefore, I should be a blessing to others. Project Water inspired me to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. More importantly, Josh reminded me the cost of not acting on this calling was far greater than any loss of my time, money or effort.  I humbly admit that an NAI student inspired me to live with a greater purpose.

Project Water has greatly exceeded Josh’s initial goals of bringing clean water to one African village.  The organization is already responsible for clean water access to several communities, schools and hospitals.  Thousands of less fortunate have experienced this life-changing event. Many students have also found a greater purpose in life by focusing on the needs of others.  

So NAI, when you set out to influence those around you, who knows, you might just change the life of one of your teachers too!

Sincerely,

Mr. Paylo

Dear NAI,

It seems like every school year goes by rather quickly, but my freshman year has gone by the fastest out of my almost 10 school years here at North Allegheny. The very first day of the 2018-2019 school year, I walked in the doors of NAI and was overwhelmed with the huge population of our school. It was also easy to recognize the great uniqueness of our school.

I was able to meet great people between students, teachers, counselors, ext. I was able to have a fun at NAI while get a great education. My grades have been better than they have ever been. That proves how great the teachers are here at NAI. The teachers are very easy to talk to and personal. It’s easy to talk to anybody in this building.

Since my 9 months of being a part of NAI, I have been able to meet many new people that I can relate to and have fun with. There is never any trouble between us and I hope it stays the same. The moral here is to surround yourself with good people which I have been taught since day 1. It really does pay off.

As I picture my future, I can see my next 3 years of high school being even better which sets me for lifestyle in my adulthood that would be perfect for me.
8th graders moving their way into high school may be nervous for freshman year like I was. But after the first few weeks of school, they will realize of how great NAI really is. It’s easy to say that I am excited for my sophomore year which I think will be even better than this year. For all of them, I highly recommend getting involved with different courses and clubs. You will meet great people and have the best time you’ve ever had in school.

The stereotypes for high school may be true in some other schools. The high school typical stereotypes consist of scary jocks, mean cheerleaders, many cases of bullying, and more. NAI has the ability of proving all the stereotypes do not apply in NAI and as years go by and new students come in and out of the district, no matter what this will not change.

Dear NAI,

It came to my notice that my freshman year was coming to an end.  My freshman year has taught me so many things such as who I want to be, who I want in my life, who I want as friends and as my acquaintances, who I was impacted by, and what subjects were my strongest and what subjects were my weakest.  

Coming to NAI, my transition from one of NA’s middle school to NAI went smoothly.  Some may ask how or why it went smoothly. My simple answer would be it was time to make new friends and forget about the friends who did not treat me properly in the past.  I had a chance to make new friends before the school year thanks to Band Camp.

For some people like me, I always thought that high school would be fun and would be one of the best experiences that you would not want to forget.  

For me, high school was a chance to learn what’s important and what’s not, things I want to do in life, what I want to study in the future, and finding the difference between people who would be there for you in your hardest times and the people who only pretend to care about you.  I understand from experience that some people who bring you down are there to help you to become a stronger person and are getting you ready for what’s coming. Before I start trusting someone, I tell them about my past and what challenged I have faced. After telling the story, if they are still around, that’s going to be a good friend and will be there for you in the darkest times. If not, it’s time to move on from them and find new friends.  I would like to thank the people who made fun of me, told me that I could not do something, and did not believe in me. Without them, I would not be the type of person I am today.

I would also like to say thank you to the people who have stuck by my side since elementary school and the people who make me laugh everyday.  Along with this, thank you for being there when I needed you the most.

My greatest inspiration has to come from my second grade teacher, Mrs. Derkos (I did not go to NA in second grade).  Mrs. Drerkos had believed in me, teaching me so many things like you should always be kind to the people who you meet because you do not know what they might be dealing with or going through.  Most of the days here at NAI, I would go around saying “Hi” (and their name). I do not know about them, but just saying “Hi” to someone and them saying “Hi” back just brightens my day and makes the day go by faster.  Just one small thing can change a person’s day and impact their life.

I would also like to thank my last year’s Social Studies Mr. McClain and my Math teacher Mr. Deaugustino.  They both have taught me so much during the school years. Mr. McClain and Mr. Deaugustino have always believed in me that I could do anything.  It might just be me, but they very much appreciated my way of thinking and my ways of doing things differently (Thank you for not failing me!). Without a doubt, these teachers here at NA have impacted me through all of my years of learning, and not just the teachers that I have listed.  

So thanks NAI for what you have done in the past school year.  I cannot wait to see what there is to come next year.

Yours sincerely,

Amily Ko

Dear NAI,

The last few years have gone by quicker than I expected.  I feel like just yesterday I finished middle school, and I was nervous about coming to NAI.  Back then, the school seemed huge, confusing, and terrifying to me.

Now, after what only seems like a blink of the eye, it is almost done.  With only a couple of weeks left, I am now starting to feel reminiscent.  Not because I will miss the classwork and tests, but because I have so many memories here.

I know high school is not over yet, but it feels like the end of a chapter leaving NAI, marking being done with half of high school.  I wish my past self knew some of the things I do now. I wish I realized that grades were not everything. Yes, I should try my hardest, but not to the point of unnecessary stress.  I also wish that I had realized back at the beginning of freshman year that not everything will go perfectly. It is inevitable that bad things will happen, but what matters is how you react.  Most importantly, I wish I knew that being kind is always important because the people around you will not always be, but you can at least make sure that you positively impact someone’s day.

The last two years have had good and bad moments, but I know the ones I will remember are the ones where someone showed me random kindness.  School is tough already, but the people around you can make it so much better. The little things are easily what made my whole day better. Things as simple as a teacher giving out candy or joking around with my friend.  

I guess the last thing I would want to say is thank you.  There have been difficult moments in school, but I know I came out of them smarter.  Most importantly, thank you to the people who made coming to school easy and who were always kind.  I know I will definitely miss NAI.

So thank you, NAI.

Sincerely,

Emma Kim

Dear NAI,

Three words to describe my experience with you would be unforgettable, stressful and fun. Unforgettable, because I made so many new friendships. Some good and some bad, the friendships will never be forgotten because I learned so much. Stressful, because of all the school work I was given in my classes, but I knew it will pay off when I am in college and need to use my hard work, determination, and good study habits. Fun, because I truly felt welcomed every day by my friends and teachers as I walked into NAI. Even when I made mistakes (mainly because I wanted to have fun) at school, I properly was told what did wrong(even though I knew). I think this is so valuable because it taught me the right way to act and respect others. Because my teachers cared and respected me so much, it did not make it hard for me to show the same for them.

In ninth grade I remember it was one of my most stressful times because I was bombarded with homework and the need to study for a test. At first I did not take this well. I started being unpleasant at home to my loving family. Once I was able to open up to my family about how stressed I was they were able to help. Because I opened up to my family about my struggling in school, I got closer than ever with them and my grades became easier to me.

My favorite memories at NAI would be in Mr. Jordan’s Chemistry class. Although this was my hardest class sophomore year, I enjoyed chemistry class so much. I became very good friends with my lab partner. This made the sometimes dread of going to chemistry class a little less bitter. Also, Mr. Jordan did such an nice job at teaching and showing how fun and amazing chemistry is. In need of a break, on mole day(November 23), the whole class was able to bring in food and we had a relaxing period of eating, talking to friends, and watching Mr. Jordan blow up a pumpkin. The first lab I remember doing was the most fun because we were able to pop popcorn and after recording are data eat the popcorn. Lastly, I am thankful for the test retakes. I think the tests retakes were the best form of learning for me. I believe this because instead of falling something and never learning it, I was able to learn it thoroughly and retake it and get a better score.

Another class that I enjoyed a lot was journalism. If any 8th grader going into 9th grade were to ask me what electives they should take, I would definitely recommend them to take journalism with Mr. Hull. This was such a fantastic class because I was with my two best friends and was able to express my opinions on anything through writing with no stress. Even when I was feeling uncreative, Mr. Hull was always there to motivate me to write something entertaining and funny. The class built my writing skills that will continue to help me through Nash and college.

Lastly, my favorite teacher, Mrs. Holland. I will always be inspired by her because of her kindness, intelligence, and giving personality. From the first day I walked in the room to the last, she made me feel so invited, almost like I was at home and being embraced by my mom when I get home from school. She was always able to make the stress of a hard math lesson go away and give us a treat if we did a nice job. She was my only teacher to ever bake all her students cookies for a day. Mr. Holland also gave all her classes Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day presents. I was taken away by her kindness and passion to teach which I will always remember.                                                                                                               

                                                                                                   -Katie Ranallo

Dear NAI,

I’ve had the great honor of being at NAI my whole career.  I did a brief half-time stint at NASH but my home base has always been here.  I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. To me, NAI is the Tigris and Euphrates of North Allegheny.  For the first time, a whole student body is formed by the combining of three middle schools. High school starts here.  It is an emotional, exciting, challenging, and very invigorating experience. From the students to the teachers, I can’t think of a better place to be.  It’s epic.

Strength and honor,

Maximus Geibel