Many students have found it difficult to start high school, but how was it for those who have never lived here before? Originally living in Shanghai, China, Ritvik Sharma moved to Portland, Oregon, and now currently lives in San Ramon, California.
Sharma explains how moving here affected him and how he was able to find his way through.
Sharma says, “It was quite overwhelming. It felt quite, you know, degrading and to be honest, I didn't like it. I mean, just going back to a public school sort of environment is a bit difficult compared to the school I was going to back in Shanghai. So yeah, it was tough, but now I'm back on track."
Like some students can relate to, Sharma’s first month was not quite what he wanted it to be like. He assumed it would be a smaller town with less students, but those expectations were met with around 3,400 students “bombarding from all sides” as Sharma states. He realizes that it was going to be chaotic and crowded all the time.
However, Sharma does mention how he admires the way people are truly dedicated in what they do, whether they are an athlete or a part of leadership. Like many have stated, the spirit Dougherty Valley has is unmatched.
Though this school has plenty of good things, Sharma has a few he would like to see a change in. He describes how he wishes there was more of a structure to this school, as he wanted to see more teacher and student interaction. He acknowledges that there are an immense amount of students at the school and it would be tough dealing with numerous students in a classroom but nonetheless would appreciate it if there was a small change about that situation.