Imagine living in a quintessential small town. Everyone knows everyone and everything; there is a sense of community amongst the residents. Frazier Park, a town just 40 minutes north of Santa Clarita with a population slightly above 3,000 people, is a place that fits the description above. Frazier Park and Santa Clarita may seem like two different worlds. Santa Clarita is far from a “small” town with a population of around 225,000 people that is constantly growing with new developments being built to support more and more people. 

Alona Adargo, a junior who recently transferred to Hart from Frazier Mountain High School, can attest to the differences between the two towns. The number of students at Hart versus Alona’s old high school alone represents the sheer difference between the two towns. Hart has approximately 2,200 students, whereas Frazier Mountain High School has roughly 250 students. 

“Starting at this high school, I realized that I had to worry about different things than I would at my old high school. For example, at my old high school, I would have to worry about people knowing my business or my family life. Now, I’m more worried about my appearance. Here, no one knows me,” Adargo said, further explaining the differences between Hart High and Frazier Mountain High. 

In addition to being a larger, more diverse school, Hart has more rigorous classes and extracurriculars than Frazier Mountain High, increasing the amount of time that Adargo spends on her classwork. 

“I feel like Frazier Mountain High is more like a walk, whereas here, you’re doing a run. I tried out for the softball team and made the team. At my old school, it wouldn’t have started until after soccer season had ended, so everything here starts early and moves at a faster pace,” Adargo said. 

With the beginning of college application season, many seniors are starting to increasingly think about what their lives will look like next year. For many students, next year will be the year that they leave the town they have grown up or spent the majority of their lives in. Adargo has learned what it feels like to leave the town she has grown up in and to move to a place where she doesn’t know anyone. Moving and changing schools presented Alona with setbacks and frustrating situations,

“I called so many times trying to figure out exactly what I needed to transfer and I didn’t get the answer until the fourth time that I called. Some adults are going to be really helpful, like my counselor and the athletic department were, but others are not helpful and will not take you seriously,” Adargo said. 

While many aspects of moving are stressful and put people outside of their comfort zones, Adargo has found that moving has given her an opportunity to grow as a person by putting herself out there in social situations and making new friends. Talking to new people in new environments is intimidating. Over these past few weeks, Adargo has adopted a piece of advice she reminds herself of when interacting with new people, 

“You are going to know right off the bat whether or not they like you, whether or not they don’t like you, and whether or not they’re going to be nice to you. With that being said, make sure to have at least one conversation with someone. Give them a chance,” Adargo said. 

After all, if a relationship with someone doesn’t work out, people can always choose to distance themselves from that person and try cultivating a friendship with someone new. 

 “The best part about life is that you’re not obligated to talk to anybody,” Adargo said.