How the Fenn Community has Shaped Me

~Will O’Brien, Class of 2022

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.

Helen keller

I came into the Fenn community pretty much alone. I was the only 8th grader coming into a brand new community, and only knew two kids already here.I quickly learned about the power of the community of Fenn. 

Whether it’s a collaborative group project on the Serengeti in Science class, or playing recess football with your cohort after 2 hours of sitting in the same classroom, the impact of the Fenn community on me was powerful. So powerful that even after 2 months with all of my classmates, they all felt like brothers to me already.They made me laugh like brothers do, and they pissed me off at times just like brothers do. 

When I came to Fenn, I realized that I was just like everybody else. 

I was stuck in cohorts like everybody else. 

I was wearing a stupid mask just like everybody else 

I was socially distanced from everybody else just like everybody else, …and that is when I realized that I was not alone, 

I was not alone because I had the Fenn community. 

Last year the Fenn community prepared me for the challenges of ninth grade, now that I am in ninth grade, I have to embrace all of the challenges, whether it is getting a 70 on a global studies test, remembering what play we are running when I come out of the huddle, or even having no dessert one day for lunch. 

The Fenn community is not just a community, it’s a community of communities. Now in the grand scheme of things,the 70 on a global studies quiz, not having a dessert at lunch for one day, and forgetting a play in a middle school football game won’t really matter. 

What does matter is my impact on the Fenn community? Being a senior, I have a great part in shaping the community for the next group of seniors, And then the next group, and the group after that.

And I want to be remembered as someone who really helped the Fenn community. 

Because the Fenn community was always there for me, I want to give back to the Fenn community by being there for everyone.

So let’s reflect on not just the power of community, but the power of the great community we are all blessed to be a part of–the Fenn Community.