Guidance from the Heights: Wisdom and Words from Upperclassmen Following Round-Up

By: Donya Hassanshahi

On Thursday, August 3rd, sophomores, juniors, and seniors met in the Redwood Gym from 8AM-2PM in attendance of the annual Round-Up.

As Rangers enter the 2023-2024 school year, upperclassmen reflect on past endeavors and look to implement these in the upcoming future.

Aniyah Padilla, ’24 is a member of Link Crew and Varsity Girls Softball.

As a leader in Link Crew, Padilla says she looks to assure comfort and positivity when welcomed to their new campus and environment, Redwood High School.

In anticipation of her final year, she says, “My last three years at Redwood had prepared me because I really got to understand those around me, which helped me throughout the year since you are with your peers all four years.”

During her freshman year, Padilla says that she wishes she knew “…that it’s okay to push yourself into experiencing new things because that’s what high school at Redwood is all about.”

Given her prior experiences, she says, “Some advice I’d give to [the] class of 2027 is to have fun and take advantage of all the opportunities Redwood gives you—even if it means you have to jump out of your comfort zone.”

After reflecting on his past experiences, Varsity Boys Tennis player Jacob Yang, ’24 says he is preparing for this year by “…letting [him] know what to expect going into senior year. [He] had many friends who were older than [him], so [he] know[s] what to expect of [his] senior year.”

As an engaged member of the community, Yang says he advises freshmen to “…[not] be afraid to talk to people, don’t be scared to join clubs or join a sport. The only way you don’t have fun in high school is if you don’t put in the effort to enjoy your time.”

Prior to his freshman year, he says, “I wish I knew how relaxing and easy it was. When I was a freshman, I was in a new environment and scared of everything. I didn’t know how to talk to people or how to hold a conversation, but most of the time people are pretty nice and willing to talk.”

“High school is a one in a lifetime experience that you’ll never have the chance to go through again— don’t waste it,” Yang says as guidance to the freshmen for their first year, and in the years going forward.

Payten Ball, ’24 is a member of Varsity Girls Soccer, Link Crew, and Ranger Choir.

As she balances her academic life with extracurriculars, she says getting involved and getting to know new people is one of the most important things.

To show her Ranger spirit, Ball says, “On Friday’s, I’m going to be wearing my Ranger t-shift, dress-up days I’m going to dress up, and I’m going to go to all the football games and all the other sports activities that I can.”

With the COVID year she faced as a freshman entering high school, she says, “…It was kind of hard to get to know new people, and now that I know a lot more people it’s just so much more exciting.”

For the class of 2027, Ball says, “Your life is going to change. You’re going to think you’re going into high school knowing one thing and you’re going to come out thinking totally different. Like your eyes have a whole different perspective of life…Go in with an open heart and open mind.”

Kai Preisendorf, ’24 is a student athlete involved with football, wrestling, and member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes [FCA] club.

With this being his final year at Redwood, Preisendorf says he looks forward to Cowhide.

Considering the class of 2024 experienced their freshman year online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Preisendorf says that there have been numerous obstacles, such as the remodeling of the gym and tackling ways to get involved at Redwood.

“We all had to go through challenges no one has faced before, and those challenges helped us adapt to ways of handling a high school schedule very different than previous high schoolers for the better,” he says.

For the upcoming year, he advises the freshmen class by saying, “Be nice—plain and sample.” He not only applies for classmates, though teachers too. “…even just saying hello or good morning makes a huge impact…Teachers in high school are more than teachers; they can be a close friend if you play your cards right,” says Preisendorf.

Not only does Preisendorf encourage extracurriculars and remaining involved, but he says, “In the classroom, you got to focus and actually learn cause that’s what you’re here to do.”

Varsity Girls Basketball and Link Crew member Aryel Chavez, ’24 says she recalls how quickly high school has gone. “My last experiences have taught me that everything can be taken from you in a second, so you just have to go day by day and always make the most of whatever you’re doing,” she says.

Chavez says, “My advice for the class of 2027 is to be as involved as possible. All the memories you make is what makes high school fun.”

As a leader in Link Crew, Chavez says she looks to implement Ranger spirit throughout her time as a Ranger. Whether that be during lunchtime activities or school events, she says she wants students to see that being involved in these activities “…is not weird or embarrassing.”

During her freshman year, she says she wished she knew “…to not be afraid to do new things and meet new people.” She advises incoming freshmen to enjoy new experiences by taking advantage of the opportunities to make new experiences.

Junior Class Vice President Wesley Ball, ’25 is actively involved with ASB, Boys Tennis and Cross Country.

For his junior year, Ball says he looks forward to enjoying his time as an engaged Ranger, “This is my first year in ASB, so I’m looking forward to getting more involved at the school.”

As he prepared and attended Round-Up, he says “I think it’s slowly easing me into the start of the school…It’s getting me ready and mentally prepared for the school year to start.”

With the class of 2027 entering the Ranger community, Ball says, “My advice is to just put in the work and keep consistent because when you get behind it sucks. If you stay consistent, it makes your life a lot less stressful and easier.”

Bella Del Toro, ’25 is a member multiple clubs and organizations including the: California Scholarship Federation [CSF], CLUB55, Future Business Leaders of America [FBLA], and ASB.

For the upcoming school year, Del Toro says, “I’m looking forward to Friday Night Lights, definitely, and just getting to meet new people.”

Similar to Ball, Del Toro was present when preparing for Round-Up. She says, “I think Round-Up not only is a place to get your stuff figured out, but you can also get familiar with everybody else’s faces, so it just creates a warmer environment for when we do go back on campus.”

As a freshman, she says she wish she knew “…to get out of your shell, explore new things, and to get involved.”

Del Toro says she advises the incoming class “…to not be afraid to do things that aren’t normal because a lot of the time the things that you don’t do—that you want to do—are things that other people probably want to do too, so it’s all about having confidence.”

To stay updated on upcoming events and campus life, visit the Redwood Instagram @rhsrangers.

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