Skip to main content

Incoming Freshman Get Taste Of Highland High

Aug 26, 2016 02:21PM ● By Natalie Mollinet

A Highland Ram Dome welcoming new freshman to Highland at Ramcamp – Natalie Mollinet

Coming into high school can be scary. But at Highland High, being a freshman just got easier thanks to Ramcamp, a place where the student body president, cheerleaders, pep club and faculty were there to help the transition.

At Ramcamp freshman enjoyed pizza, got the scoop on how to navigate Highland’s hallways, experienced Highland’s sense of tradition and community and were able to see what clubs will be available to them when they put on their Highland Ram’s shirt.

“I hope they get a good experience and an idea of what high school is going to be like,” James Pembroke, Highland’s HAM president said.

Pembroke remembers his first day at Highland, all nervous and excited all at the same time. Luckily for him, he had a brother that helped him learn the ropes and he hopes the freshman could get the same help from seasoned students at Highland.

At Ramcamp, Highland staff made sure that incoming freshmen knew about how their attitude and character would help them in the long run, and during their next four years as rams. 

 Before incoming freshman got the “Highland ram tour,” they ran underneath the teacher tunnel and into the assembly room where they were greeted with music from Highland’s band and student body officers. In the assembly Principal Jenson talked to the freshman about character and wanted the new freshman to know that they have support.

“They’re a part of our ram family,” Jenson said, “We understand, we’ve all been there.”

Jenson remembers his first day of school at Jordan High feeling very stressed, wondering how successful he was going to be and where he fit in. He said they didn’t have anything like Ramcamp to help him out.

“I remember looking at some of the seniors and they looked like men,” Jenson laughed, “You know I’m this little boy still and they’re men there, and it’s intimidating. So it’s a passion of mine to make sure that freshman don’t have those same feelings and that they feel supported.”

Later in the assembly a video was shared called Epic Ability, that talked about using your abilities for good. At Highland, they are aiming to focus on Ram fam and community building. Jenson said that one of his philosophies is that they have collective character at Highland.

“The school is not just merely a reflection of our community, the school can have an impact on the community,” Jenson said. “We can transform communities, we can help struggling families, we can make situations better.”

Jenson wants his students to know that they can make a difference and that Highland is here to make things better. He said that students can have a positive impact on the community even if it’s just helping individual families with school supplies or a coat.

“Highland especially is such a powerful influence on our surroundings,” Jenson said. “I think rather than just merely saying, ‘These are the cards we’re dealt we have to deal with that’ you know, we do it different. We have a different approach. We are always striving to make things better.”

Incoming freshman not only got a taste of what it is to be a Highland ram, but got to see what it’s like to be a part of the ram family. For many in the community, Highland is all about tradition and thanks to Ramcamp, new freshman soon will be helping make an impact on that community.