Jessa and Beverly Wahl recently joined the SHS family. Previously, they called Sterling their home, where they attended Cook Inlet Academy. Coming from a private school, the sisters are no strangers to small schools. In fact, Jessa, a sophomore, recalls the sophomore and freshman classes at C.I.A. combining to “maybe 21 students.” Jessa liked the size of her old school claiming, “it was nice because . . . people were more like family.” 

Moving to a new town can be terrifying, especially when you don’t know anyone there. Fortunately for the Wahl sisters, they have each other.  The sisters “balance each other out.” Jessa takes on the more outgoing and extroverted role, while Beverly is more introverted and focused on her academics. Attending school with a sibling isn’t always a blessing, but these girls make it work. 

Over at C.I.A., the sisters followed some different rules. The teachers enforced a “no phones” policy; Jessa described the dress code as simple, yet stricter than ours. Students at C.I.A. are not allowed to wear leggings unless they pair them with a long cardigan, dress, or something else to cover up. One thing Jessa noticed after moving here is how differently people dress. Even without the dress code restrictions, Seward High rocks the newest trends unlike their old school. 

After discussing sports, I realized how similar, yet different, Seward High and C.I.A. are. Jessa told me the popular sports at her old school were soccer and basketball. Soccer is the “family sport,” and is perfect for new students. Similar to here, soccer is laid back, and about having fun. Cook Inlet Academy takes basketball seriously, and is proud of the success of the team. 

I am looking forward to playing sports with the Wahl sisters, and having them at our school.