By Jackson Colo 

Staff Writer 

    While the transition to high school is always a daunting task, it can be especially difficult after being homeschooled your entire life. An unfamiliar campus, class exchanges, and new teachers can make it hard to find your way in a busy crowd. However, for senior Lucy Neel, this wasn’t exactly the case.

    “I was homeschooled from first grade all the way to my junior year,” Neel said.
”The only other time I went to public school was kindergarten. Transitioning was really daunting. I was scared because I went from being in my room all day, every day by myself, doing the work I was assigned online or in a textbook. When we made the decision to switch, I was scared I wouldn’t make many friends.” 

    Theatre has always been a constant in Neel’s life. From a very young age, she knew that it was a passion she wanted to pursue. When deciding to make the switch, Neel was thrilled that the R.J. Reynolds Theatre Department welcomed her with open arms. 

    “Frankenstein really changed everything for me,” Neel said. “I jumped in, and it was like I had this new little family to be a part of. It was instant friends. When I was homeschooled, theatre was where I got my socialization. It was my happy place.” 

    Although her transition from homeschool to high school was intimidating at first, Neel is thrilled to have had such a positive experience at RJR in only one year. Neel plans to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Western Connecticut State University this fall.