Current bulldog makes move to academy

Sophomore Demi Smith has been accepted to Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, PA; there she will complete her eleventh and twelfth grade years of high school. About her decision to leave Big Spring High School and pursue another option, Smith said, “I enjoy new experiences and meeting new people.  Mercersburg Academy will expose me to people from over 50 different nations. I will also be able to challenge myself with courses, extracurricular, and test my independence because I will be living away from home.” Dean Smith, English teacher who also runs a summer writing program at the academy had this advice for Demi, “Make friends with good people. I have a feeling that they’re a tight knit group and it may be hard to break in as a newcomer. It will take awhile to find where you fit in.”

The process for Smith has been long. In the beginning it was just looking for an academy that was close in PA. Then she found the school Mercersburg Academy. Smith said, “Several of my family members went to boarding schools and after looking into boarding schools around PA, my family and I decided that Mercersburg Academy was the best fit for what I was looking for, as far as the experience goes and the level of prestige and difficulty.” Many teachers know that it is hard to get into a boarding school, but teacher Dean Smith said, “It’s a gorgeous campus. Very classy. A little uppity. Great food. The people that I work with on the summer programs staff are very nice, salt of the earth types.”

After she found out that she definitely wanted to go to Mercersburg Academy she went through an extensive application process which included having to write essays, getting recommendations from teachers, and having interviews.  It takes a lot of time for the people at Mercersburg Academy to read people’s applications, essays, and recommendation but after that long process smith finally heard back. She said “It took around four months to find out that I got into the school.” When she realized that she got in she was very excited. It is a big accomplishment for her and her family and friends are probably very proud of her. Although Smith will be entering a college prep environment and be surrounded by wonderful teachers, motivated students, and be exposed to new opportunities. She said “Big Spring has been a good experience for the most part and I will miss the familiarity of the students and teachers here.”