Transfer Season

Transfer+Season

Lily Varney, Reporter

If you live in Gig Harbor, you are well-aware of the Peninsula High School vs Gig Harbor High School rivalry. However, no student truly knows the difference of the two schools until they’ve attended both. Most Gig Harbor transfers came to Peninsula looking for a fresh start, and ended up finding a welcoming seahawk family.

The process of transferring can be tough for some kids. Tyler Spurlock and Khalif Spry each received amounts of negative feedback from old friends. Spry, however, says it was “nothing [he] couldn’t handle.” On the other hand, students such Tyler Rogerson experienced no negative backlash. Rogerson explained that some students even said he was “smart to transfer here.”

Both schools, now in the same league, have similarities in size, sports, and teachers. Rogerson said that “teachers are super chill at both schools, and sports are the same, level-wise.” However, to most transfers, Peninsula’s atmosphere is what stood out the most to them.

Baily Paul, a senior who decided to go to Peninsula before her freshman year, was  drawn to the inclusiveness that Peninsula had to offer. “It was more of a happy school than it was a cliquey school. At lunch, you can sit with any different group of people. I love the teachers here and it’s just a good fit for me.”

Levi Kroll, who transferred his sophomore year after moving back from Oregon, says that he’s “really happy” here at Peninsula. “I love being a seahawk, I love playing football here- it’s more of a community environment.  Everyone knows each other, everyone’s chill with each other and it’s more of a family,” said Kroll. He explains that back at Gig Harbor High School, he felt that he was “just going through the motions.”

Both schools seem to have their positives, but it’s clear that Peninsula’s is its welcoming seahawk family. Everyone has a place where they belong, and everyone can truly be themselves. It’s exactly how Tyler Spurlock put it- “everyone’s happy to be here.”