The new year is a signal for people to look at the past and project ways to make positive changes. Personal goals can be set around anything from sports, academics, or habits that an individual would want to change.

“As a personal goal, I want to do another triathlon this summer. Another is to eliminate foul language from my vocabulary,” said dean Linda Vecchie.

Many students’ goals are crafted based on where they want to be when they are older and what they aspire to be involved with in the future.

“My goals are somewhat similar to what they have been in the past. I would like to get in shape physically and mentally. Graduating and finishing high school is a primary goal. Hopefully, these things will help in getting my life in order,” said senior Nick Gritsenko.

Many teachers, including science teacher Mark Roberts, strive to get their students involved with their studies in hopes of future success.

“A goal I want for my students is for them to learn solid thinking skills, deductive logic and reasoning, and perhaps pick up some basic scientific knowledge along the way,” Roberts said.

In addition, many teachers notice changes in students. Many of these changes are differences of personality in a four year time period. Many teachers get to see the changes from students coming in as freshmen to when they are getting to face the world as seniors and beyond that.

“It’s amazing to see the difference between a first semester freshman and a second semester senior. It isn’t just a physical change, they grow more confidence in themselves,” Vecchie said.

When comparing present day students to students years ago, many teachers agree that students these days were more in touch with the way they feel, or how others feel.

“If someone were to go back twenty years, that generation didn’t have phones. And certainly they weren’t allowed in school, and I’ve noticed that a lot of students are now very technology dependent, as they always need to have their phone out,” Roberts said.

As the new year progresses, students and staff hope they will have a chance to accomplish their goals and mature more into the people they want to be.