By Brock Elvidge, Class of 2028
This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.
I have felt hope, optimism, warmth, joy, and happiness during my first term at One Stone, but I’m going to say...
I think I have felt happiness the most. This feeling came from many different things—like my friends, the building in general, and even just being at school. Being happy is like the key to life; it helps me show kindness, be sincere, and even when something dramatic happens, I can just put a smile on my face, and it feels better.
Since I’ve been at One Stone, I’ve thrived when it comes to friendships. I find happiness through friends a lot of the time, and it’s my relationships that help me get through the things I’m not always excited about. Some people say that having friends around can be distracting during work or school hours, but for me, it’s different. I feel like I can get more work done when I’m with a friend (=Happiness).
This year, I feel like I’ve become more engaged in doing things I love, and I feel more comfortable being myself. I find that I often express my feelings through my outfit each day. For example, if I’m feeling sad, I’ll wear a hoodie, and if I feel happy, I’ll wear shorts and a tank top—or just shorts in general. I love shorts! Before I came to One Stone, I was very shy. In 7th grade, I was super, super shy, but I got better because I was constantly interacting with people. Then in 8th grade, I started doing presentations. I would get so uncomfortable and bright red during them.
Then my 8th grade class took a tour of One Stone. At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go because of the size of the building and the population. But then I saw the quote on the wall: “MAKING STUDENTS BETTER LEADERS AND THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.” I also saw the Ripple Studio and the Foundry, and I started to think, "I really want to be here." Afterward, I was sure because I had two friends who also wanted to come. We all applied, got interviewed, and were accepted. I was so happy when I got my email. I was excited to see the quote on the wall because I really want to become more of a leader, and helping people definitely falls into the category of "...THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.” I love helping people who need it; it just feels good and rejuvenating when I can make a difference, even in small ways.
For example, the other day I gave a dollar to a homeless man, and I volunteer at my old school. Little things like that make me feel good. Since I’ve come to One Stone, I feel like I’ve been improving a lot—both socially and in terms of my self-worth. I’ve even improved in math. I’m so happy I get to go to One Stone, and I think it will help me a lot over the next three years of high school.
