Allie Calls Presentation Academy Home

By Allie Conover ‘23

When she first shadowed at Presentation Academy, Allie Conover ‘23 found herself a comfortable home. A place she could be herself and find others who would accept her for who she was. When she first walked through the old but still beautiful front doors with the friends she met at Freshman Orientation, she knew she was at home.

She struggled with the transition from grade school to high school at first, but very quickly adjusted to her new surroundings. But she was still a quiet and reserved person, and she enclosed herself within walls, despite being surrounded by many wonderful people. Over the years, however, she broke those walls down and gained confidence. She found her voice and came to terms with who she was. She was a writer. She was a creator and an advocate, according to her Myers-Briggs Personality Test. But, most importantly, she was free to be herself, and that comforted her.

Despite how long the days felt, she found that the years had flown by faster than she had thought possible. Assignments and projects were a blurry memory, but she reflected on all the good times she had experienced through her high school years. A STEAM Club field trip to the zoo. Singing in the school chorus for a brief time. Every single theater experience, from Twelve Angry Women to Clue to Zombie Prom. Getting to write and produce her own show, a challenging but exciting experience! All the wonderful people she knew. The people she no longer were close with but accepted that people change. She knew that she had certainly changed for the better, for her own sake. For her own wellbeing. If she was still the girl from freshman year, the one who closed herself up to the world, then she would have been miserable for the rest of her time in high school, as well as the rest of her life. But she didn’t let that happen. She grew up, and she loved the person she had become.

All of these changes happened because of her time spent at Presentation, and she is grateful that she had the opportunity to spend her high school career growing and learning there. Though she is leaving this chapter behind, the memories will remain in her mind for the rest of her life.

She is me. I’m so happy I’ve made it this far, and I hope that college will provide me with new experiences, challenges, and opportunities. I thank all of the friends I’ve made for being there along the way to laugh and cry and embrace. Thank you to the teachers who have helped me improve my skills and learn new knowledge.

Thank you, Presentation Academy, for having me.