Over six months ago, most members of the class of 2025 entered the hallways of St. Louis U. High for the first time, partaking in live classes, meeting new friends, and immersing themselves in the vibrant community. But for freshman Nate Broyles, Monday, March 8 was his first day at school. 

For the past 7 months, Broyles has been learning from his home over Zoom. 

“I have asthma so I am at high risk,” said Broyles. “But since (the decline in cases) has gotten better and since my dad is a doctor, he's gotten both of the vaccines, while my mom has gotten one … all of that influenced my decision to return.” 

Being a completely virtual student brings a variety of difficulties and struggles, especially when a majority of the other students are in the classroom. 

“One of the most difficult things for me was if I had a question during class and the teacher was explaining something usually I would have to schedule another time to talk to him over Zoom which was a pain,” said Broyles. “Also if there were internet issues and Zoom would bug out in the middle of class, that was annoying.” 

Meeting friends and connecting with classmates can be a struggle for freshmen, as they navigate their way through their first year in high school. For Broyles, it was made ever more difficult being fully online since he could not have one on one conversations with his classmates or even meet them face to face. 

“I was able to make some friends by texting them or by asking them questions about homework,” said Broyles. “But I wouldn’t really get into conversations with them. It is definitely one of the biggest differences between being online and being at school is that at home you really can’t have those conversations.” 

Despite being miles away from the SLUH campus, Broyles still felt the sense of brotherhood that the school is known for. 

“At times it was hard to feel (like I was meant to be here), but when I would email or text somebody in my class a question they would always be quick to respond, and it just made me feel like there were people that I could ask questions and they would help me.”

For most SLUH students, morning check-in has become a part of their daily routine, another item to check off their list, but for Broyles this was his first experience feeling like a true SLUH student.

“The first time I had felt fully included is when they had me download the Visitu App,” said Broyles. “That’s when I fully felt a member of the community.” 

Attending his various classes throughout the day was another influence that made Broyles feel like a high school student. One class that Broyle especially enjoyed was his freshman Latin class for its fun and engaging environment and that all of his classmates knew who he was. 

“Latin class was amazing,” said Broyles. “Ms. Ice, she's a really good—a really great—teacher. She just made me feel really welcomed and everybody knew who I was.” 

Immersing themselves within the community and meeting people is a concern for many incoming freshmen, but it was especially worrying for Broyles since all of his classmates have already become accustomed to the campus, and he was just starting out. 

“I have been in the building a couple times, but not for classes,” said Broyles. “So I was still getting used to everything and everybody else already knew where they were going. That actually worked out for me because a bunch of kids in my class would help me get to my classes and find where I was going.”

Even with the help shown by his fellow classmates, Broyles often found himself overwhelmed by the chaos that ensued during the passing period and trying to navigate his way through the hallways which to new freshmen, sometimes seem like a maze. 

“I was trying to find my math teacher for an academic lab, and though I had been given a tour in the morning, I was still roaming the halls and especially with the one way stickers on the ground,” said Broyles. “I spent like 20 minutes searching for my teacher and eventually I stopped at the counselor's office and asked for help.” 

Being amongst his classmates and sitting in-person in his classes helped Broyles feel like a true high school student and Jr. Bill. 

“Being at school was much better than being virtual,” said Broyles. “I can definitely feel the Brotherhood that SLUH is known for. Everybody welcomed me and made me feel like a part of the community by being able to participate in classes.”