If freshman Parker Gray was an ice cream flavor, she would be salted caramel.

“I don’t have an explanation, I just feel like that’s me,” she said.

Gray’s motto for high school is: “Don’t give up.” She hopes to keep this at heart while taking midterms and final exams, the part of high school that she is the most anxious for. However, there are many things that she is excited for.

“I’m looking forward to meeting new people,” she said. “[I’m also looking forward to taking] jazz choir.”

Gray’s musical talents expand far beyond just jazz choir. She has been playing piano for over four years and sings outside of school. Like her older sister, who is going into her junior year at Oak Park, Gray has been acting in theatre her entire life and plans on participating in Oak Park’s theatre program.

Gray’s passion for music plays a big role in her life. You can often find her singing her favorite songs, her current go-to being “Vienna” by Billy Joel, or any of his songs in general.

When she isn’t focused on school, music or theatre, Gray finds joy in cinema and shopping.

“I like to watch movies a lot, especially with my family, or go to the mall,” she said.

As an avid movie watcher, Gray is familiar with many different characters from all different genres. However, one in particular stands out to her in times of crisis.

“[If I were stuck in a zombie apocalypse, I would want to be with] Mary Poppins because she has everything in her bag and can pull anything out of there,” she said.

While she enjoys any television, she particularly loves movies made by her favorite comedian and actor.

“[If I could meet any celebrity, it would be] Adam Sandler,” she said.

Like Sandler, Gray owns dogs whom she loves deeply, two to be exact, named Ozzy and Bandit. 

And that pretty much sums up the bubbly personality of Parker Gray: a salted-caramel, Adam Sandler-loving, music and theatre enthusiast. But there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Also, for those wondering, she pronounces it cahr-ah-mull, not care-a-mel.

With the start of the high school chapter, many freshmen experience a variety of nerves, especially because of the much bigger school environment and more rigorous course load. However, unlike his peers, freshman Ben Baskin is “not really” nervous for anything. Rather than being intimidated by his new surroundings, Baskin is excited to use the change to expand his social circle.

“[What I’m looking forward to the most about high school is] meeting new people,” he said.

Through taking high-school level Spanish 1 at Medea Creek Middle School as well as watching his sister enter her senior year at OPHS, Baskin already has some exposure when it comes to the high school experience.

“I would say [I’m looking forward to taking] Spanish 2,” Baskin said. 

Besides getting ahead on academics, Baskin is also very focused on his athletics. An athlete from a young age, he has played basketball and baseball for the majority of his life.

“[My favorite thing to do in my free time is] biking and working on baseball and basketball,” he said. “In baseball, I play pitcher, right field and first base.” Baskin hopes to further his passion by playing for the high school teams. 

When it comes to Ben Baskin, confidence and knowing your passions is key, which doesn’t just include school and sports. Talk to him and you’ll find he is certain that Wood Ranch makes the best bread out of all restaurants.

When culminating from middle school to high school, there’s no question that your world suddenly becomes much bigger. The campus becomes much larger and you have way more freedom over what classes you take. Many walk around their first day and see what seems like – and could be – a thousand new faces just in the time it takes them to get from the drop-off line to their first period.

It’s true that the change can be overwhelming, but it’s a change that freshman Maryam Mahmood is excited to encounter.

“I’m looking forward to the people and the variety of classes and electives because there are so many more course choices than there were in middle school,” she said. “[I’m planning to take] mock trial because I love it and I also did it in middle school. I just love speaking and all of that. I’m also taking journalism because I want to write.” 

Mahmood isn’t the only one in her family embarking on a new chapter of her academic career. Her oldest brother, who was an Oak Park graduate, started his first year of medical school the same week Mahmood began ninth grade. She also has a brother who has just entered his senior year at OPHS. 

But even with a comforting face from home to see at school and a wide variety of classes to look forward to, Mahmood is naturally experiencing some of the jitters that come with adjusting to an unfamiliar environment.

“I’m really nervous about the people because getting to know new people [can be hard], especially in a new setting, a new school, everything,” Mahmood said.

However, she can at least go into this school year knowing some people both from middle school and from her athletics. Mahmood has spent her mornings this past summer running with the Oak Park cross country team. She recently went up to Mammoth with the team for their annual altitude training trip, where she got the chance to bond with the rest of her teammates. However, running isn’t the only thing she’s done in Mammoth.

“I snowboard as a hobby; I’ve been doing it for around three years,” Mahmood said. “My favorite place to go is Mammoth, but I also like Big Bear.”

When it comes to other hobbies, Mahmood often turns to a more wholesome pastime–one that both benefits her community and allows her to embrace another one of her passions: horses.

“I love volunteering with therapeutic horses,” she said. While she doesn’t ride, Mahmood finds a lot of fulfillment in helping others boost their mental health through healing animal interactions.

To many, one of the best ways to wind down and relax is by curling up on the couch with a good book to read or movie to watch. If you’re looking for a new book to make you cry, Mahmood recommends “The Young Elites,” her favorite series of all time. When it comes to movies, she also tends to prefer series and cinematic universes, like Marvel and Star Wars.

“But not the new [Star Wars] movies – only the original ones are good,” she said.

Mahmood also likes to pull out her paintbrushes and tap into her creative side in her free time.

“I love things like painting, doing art and calligraphy,” she said.

With her high school career ahead of her, Mahmood is excited and ready to foster her passions, develop new interests and learn more about the world around her.

The transition from middle school to high school is certainly overwhelming, but on top of this, freshman Nick Avramenko is still relatively new to Oak Park. And not just to Oak Park, to the US in general. 

Having moved from Turkey two years ago, Avramenko has experienced a change in his surroundings more than most. However, he had the chance to adjust to OPUSD during his time at Medea Creek Middle School.

Already possessing some knowledge of the French language, Avramenko is hoping to test into French 2 this year, a class that he is both excited and nervous to take.

In addition to academics, Avramenko looks forward to pursuing tennis and water polo by getting involved in the high school teams. 

“I just started water polo, but I’ve been playing tennis for a couple of years,” he said. 

With schedules packed with sports, extracurriculars and other activities, students often struggle to find a routine that allows them to get all of their work done, with many turning to all-nighter study sessions. However, Avramenko finds that for him, mornings are generally when he is the most productive. 

While he favors the earlier hours of the day, Avramenko tends to prefer the colder, later months of the year. His favorite time of year is winter, when he enjoys hitting the slopes and zipping through fresh powder on his skis.

“[My favorite season] is probably winter because of the snow, but here it doesn’t snow. I like going to Turkey for the snow,” he said.

Avramenko also has an older sister who is beginning her junior year at OPHS. He loves going to the beach with her and the rest of his family in his free time.

Avramenko is excited to make the most of his experience by immersing himself in the high school culture. He looks forward to showing school spirit, especially at football games, and trying the school lunch.

A book enthusiast and 90s teen at heart, freshman Ava Lamattina is excited by the new freedom and wider range of opportunities that come with entering high school.

“[I’m mostly looking forward to] the social life and the amount of different classes that I can take,” she said. “I applied for Sports Medicine and Creative Writing so I’m looking forward to that.”

However, while high school social life is something she looks forward to, there are still a few things about it that make her apprehensive.

“[I’m the most nervous for the] people because it’s a new environment for me,” Lamattina said.

Lamattina is embracing this new environment by participating in the Oak Park High School JV cheer team. Leading up to her cheerleading career, Lamattina had some experience in gymnastics, which she had been doing her whole life before starting cheerleading. 

In her free time, Lamattina enjoys going to the gym, scrolling on her phone and cozying up with a good book.

“I’m an avid reader; I love reading,” Lamattina said. “[If I could be in any book], it would be the Hunger Games.”

Lamattina’s positive and easy-going spirit is undoubtedly one of her best qualities. She often looks on the bright side of things and enjoys making the best of life through having fun. Her optimistic personality is apparent in her response to problems, from minor to big. 

“[If my house was packed with golf balls], I would probably kick them out or throw myself on them and make fun of the situation,” Lamattina said. 

When overloaded with a busy schedule, taking care of your health is crucial, and part of that is eating balanced meals that will fuel your learning and day-to-day life. If you’re looking for a new go-to recipe that is quick and easy, Lamattina recommends her favorite food staple. 

“[If I could eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be] a chopped salad with lettuce, turkey, tomato, cucumber, carrots and stuff like that,” she said.