A commonly asked question coming into college is “Where did you go to high school?” Before answering this generic question, I get several flashbacks of my time at Divine Savior Holy Angels and consequently give a little chuckle with a slight smirk. For those of you who have never heard of this school before, I will give you a brief overview. Divine Savior Holy Angels is an all-girls Catholic high school located in Milwaukee, WI.
Yes, all-girls. Your eyes might just have bugged out or your jaw might have dropped hearing this. You might be thinking, "This girl is crazy… Why would she want to go to an all-girls high school?" Let me tell you now it was not my choice to attend this school but rather my parents'. I was appalled at the idea of walking around in the midst of estrogen day in and day out. I wanted to see boys and have the “normal” high school experience. And let me tell you, I quickly found out DSHA was nothing but normal.
August 22, 2011. My first day of high school. Nervous and unsure of what the “all girls” environment would entail, I stood before the school anxious over the journey I was about to embark on. There’s something about this old tarnished building that made me feel as if I was walking into a prison, about to be trapped inside for all of eternity.
After walking in, the aroma caught me off guard. I cringed a little as the smell of grease stung my nostrils. I was curious of why this smell was so prominent in this school—this wasn’t a restaurant—but I quickly found my answer. Walking down the halls I saw almost every girl with her hair slicked back in a ponytail. It was evident now. The smell of grease came from the girls themselves as most of them probably went days without a shower. At first I was disgusted, but then I realized this is what the all girls’ environment would entail—girls embracing their womanhood and living without obligation to please any male figure. I relished the idea of taking only five minutes to get ready before school and throwing on any color assortment of the DSHA collared shirt with the grey plaid skirt. Little did I know I would too quickly conform to these norms within only the next couple months (but maybe taking a few more showers than the average student).
As the day went on, I noticed everyone’s mood did a complete 180 as lunch drew closer. Gloomy, tired faces soon perked up with excitement as lunch time truly was the best time of the day. I took into account that lunch here was taken very seriously. Girls are savages when it comes to food, and girls raided each others’ lunches as if they were hungry animals. But the most essential part of lunch time was the warm, mushy chocolate chip cookies that were sold 3 for $1 (what a bargain). These cookies saved our sanity as we often went into homework overdrive but on the contrary caused us to put a few pounds on as well.
Following lunch was an extra period to do whatever your heart desired. In some cases, it was to cry over the test you thought you failed or in others, to chat with friends over the brighter days ahead of you (the weekend). However, I truly believe this period of free time was merely to tempt us as there was potential for getting a demerit if we ate anywhere BUT the cafeteria. And let’s keep in mind that food is vital to every girl’s being so it was quite the test that most of us failed.
After the best part of the day was over, everyone went back to being stressed. However, “stressed” is quite the understatement. Being in an all-girls school, competing for good grades was hyped up to the next level. I hardly ever entered the library as a rush of anxiety would seep under my skin. It was my worst nightmare and was a fair equivalent to a zoo. Girls would run from the computer to the printer as their paper was due in just a few minutes or girls would be on the edge of tears as they went to check their updated grades. Needless to say, the library was not a place for rest and relaxation.
At the end of my first day, I was exhausted. And to think I had to do that exact same thing repeatedly for the next four years was quite a haunting thought. However, what I did not expect was to end up falling in love with DSHA and the people in it. There is something about spending every day with your best friends while conquering everything an all-girls school throws at you that is so special. Some of my fondest memories occurred in that school—whether it was ranting over the amount of out-of-uniform demerits we got or laughing endlessly at our countless inside jokes. And maybe some of my worst memories occurred there (naturally) as well as I quickly became accustomed to failing Grandy papers and crying before each writing prompt in AP Literature.
Despite these once dreadful things, it is now satisfying to look back and smile at all the obstacles we overcame. It may have most definitely looked like a prison, but it immediately became my home and always will hold a special place in my heart. Thank you, DSHA, for giving me such an extraordinary experience that I wouldn’t have been able to find anywhere else. And thank you to my sisters who pushed me beyond my limitations. So yes, my high school was all girls—and I loved every second of it.
