Read on to hear Layla’s reflections on her time at Meridian after graduating with the Class of 2025. We loved having her as a Meridian Monarch, and we look forward to watching her spread her wings in middle school and beyond!
Where are you now?
I am a 6th grade student at UPrep. I will graduate high school in 6 years.
What are your favorite Meridian moments?
I came to Meridian in 4th grade, and I was super nervous. I remember walking into that 4th grade classroom on the first day and feeling super scared. I picked a random desk and sat down. I didn’t expect to make any friends on the first day. But then, when Racine introduced me, and asked who wanted to show me around, almost everyone raised their hands. That day, I made more friends than I ever had at school. Everyone was super kind and welcoming, and it just felt like a super inclusive and kind community, which continued throughout 5th grade.
One of my most fond memories was when I played my violin for the 4th grade talent show. I was again, super nervous, but when I looked out at the crowd, they were all smiling and they were actually excited to see me play. It felt like they knew the guts that it took to get up there and were ready to support me no matter what. That made me feel so good inside. Like that they actually cared. That was something that I think is super unique and you will never get anywhere else.
Something that I took away from my educational foundation at Meridian was all the project work that I did in 4th and 5th grade. I think my favorite was the Capstone Project that all 5th graders do at the end of the year, to Cap off the end of the year and your time at Meridian. At the end, when you finish your project, you get to set up big boards in the gym and present them to your parents and the school. You pick one of the Sustainable Development Goals, and then you dive deep into it, learning as much as you can about it. Then you write a paper about it and make a flyer about it, which then goes on your presentation at the end of the year.
Who was your most memorable teacher?
It’s so hard to pick just one! I think I would choose Mrs. Maddie(5th grade), Ben(4th and 5th grade), Racine(4th grade), and Coach Caroline(PE 4th and 5th grade).
What was your favorite thing to do at recess?
My favorite thing to do at recess was play on the 2 spinning play structures that are next to the big dark blue “donut” on the wood chips.
What is your favorite memory from an overnight field trip?
I think I would pick the Cedar Ceremony from Nature Bridge, because it was the last overnight I had with my grade, and that whole overnight was very memorable. But the Cedar Ceremony was definitely the most emotional part and most memorable part of that trip. It was like saying “goodbye for now” in a way.
Have you stayed in touch with any friends from Meridian?
Yes! I have stayed in touch with most of the people in my grade through text, and through school. 11 people from our grade came with me to UPrep, so it was easy to stay in touch with those people.
