Thirteen Schools that Led Me to STJ
by: Cora Wojak, class of 2024
Age 3, saying goodbye before my dad deployed to Afghanistan
Being a military child is what defines me; it is all I have ever known. My dad was sent off to Air Force Dive School five weeks after I was born and still actively serves to this day. I have lived in ten different military bases in the United States, Japan, and Europe. My education has been spread out over thirteen different schools, so change is all I experience. Every two years, my family has to pack up our lives and move to either a different state, country, or continent with only a few months' notice. At every duty station at the end of a family’s tour, it’s calculated how long the veteran in the family was away. For my dad, whether he was deployed to Djibouti, the Philippines, or Afghanistan for the third time, he was gone 60% of the time that we lived somewhere. However, these changes that have defined me have given me a unique perspective on life and taught me lessons I will forever work to remember.
Edinburgh, Scotland- Age 10
Okinawa, Japan- Age 9
A trait that military children are practically born with is adaptability. I have been to thirteen different schools in my twelve years of education, but I have never had a problem of being able to adapt to an unfamiliar environment. Walking into a new school over and over again was nerve-wracking because I never knew who I was going to meet. From first grade to freshman year, I went to military schools, so all the kids were in the same boat as me. We knew to never get too close because the goodbyes that were sure to come would break us. So, we kept to ourselves and refrained from opening up.
Berchtesgaden, Germany- Age 11
But then came sophomore year when we got stationed in Montgomery, Alabama. Being a military family means you live in a small world, and coincidentally the Wright family, who we knew in England, lived here. We reached out to them and immediately began talking about school and they had only amazing things to say about Saint James. My parents toured STJ and sent me an application within minutes. Next thing I knew, I was taking my entrance exam, getting accepted, and choosing my class schedule. The second I moved here, I began cheer practices and met some of the sweetest girls in my entire life.
They welcomed me with open arms and helped me through my transition to Saint James. The staff understood my situation and helped me through any difficulties I had while starting out. Saint James is the school that almost every military family chooses and it is easy to see why.
First day of senior year at STJ.
Now I am in the first semester of my senior year, I am beyond excited for what is to come, but I will forever miss this school and the opportunities it gave me. I’ve accomplished so many things academically that I never thought I would, like becoming an AP Scholar and receiving my biliteracy certification in Spanish. I am so proud to say that I get to graduate from Saint James and I will always cherish the experiences and lessons I was taught while being a Trojan. #wearesaintjamesschool
“These changes that have defined me have given me a unique perspective on life and taught me lessons I will forever work to remember. ”