By Megan Hardin

Starting over at a new school can be a very frightening experience for some students. Not knowing how that school works or the people in it can leave a person feeling as if they have to start back up from scratch. For junior Anna Gibson that new start is just what she needed.

“At my old school there were a lot of issues with small town drama, but now at Floyd Central it is so big that even if it does happen it won’t matter; the people here don’t judge you,” said Anna.

There is more than meets the surface with Anna’s transfer to FC, though.

“There were people [at my old school] that were trying to start a lot of drama with me and they began harassing me and it got to the point where I was being bullied,” said Anna.

As soon as Anna told her parents she was being bullied they took immediate action to try and stop their daughter’s pain.

“After I found out what was going on I was sad and felt helpless because I wanted the best for her and want it to stop. We told her to go to the counselor at school, but when they didn’t help I knew that we would have to do something about it and there needed to be a change,” said Pam Gibson, Anna’s mother.

The change that they were looking for was FC.

“We decided that she would go to Floyd Central because it is closer to home than the other schools and it has more education options. She also has a few friends there so we thought that the transition would be easier,” said Mrs. Gibson.

Having a few familiar faces at FC has helped Anna feel more like she belongs.

“It definitely helped having some friends here to start with so that they could help me out and be there with me. Now I’ve made more friends and my experience so far has been amazing here,” said Anna.

Senior Heaven Bailey has known Anna for three years and was excited to have one of her close friends become a Highlander.

“I was so happy when I found out that she was coming here. It’s sad that she had to come here under bad circumstances but now it will be so much easier and better for her to be at FC,” said Bailey.

Even with being at a new school Anna still keeps in touch with a few of her friends from her old school.

A friends of Anna’s,  Erica Daly has been with her for all of her high school career up until now but still manages to catch up with her when she can. Even though she is sad that one of her close friends no longer goes to school with her, she knows that it is for the best.

“Now that she changed schools you can tell that she is happier now and relieved that she doesn’t have to deal with the people who were bullying her anymore,” said Daly.

Though she no longer has to deal with her bullies Anna still notices how being bullied has changed her.

“I’m much more shy now and less talkative. I don’t let people get as close to me as I used to. I have also learned that we shouldn’t be so mean to people because we don’t know where they are coming from.”

With the bad there always comes good. Anna along with her family and friends can all agree that coming to FC is the best thing for her to do.

“I actually wake up wanting to go to school now and not dreading the day,” said Anna.

Her coming to FC was not only the best thing for Anna but it was also the best decision for the entire family.

“I love her coming to FC. I can actually have some peace of mind now knowing that she will be okay and she actually smiles now. If she is happy then we are happy, and she is the happiest that I have seen her in two years,” said Mrs. Gibson.