During the first years that Southwest was open, students were struggling with the transition between schools in the district. But junior Breezie Pedersen had to start her junior year after moving for the fourth time.

Pedersen moved from Oklahoma during the first week of June.

“At first I was super upset and angry with my parents for moving me my junior year, but honestly, it has been such a good thing because there’s been so many opportunities here that I wouldn’t have had in Oklahoma,” Pedersen said. “It really forces you to go outside your comfort zone and meet people – kind of do things that you normally wouldn’t.”

For example, Perdersen’s parents and friends encouraged her to play tennis, partly as a way to get involved at her new school. Although she had never played before, she made the varsity team.

“My favorite thing about Kansas so far is the people,” she said. “The people here are really helpful with new students and new people. They have been super nice and welcoming, and [they] have asked me to hang out and do things. They’ve helped me to get involved much quicker.”

Pedersen was born nearby in Missouri, although she doesn’t remember it well because she was only there until she turned six. She has little memory of her first move from Missouri to Tennessee because she was only going into first grade.

“The first move I really remember was to Oklahoma, when I was going into fifth grade,” Pedersen said. “I was really excited then, just because I was so young and I wasn’t really attached. But the older you are, the harder it gets.”

Pedersen stayed in Oklahoma for about five years, until her parents sat her down and broke the news: they were moving again.

“My least favorite [part] was just moving,” she said. “Going in my junior year, I wanted to finish out high school at one school, so coming to another high school and starting over was the hardest thing.”

However, Pedersen changed schools after already having the experience of moving, and she found the transition relatively easy because of the people she met.

“Everybody’s been super welcoming and super encouraging. I’ve made friends quicker here than anywhere else, because they’re really open and willing to hang out. Everybody I’ve met at restaurants or shopping centers or places have told me how great of an area this is and how friendly and open everybody is.”

The transition was made easier because Pedersen is still in touch with her past. Her friends in Oklahoma still text me her every day, and she still calls them every weekend.

“It seems hard at first, but honestly, it’s going to be really rewarding,” she said. “It’s kind of like a new adventure – that’s how I’m trying to view it.”

Pedersen would like to go to college at Oklahoma State University and major in education to teach in elementary school. Even though she wants to stay close to her family, her experience of moving helped open her mind to other possibilities.

“It seems hard and overwhelming to be somewhere completely new, starting over,” Pedersen said. “But I think so many good things can come out of it that you’ll look back and realize change is not always a bad thing. I think it’s good to branch out and try new things, especially with college. That’s the perfect opportunity to start a new chapter in your life.”