Mrs. Roman: How does change affect people?

By Catelin Schwoerer
 The idea of leaving for college seems foreign to a lot of us students— it always feels so far away. It’s hard to comprehend that a big change like that is just around the corner for some of us.  Mrs. Roman has shared how she personally felt with these big changes, specifically about her youngest daughter going away to college and her own experience leaving home.
   Mrs. Roman said her experience was a little easier than her daughter’s. She went to Lehigh University, which was close to home for her. However, moving away for the first time on her own with no family around was a big change for her. Learning to budget and live on her own was a challenge. There are always advantages to difficult situations, though.
   Mrs. Roman has two daughters, Julia (22) and Alaina (18). They both attended Freedom High School. There were benefits and challenges because of this. She says one of the biggest challenges was having them as students. She said “it was sort of difficult to get away from your teacher in that circumstance.” It would give them easy accessibility to help, though. The biggest benefit of them attending Freedom was coaching them: “The memories of spending time with them in the gym during practices, matches, and tournaments will forever be some of my favorite memories.” 
   Her daughter Julia graduated in 2018 and then went to Drexel University. Alaina is now at St. Lawrence University in New York, after graduating last year. Mrs. Roman said it was very hard seeing her daughters go off to college. “It changes everything.  You go from seeing them everyday, making sure they have what they need, and then they are the ones in charge of themselves.  It is also a difficult concept, as a parent, knowing when your child leaves for college your home will never be the same,” she said.
   Derek Schwoerer, a senior at Freedom High School, had Mrs. Roman as a teacher. He said “she was easily accessible when students needed help.” She made sure that her daughters and students had answers to all of their questions.
   As a senior who is going away for college in less than a year, Derek is anxious but also excited. His main worry is transportation from home to school and vice versa. The chances to see family will be slimmer. He is also worried about living on his own for the first time. 
   The transition into adulthood is difficult for all parties involved. Mrs. Roman’s background shows that there are great lessons learned from her experiences: she says “they were a challenge that I to this day appreciate because the challenges in life make all other memories more special and appreciated.”

Past FHS yearbooks show alumni who have gone on to face change after graduation.