Apparently, Langley isn’t for everyone. High school is a time for change, and many students over the years have realized one thing: Langley may not be the school for them. Mostly because it’s so darn big, and pretty hard too.

Seniors Tyler Fritz and Mike McCormick, who now attend Bishop O’Connell, found that Langley was simply not the right fit for them. “I felt like another number. I wanted to be more of a leader than a follower,” he said.

McCormick discovered that the curriculum was too challenging. “O’Connell is not nearly as hard as Langley,” he said.

Senior Tiffany Newman, who now attends Paul VI Catholic High School (PVI), realized that after being in small elementary and middle schools all her life, her freshman year at Langley was “a drastic change for me…and too big.” She feels that her new school’s small size helps to encourage a “strong sense of community.”

Many transferees said that the organization at their new schools was also a drastic change. As many of them opted out of Langley in exchange for a private education, they were shocked by the smaller class sizes and greater one-on-one time with teachers.

Senior Mac Trainor, who now attends Woodberry Forest, said that his new school is “not as stressful because the amount of work is significantly less and the teachers are helpful and involved.”

Fritz mentioned that at O’Connell, he does not miss the public school environment, and he is extremely happy with his decision. “I can honestly say that O’Connell has given me numerous opportunities to lead the school at pep rallies, sporting events, and clubs,” he said.

Regardless of the school swapping, there are many aspects of Saxon Country that past students miss. An anonymous senior who left Langley misses “the variety in classes. There were lots of interesting classes at Langley I wish I could take that are not offered at my new school.”

Trainor noted that he missed Señora Behnke, Friday night games, cross country with Coach Krivak and weekends. “Socially, Woodberry Forest is not as fun as Langley just because there are no parties, and it is much smaller,” he said.

McCormick and Newman said they were sad about leaving all of the friends they had made, and the anonymous senior commented that he does “miss the school spirit at Langley. It was fun to get a bunch of people at the football games.”