Bears of Berkley: Freshman Monty Smith

Q: What was the biggest change you noticed from middle school to high school?
A: The biggest change I noticed coming from Anderson to BHS was the, for lack of a better word, vibe to the school. Middle school in general felt more like you were getting ready and being shown the beginnings of subjects. High school feels like you are actually getting down, and learning the ins and outs of your subjects

Q: What is one goal you hope to achieve by the time you graduate?
A: I feel like for me personally, the goals I want to achieve in high school are more social than academic. I want to be able to participate in a lot of things, whether that be classes, events, or clubs. I want to be able to make some friends and enjoy the things I like, with people I like.

Q: What is your favorite school subject to learn about?
A: At least out of the core subjects, English is my personal favorite. It’s one of the more creative subjects – it’s open to interpretation. Not a very ‘rigid’ subject; not one with correct answers and all. A lot is up to interpretation and imagination, and I really like doing that type of thinking.

Q: What is your favorite school club, activity, or elective?
A: My favorite elective at BHS is A Capella. Music is something that I really enjoy a lot, and coupled with the fact that the people in that class are all really great helps make it a great experience overall.

Q: Do you have an idea of what classes you want to take next year?
A: My schedule next year I imagine is going to look pretty similar to this year for me since I’m going to be taking Spanish 2, and I plan on staying with A Capella, so that leaves the core 4 subjects, which I need to continue to get the credits for the classes

Q: What is one word you would use to describe your first semester of high school?
A: I think I would describe my first semester here at BHS with the word “responsibility”. Being in high school, there are certainly a lot of opportunities and chances you get to take that you wouldn’t have been able to in middle school, such as more choices when it comes to classes. And even outside of school, a lot of people are getting jobs, starting to build up their lives. At the same time though, there is certainly a lot more work in high school than there is in middle school, so you have to work with time management a lot more to try and get things done in a timely manner.

Q: What career path are you interested in pursuing in the future?
A: In the future, I would like to continue to pursue music production. I’ve been doing it for a little over two and a half years now, and I know that there are a lot of opportunities in music. If it’s something I like and enjoy, doing it for my career would be a dream for me.