Sixth grade was a truly awkward and new time for me. I had just begun middle school and had never had more than three classes in one day. Everything was so new to me, I even managed to get lost on my first day! It was truly embarrassing especially given the fact that I had gone on a tour of the school just a couple of months before when I was a fifth-grader. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, especially for Encounters. Unlike my friends back at Pyburn, I didn't start Encounters until the fifth grade because I was away during fourth grade. I kind of felt out of place since I didn't know too much about it, all I knew was that we did Challenge of the Mind projects, went on fun field trips, and presented our projects at the end of the year. I certainly didn't expect to meet new people and make friends, all while learning and being productive.

Sixth-grade Encounters was exactly like fifth grade. During our first class of the day, we had a designated time to leave and go onto the bus, only this time our destination was Cobb Sixth Grade Campus. There, we met our new Encounters teacher, who I soon learned was pretty strict. She liked to call us her scholars and had high expectations for all of us. The moment we stepped into her classroom, rules were laid out for us and she told us what to expect for the year. Already, I knew I was going to have to work extra hard that year. The theme that year was the Medieval Times and we were tasked to create a shield out of clay that represented us, a portfolio on three topics of research, and envisioning our future. My favorite part was not the research paper or envisioning the future, but rather the making of the shield. I remember being so excited as I had never played with clay before, much less made something out of it, so it was really fun for me. There were so many fun moments like going to the Art Museum and attending the Renaissance Festival where I went on the medium-sized swing. Eating silently in the lunchroom where I would sit and occasionally laugh at something. But, there were also tough and awkward times. There was the time we got in trouble after coming back from a field trip, and the many times we would get told to quiet down. My least favorite memory was arriving at Cobb extra late because I was going to stay home after my doctor's appointment, but the teacher said she wanted me there to complete something that was probably way overdue. I remember panicking because I hadn't started and it was for me, the toughest part. The goal was to create letter art with my first initial, but it had to include something that represented me. I didn't really have a sense of identity back then, nor did I have extravagant art skills, so completing that in one day was going to be a real challenge. I remember being extremely upset at my teacher because I didn't want to be there and I couldn't seem to figure out what exactly represented me and my interests. At the time, I was really into art and my favorite artist was Frida Khalo, a Mexican icon, so I decided to use her to represent myself. In the end, everything worked out, and I was able to finish my project.

Sixth grade is filled with happiness, awkward situations, and stressful situations, but that's what makes it fun. The sense of innocence and the feeling of being naive and laying low really tops everything. It was a time where even though I had no idea if what was ahead of me was good or bad, I could still be able to relax and be a child. Sixth grade was filled with new friendships and new beginnings, and that is truly what made it so memorable.