D’Addonna and Curry Navigate Life after THS

Sofia D’Addona (9) for Plymouth State University Division III Women’s Soccer

As years go on, the students of THS proudly watch the seniors graduate but yet not know what goes on in their life after their high school experience.  Adjusting to new social and study habits are some of the biggest challenges to life after THS, alumni report.

One of THS’s most current alumni, Sofia D’Addona, now goes to Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH.  Not only did she go Division III for girls soccer, but she has also succeeded just as much in track.  Sofia thinks that leaving high school impacted her social life, since now most of her communication with old friends has to be through social media and FaceTime.

Although the connection with high school friends may mostly be digital, she has still branched out in her new environment and surrounded herself with many good friends.  The smaller campus at her college makes getting around and meeting more people easier, similar to the high school environment.

Sports have also helped Sofia make most of her connections.  She says here, “Having that ability to connect with someone who does a sport is really nice to have especially if we are running on the same schedule.”

The high school environment and education has had a long-lasting effect on Sofia.  She feels that THS has provided her very well with good presentation and writing skills.  This big and dreadful writing assignment have actually well prepared her for the challenging writing assignments in college.  Classes provided at THS such as criminal justice/law and chemistry have prepared her to study under her minor of Criminal Justice.  Overall, not only the education, but even the sports at THS have provided Sofia very well with the social and academic aspects of life.

One of our well-known history teachers here at THS, Mr. Richardson, also gave some feedback on his life as a teacher now comparing it to his high school experience.  He claims that THS had provided him with good educational skills like successful note-taking, that he was able to carry into his college career.  As he moved on from high school to college, he noticed that the teaching styles differed from high school.

Richardson claimed that seminars were mainly conducted in more of a lecture format instead of a group conversation, this encouraged the students to take more notes.  Although college was much less interactive at his time, colleges are now developing more collaborative skills.  Many students may wonder why Mr. Richardson decided to go down this career path after THS, but it is solely just because of the great history teachers he had during his high school experience had been his inspiration to get into teaching.

Now that he’s a teacher, he can recognize the difference in the teaching styles provided for the students’ academic life.  Richardson states, “I think there are a great variety of teaching styles across disciplines.  The lessons are much more student-centered and a great deal of active learning goes on.”

The last alumni the reporter had interviewed was Ora Curry, also known as Coach Curry of the Torrington High School Football team.  As Curry left high school it was more of a difficult time to try and keep in touch with people rather than how things are now with social media giving people many new forms of communication.  So therefore, leaving high school Curry had to adjust to the new social life, but just like Sofia, playing sports in college helped him form lots of connections that he still keeps in touch with.

There are some key differences between the teaching styles and lifestyles of high school and college.  In high school teachers tend to keep an eye on the student’s progress and urge them to work to the best of their ability.  In college, Curry states, “Professors expect you to manage your time and keep track of assignments on your own.”  There is much more of an independent lifestyle you have to follow in college, you have to use the resources you were provided with to dig for your own success and reach goals.

Curry had no problems with reaching his success.  As of a few months ago, he works as part of the night staff at the CJR organization an claims it is going very well for him since he has a passion for helping children in any way possible.  Aside from that as most students at THS know, he is a part of the coaching staff for the THS football team which has had a pretty successful season so far.  Curry loves all of the opportunities he gets to coach and mentor the team, as for football is one of his greatest passions.

Our alumni from THS seem to all have had a pretty successful life since leaving high school and branching off onto their own interests.  It is in the hope of THS that all upcoming and future graduates may do the same.