For hundreds of prospective LASA students, their shadowing experience is the first time they set foot in the school’s halls. As they follow a current LASA student around campus for the day, shadows get a feel for the school’s classes, student body, and atmosphere.

My day shadowing at LASA was my first time entering or even seeing the school. Being a shadow gave me a great opportunity to understand what my classes would be like next year and how the teachers went about their lessons. It was helpful to go through the schedule first-hand to be able to know what a day at LASA would look like. 

The class atmosphere at LASA was less intimidating than expected. The classes were very different from my usual day, but being a part of them didn’t feel abnormal. They did not seem difficult or unappealing — instead, they made me excited to be a participant of a larger class with new students that have never spoken to me before. Shadowing was exciting, but at the same time there were long periods of the day without anything to do. It was boring to sit around watching while group projects were going on, though it was rewarding to understand what the assignments would be as a freshman.

Shadowing at LASA allows middle schoolers to truly get a feel for the school’s accepting and positive atmosphere, and shows them contrasts to their local high schools. My personal experience at LASA was very positive, and it is great that LASA provides this opportunity to its applicants. Other students who got the chance to shadow generally agreed.

Kayna Malhotra, an eighth grader at Gorzycki Middle School in Southwest Austin who also shadowed at LASA, thought that LASA’s high enrollment and sprawling campus set it apart from the typical middle school experience. Though Gorzycki is the largest middle school in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) with nearly 1,300 students, it’s still significantly smaller than LASA.

“LASA was really big and there were a lot of people,” Malhotra said. “Lunch was cool because you could sit anywhere you wanted. It felt different.. the classes were different from Gorzycki.”

Gorzycki eighth grader Kamille Davis was another LASA shadow. To her, LASA’s layout felt confusing, but she enjoyed the hour-long lunch period compared to the 30 minutes at her home school. 

“The building was pretty big and looked easy to get lost in,” Davis said. “I didn’t get to see any of the classes I wanted to, but I ate lunch with my sister and I was happy the lunch period was longer.”

Eliza Brown, a Gorzycki eighth grader who shadowed on January 17th, thought shadowing at LASA was an interesting and social experience that helped her get a feel for what being a LASA student would be like.

“I was confused at first, then once I got to move around the school more, it was interesting and fun to go around seeing what it would be like,” Brown said. “Participating in lunch gave me a feel for the community. It was fun to socialize with the other LASA students. It was different from the school I go to, and I liked how you can sit anywhere. I enjoyed how enthusiastic the teachers were about their subjects and that they gave the class space to do their work. The whole experience gave me a good picture of what attending LASA would be like and I value that they offer this opportunity.”