At Grosse Pointe South, there are nearly 70 clubs available, as well as numerous sports and interesting classes. Students are offered countless opportunities to find their preferred form of self-expression, whether that be through art, music, studies, friendship or fashion. As students graduate, it becomes apparent that self-expression shifts. Depending on college decisions, trade school entrance, acceptance to the military or being signed for sports, this may look different for everyone individually.

South graduate Ivy Pellerito ’24, who just finished her first year at Grand Valley State University and is now transferring to Michigan State University, spent her time in high school doing hobbies. She was involved in Cross Country all four years. Additionally, Pellerito took several artistic classes like Interior Design, Drawing and Painting and ceramics, which helped develop her sense of self-expression in high school.

“I also put a lot of effort into the way I dressed, mostly my junior year,” Pellerito said. “It was always a fun way to present myself in my own style.”

In her time at Grand Valley, Pellerito enjoyed various events such as tote bag painting and environmental clubs that helped to provide creative outlets outside of the classroom.

“These events were relaxing at times; they were places where I could make crafts or meet with others who share a similar passion for club topics,” Pellerito said.

Pellerito says that in college, there are many more ways to express oneself due to the free time afforded and the different events held to gather people of similar interests.

In lieu of her time doing Cross Country, Pellerito has taken to the campus gym, trying her own workouts. Overall, Pellerito says that in college, there are many more outlets for self-expression.

“I don’t feel like I completely carried many of my hobbies from high school over to college,” Pellerito said. “Instead, I’ve been trying new hobbies that I’ve never tried before.”

In contrast to Pellerito’s stance, South graduate Sey Isas-Garcia ’24 says that it was far more difficult for him to express himself after high school. Isas-Garcia just finished his freshman year at Michigan State University.

“In high school, and really through most of my life, my form of self-expression was talking to other people,” Isas-Garcia said. “Talking about things I like and making jokes with other people, while not really fitting the traditional view of self-expression, is the way that I show others my ideals and what I believe in.”

For Isas-Garcia, expressing himself through conversation became more difficult in college with the more disconnected nature. He found himself keeping in touch more with friends from high school, and with the busy ways of college, he could not interact with them as much as he could in high school.

“Overall it was a lot harder to have forms of self-expression in college for me,” Isas-Garcia said. “I think the reason for that is mostly because I spent a lot of time in college working as opposed to talking to other people. In high school, I would talk to people in my classes more because the stakes didn’t feel as high as they did in college.”