Hearing the band’s instruments booming through the car window on Freshman Welcome Day is a moment many Gibbons students never forget. 

Between the dance team twirling along to the music, the upperclassmen pulling kids out of their cars, and hearing the enormous crowd of the student body cheer, freshmen don’t have to worry about feeling unwelcomed into school. 

All Cardinal Gibbons students have had this moment at some point at the beginning of their high school journey, whether it was a few weeks ago or over three years ago. At Freshman Welcome Day, all of us officially became part of the Gibbons community, and that was a choice every single student here made.

The question is, why did they all choose Cardinal Gibbons? 

For many, Gibbons was the perfect choice for high school. The academics stood out when considering other high schools and many heard about all of the sports, clubs, and activities that take place here. 

For the freshmen who didn’t make this choice very long ago, it’s different. Just four months ago, they were all in different middle schools scattered around the county, or even farther. So, what went into their decision to come to Gibbons?

Gibbons is known for the wide variety of athletics, arts, and extracurriculars for all of the student body to participate in. For freshman Aubrey Noon, the opportunities given here influenced her decision greatly. 

“I chose to apply to Gibbons because of all of the amazing opportunities it could give me, and I liked how involved the school was with all of the extracurriculars,” Noon said. 

These opportunities also persuaded Briar Cormier, another new freshman. 

“The things that interested me (about Gibbons) are the field hockey team, the people here, they’re all really nice, and the amount of opportunities that I’ll have while I’m here,” Cormier said. 

Athletics play a huge role at Gibbons. With 50 teams in 27 different sports, there is something for everyone. The athletics at Gibbons are often the selling point for prospective students. 

“I wanted to play field hockey for the best team in the state,” Cormier said. 

Some freshmen will join freshman-only teams, like men’s freshman football, while others will try out for junior varsity and even varsity level sports. Since our school is a big sports school, trying out for one of the sports teams is a goal most Gibbons students have.

On the other hand, Gibbons is also known for our arts. With choices from physical art classes, drama, dance, and more, students here have no trouble finding a fine art to choose. 

This is another factor that stands out to prospective students, as the fine arts department is so vast and has many possibilities. With multiple dance shows, drama performances, and art showcases, nobody could miss Gibbons’ fine arts department.

“I heard that Gibbons was the main drama and art feeder school for my middle school,” Noon said.

Another part of our school that anyone can immediately notice is the amount of school spirit Gibbons has. No matter what grade or what extracurriculars one does, they are always supported by the people here. 

The Gibbons school spirit shines through on Freshman Welcome Day. This is the first event that freshmen attend where they are officially students at Gibbons. While there is so much going on during the first week of school, Freshman Welcome Day is there to calm new students’ nerves. “I really felt welcomed because I knew where to go for my classes,” said freshman Juliet Stevens.

Even though the start to the first day of high school can be intense, Gibbons tries to make the experience welcoming and enjoyable for all involved. 

“At first it was intimidating, but then I got to know people and it was really nice,” Noon said. 

While the attractive factors of Gibbons had some freshmen sold from the beginning, others had other options for their high school journey. For freshman Vienna Simons, the main factor in her decision, and that of many others, was seeing where she belonged. 

“I chose Gibbons over other schools because I saw myself as a Gibbons student,” Simons said.

To some of the freshmen, the choice of Gibbons was a no-brainer. Like Erin Ambrosio, who said how she heard great things about Gibbons. While she had other options, Gibbons seemed like the perfect choice. 

“Gibbons is just an overall bigger and more well-rounded school than my other options,” Ambrosio said. 

Between athletics, fine arts, and the school spirit, Gibbons has been a perfect fit for many students. Cardinal Gibbons is made up of almost 1,600 students, and every single one of them has a different story or reason for why they chose to come here.