HUMANS OF BELLAIRE – Bailey Sutton

“‘Chaotic’ is a good word to describe my high school experience. The pandemic hit my freshman year, and a lot of people don’t realize that your freshman year is probably the most pivotal in terms of getting introduced to high school and finding your adult identity. It impacted me in a big way. 

In middle school I [developed] issues with anxiety. [My] timidness was a result of my anxiety, and I was really shy when I started high school. I saw there was an advertisement for this club based around writing and reading. I [thought], ‘Okay, I’m going to be brave and just go to this meeting.’ I ended up meeting a lot of nice people. [I also] was interested in joining Name That Book. [Joining became] the most beneficial decision I ever made for my high school career. I fell in love with Name That Book and [its] team members. I bonded with everyone in my club, and I made one of my closest friends in W.R.I.T.E. Club. I’m so glad to be able to call all those people my friends.

I was able to come out of my shell and find new interests by joining clubs, getting involved in extracurriculars and being in a bigger school. One of the things I fell in love with was graphic design when I joined the Maple Street Journal my junior year and worked as the layout editor. I refound my passion for writing and reading through Name That Book and W.R.I.T.E. Club. I became a lot more determined and outspoken. I’m not scared to share my opinions and find causes I want to fight for, like banned books. I blossomed into a whole new person. Not only did I break out of my shell, I also found my new voice. I hope people will remember me in a positive light.

I am so thankful that I went to a diverse high school. Being exposed to many different cultures and ideas and opinions is something I have never taken for granted. The teachers at Bellaire are fantastic. They are so good at doing their job and so incredibly loving and caring. They make sure students have a positive experience here. 

I will be attending the University of Houston and will be studying psychology. I found a sorority, Delta Gamma, I really like. I never thought I’d join a sorority, but it looks like it will [greatly] impact my college journey, [so] I wanted to take that leap and try joining one. I still want to keep my passion for writing alive, and I’m going to work on writing a novel.

I would go back to remind myself that if something is not working, if it’s causing more stress than happiness, leave it behind. Recognize when things are no longer serving you. You don’t need it. It’s okay to let go. You’re going to grow out of things. That is just a natural part of life. 

People here are very fortunate to go to Bellaire. It [offers] a unique experience. Even though you’ll get older and move past high school, high school is still always going to be such a pivotal part of your identity. Do not take that for granted.”