Academic Magnet takes a select group of middle school students to accept into our prestigious institution. Still, each year we see a few students transfer in or out for a variety of reasons. Throughout the past four years I have seen many Raptors leave the nest, and I estimated that we have lost a grand total of at least 16. I reached out to a few of these ex-Raptors to discover why they left, where they went, and how they have been doing since we last saw them.

First up, we have one of our first departures: Drew Yates. Many of us have memories of Drew from the Keys Trip, but he decided to go to Bishop England after his freshman year. Drew said, “I left because I didn’t really find the right fit in people. I didn’t have a problem with the curriculum or teachers or anything, but I went home every day looking for a better peer relationship. Since leaving I have been very happy and am glad I made the change.” Last year, Drew and the rest of the Bishop England Boys Lacrosse team won the state championship for Class AAAA, which certainly adds to the great experience he has had at Bishop England.

Our next ex-Raptor left the most recently, Indigo Steedley. Indigo said, “I left because I wanted to have an experience that I felt like would actually really serve me in terms of social and educational growth. I didn’t feel like I was getting that from Magnet, I felt stuck in one mindset which was to get good grades no matter what and like that was the only thing that was important.” Indigo is now living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which makes her the farthest traveler. She said that since leaving, her life has been “so scary, so exciting, and so beneficial.” Additionally, she said “I’ve only been here for a month and already feel like I’ve completely changed and have learned so much more than I ever could in a classroom.” Indigo is a prime example of how going beyond the classroom can truly teach you a lot, and experiencing different cultures can be a great and beneficial experience for anyone.

Next up we have Harris Lanza, who transferred to Wando at the

beginning of December 2020. While this transfer was a bit difficult at first, most likely because switching in the middle of a year from A/B to semester is difficult, Harris said, “I am glad that I transferred out of Academic Magnet, I think that my experiences at Wando have helped me grow into a better version of myself.” Harris also told me, “my decision to transfer to Wando was one of the best decisions I have ever made, as it greatly reduced my workload/stress, allowing me to focus more on my personal wellbeing.” For those of you missing Harris, he did make an appearance at the last football game, showing that the love for Magnet sports never leaves you.

Lucy Cowan also left Academic Magnet for Wando before junior year. Lucy said, “I left because I wanted a better school and work balance (instead of all focus being on school). I am now going to Wando and I really like it and feel happier.” Wando seems to have taken many Raptors, but let’s not forget we have in turn gained Chaye Bonner, Alden Klemm, Ashley Windham, and Chloe Wren.

India Weimann left after her sophomore year as well, but she went to her home school of James Island Charter High School. India said, “I left magnet because I wanted a school that better fit my attention span and had less pressure on academics. I transferred to James Island which definitely gave me the academic environment I wanted, however it also gave me a lot more room for procrastination and did not help my attention span. It took some adjusting going from such a high intensity environment like Magnet to such an easy environment like James Island but I think if you choose your classes and structure your time carefully and thoroughly it is really great if you feel like Magnet is a little too much. My life has been much better in terms of academic stress levels and I feel like overall if you’re the kind of person who can take initiative and make sure you’re still doing the best you can do in terms of after graduation plans transferring to JI is a very good idea.” I think it’s important that India addressed that transferring is difficult and does require some of your own hard work. Still, James Island structures their curriculum differently and could be a better fit for some students struggling.

Finally, we have Colin Philp, who is one of the only students on this list that did not make the decision to leave Magnet on his own. Colin said, “I live with my mom and she moved to Beaufort for work, but I moved back to Charleston this year. I didn’t want to leave Magnet to move so I definitely miss it. Other schools [Beaufort Academy and James Island] were definitely easier than magnet but not as fun.” Colin pointed out that while other schools are easier, and many of these other transfers agree with this statement, Magnet does have much more fun than other schools in the form of school spirit.

Ultimately, most of these six students left Magnet because of stress or workload and did find that other schools are easier in this area. Still, for those considering transferring, I think it’s important to remember that large workloads come in waves. Around this time last year I was freaking out over my Seminar project, but now, my workload has definitely lessened. Different schools have very different opportunities, take Indigo’s Argentina experience for example, and it is important that you find the right match for you and truly enjoy your high school experience.