As Parker’s junior class gathered in the auditorium on the first day of orientation, they looked out at a sea of familiar faces plus two new ones. The Class of 2027 had grown from 86 students to 88, welcoming Nathan Polonsky as one of its newest additions. After spending his first two years of high school at Lane Tech College Prep, Polonsky has become heavily involved in Parker as part of the varsity basketball team, Jewish Student Connection (JSC), and a head of the Social Committee for his upcoming senior year. 

Junior Brady Harris, a captain of the Varsity Basketball team for this season, witnessed his integration first hand. “I think the basketball team was very extroverted and everyone tried to get to know Nathan, but Nathan really capitalized on that,” Harris said. “His passion for the game, along with his outgoing personality, helped him reach a new level of closeness with the team. He has this admirable quality of putting others above himself that made him impossible to not like. He quickly became close with the whole team.”

While Parker encourages students to embrace new arrivals to our school, transferring into a unique and tight-knit community can be a big change. Although Polonsky came into Parker knowing a few students, the shift alone was a culture shock. “I went from a 60-person class at Lane to a seven-person class at Parker. It was obviously an adjustment and hard to get used to. Coming in, I didn’t know what to expect. Parker has all these terms, small groups and committees that end up being overwhelming for a new student,” Polonsky said. 

Although these were hurdles that Polonsky had to overcome in his transition to Parker, he doesn’t regret any of it. “One hundred percent I would make the same choice again. I feel heavily integrated and have grown close with the grade. The class sizes, tight-knit community, teacher-student connections, and flexible scheduling also are an upside of Parker and private schools. You don’t get the same kind of attention at public schools.” 

This is obviously not the outcome for all new students at Parker, as Polonsky previously outlined the struggles faced when coming into a small private school like Parker. But Jackson Flaum, a junior and close friend of Polonsky’s, explains what he thinks made Polonsky’s transition a successful one. “Nathan and I had run into each other a few times before we truly became friends, at golf preseason and mutual friends’ houses. But what I’ve noticed is that Nathan is someone who puts himself out there. He talked to everyone and will make conversation with anyone he passes because that’s who he is, and that’s why he was so successful in his transfer,” Flaum said. “He was always himself and put himself out there to anyone who would listen, and is always a kind and friendly face to talk to, even if you don’t know him.”

Polonsky’s integration proves that the transfer experience is what you make of it. As new Parker students come from all different backgrounds and schools, whether public or private, the way one shows up is crucial to integration.  Flaum believes “that’s why he was so successful in making friends. He put no boundaries on who he could talk to and make a connection with.”