Starting at about 7:20 a.m. on school mornings, the parking lot becomes packed with students finding parking spots and parents finding their way to the drop-off lane. Most students arrive during this time, however, there are a few students that beat the crowd.

The first at school on Thursday, Oct. 29 was senior Shad Abdullah. She rolled in at exactly 6:00 a.m. for behind-the-wheel in order to secure a driver’s license.

“It’s my second to last day,” Abdullah said. She was waiting for her partner senior Zahraa Saleh as well as her driving instructor Jay Supko.

Freshman Rachel Walton was the first student to enter the school building. She walked in around 6:30 a.m. with her parents Cara and Bradley Walton who both work at the school.

“I usually come pretty early. My parents work here,” Rachel Walton said.

She spent her extra time at the top of stairwell engrossed in a book.

“I usually just read or work on homework until my friends show up,” Walton said.

Junior Kellie Serrell was in the ROTC classroom by about 6:45 a.m. Her early arrival is caused by the effects of her family’s schedule.

“I come early to get work done. My sister has college and my dad has work so it’s more convenient,” Serrell said. Serrell has embraced the early and seen it as a good way to get the day started.

“When I come early it helps me be awake once school actually starts,” Serrell said.

At about 7:00 a.m., the school begins to speed up a bit as more students come in for meetings and school activities. Freshman Sam Schaeffer comes in at 7:00 a.m. for forensics once a week and junior Tony Somchay comes in at the same time every morning just to browse the library.

While the majority of students arrive prior to 7:20 a.m., some have to come earlier than that for various activities and reasons.