By Hannah McCrone ’19

Sixteenth birthdays are a favorite for high schoolers in New Jersey for a plethora of reasons, but if there’s one thing every 15-year-old is looking forward to most on their special day, it’s receiving their driving permit. Although there’s a six month gap before your permit is actually required to get your license at 17, the rush to get a permit has parents calling driving instructors as soon as they can fit their kids in. While the permit process may seem fun and exciting, it can be a bit scary too. We asked six students at West Essex who have received their driver’s permit about their experiences. How was your first time behind the wheel?

Gracie Masini ’19

“I was in the car and I went kind of right over the curb. My driver guy was like what are you doing? I just started laughing,” sophomore Gracie Masini said.

Marisa DeFranza ’19

“So the first day I went driving for my permit, I was in the car going around a windy road that was really tight and I wasn’t paying attention to like, the side of the road. I side swiped a garbage can. The guy freaked out and took over the wheel; it was sort of scary,” sophomore Marisa DeFranza said.

Skye McCrone ’17

“The lady in front of us ran over a cat five minutes in. My instructor started hysterically crying and I was trying to calm her down and drive at the same time…not the best first experience in a car,” senior Skye McCrone said.

Brett Epstein ’19

“My driving instructor had a really heavy accent. I couldn’t understand him most of the time, so he would tell me what to do and I wouldn’t be able to understand. It caused a few close calls, but I was mostly okay,” sophomore Brett Epstein said.

Mairead Bardho ’19

“My phone was going off the whole time. I wanted to check it so badly but I was trying to pay attention to the road. My instructor was giving me looks and I was like ‘I’m not even looking at it come on,’” sophomore Mairead Bardho said.