The excitement of becoming a first-time driver

NEW DRIVERS Ean Couch and Grace Loveland, sophomores at Wilmington High School, are excited to gain a little freedom to drive where they want now that they have gotten their driver’s license.

By: 
Ella Cooper
WHS Student Reporter

Getting your first set of wheels is something every 16-year-old remembers. It’s an exciting milestone in life, and in a lot of cases a teenager’s first car is almost an extension of themselves.

At WHS cars are a big part of the day for students who hang out in the parking lot talking about where they are going to drive after school, who might need a ride home and more. That first car is a individual’s first taste at independence so it always means something, brand new, or an older hand-me-down.

One trend for new drivers is to personalize their vehicles with decorations or even name them. Walk through the parking lot at Wilmington High School and you’ll see little trinkets through the windshields of teen-owned autos like small stuffed animals, bobbleheads or solar-powered moving flowers on the dash and air freshners hanging from rear-view mirrors.

There are some teens who spend considerably more to trick out their rides by buying special rims and tires, lift kits, and special horns, like train horns or semi horns.

WHS sophomore Ean Couch is among those who recently got his driver’s license. The first place he drove was to school in a car gifted to him from a family member. He admits his dream car would be a Tesla, but for now the red Jeep Renegade will do.

Another sophomore, Grace Loveland, received her license Saturday. She has been really looking forward to her first independent drive to Starbucks. Loveland’s dream car is a yellow Volkswagen bug, but she is getting a hand-me-down from her father which is a Jeep Cheroke. The common theme in both of these students’ excitement lies with the independence of being able to transport themselves.

Most teens driving also means not having to rely on parents or friends for rides after school, or for extra curricular activities. While yes, it is a major responsibility, it also allows teens to start making those steps to adulthood and adapting to being fully independent.