Juniors Leah Passe and Nyx Wells have carpooled daily since the beginning of the school year. However, Passe is new to SPA, so how was this arrangement made? It is pretty simple: the two are next-door neighbors.
The Passe and Wells families have resided next to each other in the Inver Grove area since the Passes moved in 11 years ago. However, even though the two have seen each other nearly every day since kindergarten, they have never gotten to know each other until now. “We weren’t super close before I came here,” Passe said. Wells shared the same sentiment: “I didn’t really know Leah at all before,” they said.
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The carpool began as a convenient way for the duo to commute to school, mainly because the drive from Inver Grove is 25 minutes. Passe, who has her driver’s license, offered to bring Wells along to save time for their parents. As time passed, both have found enjoyment and benefits other than convenience. Passe said, “It’s fun. It’s nice to wake up in the morning [and] get a good conversation in with someone. I think it helps me get acclimated to the school morning.”
Wells also appreciates the new conversations their carpool has brought. They find more to chat about with Passe than their dad, who considers the daily half-hour drive burdensome. The two often talk about schoolwork, which helps them destress. “It’s better than being driven to school with my dad because then I’m just on my phone the entire time,” Wells said.
In addition to a nice morning chat, Wells sometimes brings baked goods for Passe to savor. “[They are] really delicious. It’s awesome,” Passe said.
Their carpool is not only beneficial for them but also for the planet. The duo values their positive impact on the environment, and Passe feels that people often prioritize convenience in transportation and push the environment to the side. “[It] does help the environment. It also saves money, especially when gas is so expensive. Conserving gas is just good, no matter what,” she said.
Similarly, Wells believes that the U.S. population sidelines the adverse environmental effects of cars. They are dissatisfied with the poorly infrastructured public transportation system, which they see as the reason why more people in America drive cars than in other countries. Hence, Wells thinks carpooling is the only reasonable option for mitigating detrimental climate impacts. They said, “[Public transportation] sucks here, and that’s why everyone needs to learn how to drive.”
Looking into the future, the two plan on continuing their short but pleasant time together in the mornings. When Wells gets their license, they hope to take on some driving responsibilities. They said, “Why would you take two cars when you could take one?”
