Listen to yells of “I hate school!” and “I’m so DONE!” and “I just want to graduate!” as you walk through East’s halls during your four years here—but ignore them. Though I’m sure these exclamations will increase exponentially during senior year, especially during second semester, here’s my advice. Do your best to disregard these repetitive complaints, as they have no relevance to the experience East offers. Although it took me four years to get to this point, I, myself, could never truthfully say any of the above statements.

From day one, people tell you, “It’s the best, quickest four years of your life; cherish it.” But I never fully comprehended what they tried to tell me, until now. At the tail end of my senior year, I come to appreciate what others – who once were in my shoes – tried to express to me.

The East community proves to give everything you could really want from a high school experience—whether you’re willing to admit it or not. For me, I was offered the opportunity to change lives for the better in South Carolina and Mississippi, among other places, thanks to our Habitat for Humanity group. East gave me the chance to surround myself at fun basketball games led by our famous Country Men. I was supported as I tried remaining a part of the girls’ soccer program, even when I wasn’t physically able to play. East offered me the ability to engage in classes that I actually had an interest in, such as Human Anatomy and Physiology. Thus, the reasons as to why I had the perfect high school experience are numerous.

I know I may never have even been able to come to this realization if it were not for the East community and all of the people that it encompasses.