I moved to Kansas in the seventh grade, and I’m going to be honest – I hated it. I missed all my old friends, and I was super angry with my parents for making me move. It took me a really long time to settle in and accept the fact that I was stuck living in the cornfield and tornado state for the rest of my adolescence. And even when it did, I didn’t so much embrace life here as resign myself to it.

At Blue Valley, that slowly changed.

I’m not saying this school is perfect. The temperature can change by twenty degrees or more in the walk from the senior hall to the freshman one. I find a flooded toilet in the bathroom at least twice a week. It would be nice to have an actual building extension instead of an assortment of trailers for overflow classes. And I wouldn’t complain if the hallways doubled in size and I didn’t have to navigate the traffic jam at the intersection of the 600 and 300 halls three times a day.

But even with all of its flaws, BV has played a huge role in shaping the person I’ve become.

In our school’s alternately freezing or burning hallways, I’ve met some of my closest friends, people who have been there for me through good times and bad. I’ve had the privilege of being taught by amazing teachers who truly care about my learning. I’ve discovered new hobbies and interests, and I’ve also faced new hardships and challenges. I’ve grown a lot as a person, and learned to love myself because of who I am, not in spite of who I am.

I’m thankful for BV because it has made me who I am today. It has provided me with so many opportunities to grow into someone I can be proud of. And if you let it, it will give you the ability to do the same.