When I moved to Healy almost two years ago things were very different. Moving from a school of 500 grades 9-12 to a school with 100 people K-12 was something that has benefited me so much. Not only has it opened many doors for me that I never would have walked through before. In the two years that I have been here I have made so many friendships that will last a lifetime, and I have also met some teachers that have challenged and pushed me. Healy has also impacted my future by allowing me the opportunity to work with children.
In the beginning of my junior year I was someone who went to school simply to graduate. Before moving here things like the senior trip would have been something I missed because I was not comfortable enough in myself or the kids in my grade to actually push myself to go. This year when we went to Chicago I was so out of my comfort zone yet I would have regretted going. It impacted me in more ways than I can even express. Not only did it make me excited to go off to college but it gives me the desire to actually participate in college activities.
I will never be able to express how much this trip has impacted me and I am so thankful that I came to Healy for this opportunity alone. I would also like to note that before coming to Healy I would have never had the confidence to go out for quiz bowl. Quiz bowl has created memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and made friendships that are unbreakable. If I never would have moved to Healy there is a great chance that I would still be the shy, quiet girl I was before, and I would never of had the confidence to choose a college so far from my parents.
I can remember the first hour that I was here Lizzy, Dulce, and Kaitlyn all turned to me, and said hi this was something that I had never experienced before and something I probably never would have experienced anywhere else. From there on I quickly found my friend group but was also forced to talk to other people that I was not close with. Being in this town has introduced me to people that has changed my future in so many ways. I remember coming to Healy and not knowing a thing about Kansas, other than it was the flattest state I had ever been in, and that it would be my new home for the next two years.
Mr. Clay was the first teacher I met when I moved here, and is one of the people that changed my future more than any teacher had before. Not only was his class one of my favorites, but he also introduced me to Pittsburg State University. The school that I will be attending in the fall. I am thankful for him because otherwise I would not know where to go that would be a good fit for me. Another one of my teachers that I would like to thank is Ms. Wells, she was there for me during the senior trip, and is one of the only remaining teachers.
I never would have had the opportunity to bond with teachers the way that I have in this school, another teacher that I appreciate so much is Mrs. Clay, she was also my quiz bowl coach, and has been one of the most influential people in my high school career. She has been there through the entire college process, including numerous scholarship applications, FAFSA, and work study applications. I would say that she is the only reason that I am as far as I am this year, and that I have not had a mental breakdown. The last teacher that needs way more appreciation than I could ever give is Mr. Brooks.
Not only has he done so much for the school, but he also makes my day so much more enjoyable. With his adventurous stories about cows, the weather, and the not funny death jokes Mr. Brooks is someone that deserves the most appreciation. Mr. Brooks has done so much for the school, and I often think that without him the school would fall apart. Healy is full of so much character and if the school was any bigger I would not have been able to have a personal relationship with these incredible teachers. Probably the most important reason that Healy has brought to my future is the opportunity to babysit, and work with the kindergarten class.
Next year I will begin to study Social work, I will be working with children and it is essential that I am able to tolerate and work well with them. I have to give so many thanks to Laura and Alona Woodward-Webber not only were they the first people to come to me about babysitting they also taught me a lot about the foster care system and how things work on the foster parents end of things. The next people that I need to thank is Mark and Cindy Cramer, because they have let me watch their girls, and it has taught me so much. They have kids at each level, 2, 5, 8, and 11.
Not only has it taught me how to interact with each age group it has also given me cooking experience. The next experience that I am thankful for is the opportunity to work with the kindergarten. They always brighten my day, and as I watch Mrs. Wright teach each day it expands the way I look at how children process information. I will forever be thankful for the opportunities that Healy has presented to me. There are so many other things that the town of Healy has done for me and these were just some of the most meaningful to me. I am so thankful for the things I have been able to do because of the town.