I obviously have to start with just saying, shout out Glenbard North High School. I'm still bleeding black and gold, still a panther at heart, and still might be the only college student who still wears high school apparel, but no shame at all.

These past four years at college, whenever the topic of high school gets brought up nine out of ten people say something along the lines of, “Yeah high school was okay but I’d never go back,” or “I hated high school.” When someone says this I always never understand it because for me I am that one out of ten people that will sit there and praise my hometown and how amazing my high school experience was. Don’t be fooled, I LOVE college more than the next person, but I can’t confidently say that if I could relive high school, that I wouldn’t and here’s just a few of the many reasons why.

1. Friday Night Panther Football

Friday night football hands down takes the gold for why I loved high school so much. I know that most people had this experience, and maybe I am being selfish by saying GBN knows how to do it the best way and no one can compare, but…GBN knows how to do it the best way and no one else can compare. From freshman year to senior year, Friday nights were what not only students couldn’t wait for, but staff and everyone in town. The amount of support you would see all over town on building windows, restaurants and peoples homes supporting Panther football was incredible. There was never a game, home or away, where GBN fans weren’t packing the bleachers. The amount of love and respect that fans had for the players and the players had for the fans was irreplaceable. To be honest, most of the time we were all more worried about the theme of that Fridays game and taking it to the next level than caring about actual school…but it all ended up being fine, after all I’m graduating college this year.

2. Friendships

Don’t get me wrong, I have made absolutely amazing friends in college some that will be in my life forever, but the friendships I have from pre-college years are ones that have the biggest space in my heart. I’m one of the lucky few that can say I have had the same group of friends since elementary, middle and high school. These people have seen me go through every stage of life, EVERY STAGE. Even down to the braces with ugly blue eyeliner and a comb over (yes this happened). Up until this very day my best friends and I talk every single day “insert donut emoji group chat”. We may be up to hundreds of miles away from each other and still we somehow manage to know every detail of every aspect of each other’s lives. Thanksgiving, Christmas and summer break is what we count down the days till until we know well be together again. From my gals to my guys, I love you all so much.

3. Teachers

I have definitely had some amazing college professors, but nothing and no one will ever compare to not only some but mostly all of my high school teachers at GBN. And I know I can speak for many others when saying that. These teachers saw it all. The happy times, the sad, the tragic, the heartbreak, the lazy, the bratty, ALL OF IT and they deserve so much credit for it, and to know how much I APPRECIATE YOU. They went above and beyond to not only make sure their students were successful in school, but in life and just always striving to make sure your overall happiness was what came first. I have such a big space in my heart for my high school teachers, and all faculty from GBN. Especially because when I’m having a bad day in college I don’t just have the FACS office to walk into and have a dramatic breakdown, grab a cookie, hug someone and pull it together. You’re all rock stars!

4. Playing Sports

Never thought I'd see the day, but I actually miss running my body into the ground doing suicide runs. I miss 900 degree Fieldhouse summer league basketball, and 2-a-days for volleyball, I miss my teams, coaches, the unity, the understanding, practice, game day, game night, I miss not just thinking I’m in shape but actually being in shape HA, I miss PASTA NIGHT (Shout out Wizzle’s fam) and I could go on and on. Nothing will ever compare to high school sports, “the glory days” and I would go back to them in a heartbeat.

5.) First love

Many people doubt high school relationships, but I will be the first to defend them. I know so many people from our town who to this day are still dating or even married with families that went to GBN. Part of the reason why I loved high school so much is because I shared all four years and more with someone who I loved just as much. There was nothing like proudly wearing your mans football jersey, walking down the halls hand in hand, leaving class for a moment just to sneak a kiss, opening your locker to flowers and teddy bears, homecomings and proms, and so much more. No matter where life takes you or with who, you'll never forget where you first fell inlove, or who showed you how to.

There are many more reasons I loved high school, I could actually write a book, but not just about any high school, specifically the best, GBN. This school was somewhere that was home, and I can’t thank it enough for giving me the memories, people and connections that allow me to be sitting here, a senior in college, and still talking about how much I love it.

-Once a Panther, always a Panther