Have you ever wondered what it’d feel like to be in a graduating high school class of, let’s say, 24 students? Well, I don't have to wonder, because I was a part of one. Yep, the Trinity Christian Academy class of 2014 only had 24 students. Those were not just the students eligible to graduate, but that number was the entirety of the class. So, it would make sense that the total number of students at my school was a little more than 200 K-12th grade students. That’s just a glimpse of what going to a small school is like.

If you went to a small school, then you know the struggle!

Everyone's in your business.

The best and worse, or should I say bittersweet, part about being at a small school is that everybody, and I mean everybody, including the faculty, knows your business. Even when you think that no one has found out about the secret that you only told one person, the next time the bell rings and the halls get crowded, you're bound to hear a group of people talking about it as they walk down the hall.

The school is proud to be a dysfunctional family.

No matter the constant gossip or people that drive you crazy, a small school is a dysfunctional family. There's drama and fights, but there's also friendships and loyalty. You can bet that I always knew the people in my class would have my back in the end, and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

There will never be enough hallway space.

Even when you shove the little freshmen out of the way (just kidding)! But seriously, there never seemed to be any space in the hallway. The mad dash to your locker as a freshman right when the release bell rang was a must to avoid the post-class hallway jam. But once you became a senior the "who cares?" motto fit your post-class hallway routine. You took your time getting there because senioritis was in full effect.

Your parents were also your coaches.

Mom and dad were no longer just the parents on the sidelines, they were the coaches! Small private schools don't have all of the resources to get various outside coaches. So, if your parents played the sport back in the day, then they were a shoo-in to coach the team. "Why look for a professional when a dad just volunteered?"

You were a part of every club, organization, and sports team.

In addition to the limited resources, there were also limited students to be a part of the clubs and sports teams. There was never really a tryout, just an assessment to see your strengths and weaknesses, then a pat on the back to congratulate you. Clubs, organizations and sports teams were always looking for additional kids to join in order to have more people to put on the roster. Throughout my middle school and high school career I was a part of several clubs and organizations, as well as being a part of the volleyball, tennis, softball and cheerleading teams. This sort of sports involvement would be unheard of at a larger school because students tend to focus on one or two sports, but at smaller schools "the more the merrier."

Not getting caught texting in class is possible, but not probable.

Oh texting, what would high school students do without the ability to send messages to their friends sitting a few feet away from them? While texting in class was something that everyone did, it wasn't something that everyone got away with. Every day a phone would ring or someone would get caught on their phone, and sadly, get it taken away for the rest of the day. In small classrooms there's only so much you can do to hide a cellphone before the teacher finally realizes that you're not just staring down at your lap for no reason.

You form life-long friendships with your graduating class.

When you walk down one long hallway every day and basically have the same schedule as the rest of your class, you’re bound to form life-long friendships with those people. As I mentioned earlier, a small school is a dysfunctional family. Well, your graduating class is one step above because they become your close-knit family. With them, you’re closer than just a dysfunctional family, because they’re the people that you can count on. The graduating class in "High School Musical" was a close-knit family. Yes, they had their bumpy times and petty disagreements, but in the end everyone was there for each other. They were all in it together.

I experienced many situations at my small high school that I'll never get to have at my university because of its larger campus. Therefore, I'm glad that I got to endure going to a small school and forming the relationships, not only with my peers, but also with the faculty. I'm always proud to brag about my class of 24 students that helped me have some of the best years of my life, and unforgettable memories that I don't think that I could've had at any larger high school.

Once a TCA Eagle, always a TCA Eagle!