I am from Chicago, Illinois and I went to Stevenson High School. Unless you're from the Chicagoland area, chances are you have no idea what Stevenson is, but locally it's pretty well known. Stevenson is one of the best public schools in the country but that is not the only thing that sets it apart, we also have around four thousand students enrolled every year.

I graduated Stevenson in 2012 and my graduating class had around 1,400 students. While most people probably think that's huge, it's the only thing I've ever known and for me it was just the norm. While all teenagers, including me, constantly whine about how much they hate high school and how they cannot wait for college, it took going to college for me to truly appreciate my high school experience. On top of all of the amazing memories and friends I made, Stevenson taught me so much and helped better prepare me for the rest of my life.

Stevenson has always been very big on academics. It was almost frowned upon to graduate without at least trying to take one AP, we pride ourselves on our high ACT scores, GPA is everything, and four year colleges are pushed on us from day 1. While that used to anger me daily because of all of the pressure, I believe it is the only reason I have done so well in college. No one likes to be pushed that hard academically but I feel that I learned more from those four years of high school than I would have ever learned had I gone to another high school. The pressure also helped me prepare for what it would be like to take test-based classes and pull all-nighters cramming and preparing.

The only thing that was taken as seriously as academics was sports. This year we won state titles in basketball, football, and water polo and while I have been out of high school for three years I still rooted for us to win, because one thing Stevenson has is pride. As a student I attended every football game, regardless of the weather or distance and honestly those football games are some of the best memories I have of high school. Sports were one activity that everyone would come together for, regardless of anyone's age or friend group; cliques were put aside and everyone just banded together in order to support our amazing sports teams.

While some people may think it was weird that I went to such a prominent and large public school for four years, I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions my parents have ever made. The memories and friends I have made will last a lifetime and while I may not have known everyone in my graduating class, I got something better: a great education that ultimately shaped who I am today. High school has it's ups and downs and I remember crying countless times saying all I wish I could do was go to college but now that I look back on those four years of my life, I'm filled with happiness and no regrets whatsoever.