To the town nobody has heard of,

They always say no matter how far in life you go, you'll never forget where you come from. I have to say that I'm pretty proud of that place. I come from a community of farmers, lake-goers, and family-run corner store businesses. I have so many fond memories of the town I grew up in. I went to high school here, I showed my 4-H animals here, made best friends, I learned, grew and made hundreds of mistakes in this place.

There is something special about small town high schools. My graduating class of 116 had so much heart and school spirit. We could have a total failure of a football or basketball season and you can still count on having the stands full of students and community members. High school sports are a major highlight in a small town. Sports rivalries are something we take seriously. You may think a battle over painting a bell is not a big deal, but ask any graduate of Rochester High School and they will tell you how much it matters.

School rivalries are something that separates us, but everybody knows everybody here. It doesn't separate us in regard to a community though. I have friends from neighboring schools, which by the way are over 15 miles from each other. It sounds funny to say, but we all grew up together. I am sure no one from a larger city can say that. Bigger schools have students who have never met each other, yet alone knowing students from neighboring schools. We show animals at the fair together and work on projects for the community. I love that about how I grew up.

Growing up, you never realize just how strong of a community you live in until you move to a larger one. In a small town, everyone is willing to lend a helping hand. The community all pulls together, whether it's for the fair, a festival, a volunteer program or even a family crisis.

I'm proud of where I came from, even if nobody has heard of Rochester, Indiana.