Dear West York Area High School,
While my time there was brief, you made a lasting imprint on my life. In four short years I grew in ways that I never knew I would. I thought that going to high school meant I would learn academic stuff, try to pass gym, and get out of there. I had no idea that I would learn so much more than that.
It's hard to imagine that in a school with so many types of individuals, we could form a family. You always see high schools in movies that, when it mattered, came together as a unit to be stronger together. I never really thought that such a thing existed in real life until I started high school at West York. Granted, the entire town is basically a family, but it's kind of great how much family matters at West York. In times of need I've seen people carry an injured classmate to the nurse, stand up for a kid they didn't even know, and stand with a classmate when they've lost a loved one. I've seen countless t-shirt sales and bake sales to go to a student struggling to pay medical bills and balloon memorials for the classmates that we lost. You taught me that despite how different we all are, we grew up together and no one person matters more than another.
Along with that, you taught me what it means to give back. I participated in two Mini THON's at West York and I adored each one. The fundraising, the stories behind it, everything. I learned that people in our tiny community had been affected by childhood Cancer and that made Mini THON much more personal. We weren't just raising money for people we didn't know, we were helping kids in our own community have another chance at life and that was amazing. I also went out to support the Dig Pink games that funded Breast Cancer research. The entire school rushed to buy t-shirts and make donations and give back as much as we possibly could. We wanted to make a difference because we had been taught the importance of it.
I had teachers that became more like friends and mentors in my time at West York High. There were countless days that I would have a terrible day and if I needed it, I could go sit and talk and cry with Mrs. Cherry because she made sure we knew that we could come to her no matter what. If I had an issue I could go to Mr. Schulz who would take a step back from his usual comedic role to give me honest advice. Many of my teachers made me feel as though they would always be there for me, even after my time at school came to an inevitable end. They made all of us feel cared for and I could never imagine surviving high school or even my first year of university without them.
West York High, you taught me that you have to work hard to actually get results. Nothing will ever be handed to you. I had to work hard to keep my grades up and stay in extracurricular activities. My teachers were never going to hand me an "A" just for showing up. I had to work for it. The same went for the extra curricular activities. No program at West York was ever handed excellence. No individual was ever given an award for simply showing up. Everything that is achieved at West York High is done through hard work. That's something that I have carried with me over a year after graduation. Things in life are earned, not handed to you.
Among all of that, you gave me the opportunity to build friendships that, hopefully, will last me a lifetime. I met some of my best friends walking through the halls of West York High and I love them dearly. I got to make memories with them and share goals and dreams. I even live with one now. I could never have met these people had I not been a bulldog.
So, thank you West York High for some of the best experiences of my life and some of the best lessons I've ever learned. I will always treasure my time with you. Once a bulldog, always a bulldog.