Over Thanksgiving break, I had the privilege of returning to my old stomping grounds to talk to the high school seniors about something that they were dying to hear about: college. This was more of an excuse to go back and visit old teachers, but I had a really good time doing it nonetheless. I didn't realize how engaged the students would be and how excited they would be to have me there.
I started off by telling them a bit about myself- where I'm at school, what I plan on majoring in, and how I plan to go about doing it. I went ahead and made a little cheat sheet for them with all of my advice on it that ranged from application tips to even making friends once you arrive at school. I also researched a bunch of schools that didn't have application fees and made a list for them on the sheet as well. I didn't realize how big of a hit this sheet would be! People were taking pictures of it and passing it around, and when I walked into my Junior year AP English teacher's classroom, a student stood up and asked, "Yo, are you that girl who made the college sheet?" I proceeded to pass it around to that class as well after much demand.
Going back to high school was an experience like no other. It felt oddly nostalgic and I didn't think that I would feel anything emotional at all seeing as I was always dying to get out of there. But it was nice. The classrooms hadn't changed, and everyone remained where they were before I had left. This reminded me of the fact that life goes on once you're gone. Just because I'm not at Milton High School anymore doesn't mean that time stopped. I was just replaced with someone else. My grade was replaced by the incoming Freshman class, and my seat was (hopefully) replaced by an inspired young student.
I was also shocked at how the teachers treated me. Although always respectful in high school, I never felt truly on the same level as teachers. This made sense because technically we were on two completely different levels. But once I had graduated and come back, it seemed like they were treating me as a true adult, as if I had crossed that barrier between childhood and adulthood and they could finally talk to me like a real person.
This was a pretty special experience for me that I didn't think would have the impact that it did. I hope to return to Milton High School again sometime this year, and I can't wait to watch the current seniors shine.
