Public high school: a hell hole that should not exist. At least, that's how many people view it. Many people think public high school is a drug, disease, bully invested institution that only cares about standardized tests and football.

The classes are filled with outdated text books because it's too expensive to replace them, and they are "good enough." The football team is the pride and joy of the school where everyone attends the Friday night games, but the rest of the sports teams are okay or "good enough."

The phrase "good enough" is used all too often, but what do you expect when the school is under funded, over crowded, and everyone is unmotivated?

Somehow I ended up going to college at a preppy private school in North Carolina. My high school graduating class featured students to attend Rochester Institute of Technology, Penn State, Pittsburgh and other awesome schools! My high school (Daniel Boone High School) also produced hard working individuals who went on to get jobs in the automobile industry, store management, and culinary.

None of us attended a shiny, fancy private school that streamlined students into pre-professional programs to ultimately become doctors or lawyers. Our teachers were not completely invested in our future because all they cared about was getting a good report and having as few students fail as possible. They did not push us to achieve our best; we could do the minimal amount of work and still get a C in the course.

However, public high school helped me develop and grow as a person. I had to learn more than just what's in the textbooks. Being integrated with people of all backgrounds who will fill a variety of different positions in society made me a well-rounded person.

We were forced to talk to people with different views, goals, and desires as us. This exactly mirrors society. There are times when I have to talk to a mechanic about my car and it's better to start those interactions when I was younger than older.

I have had to work with people that view the world differently than I do and understanding their position is essential to helping us put aside our differences to complete a task.

The only special thing about Daniel Boone High School, compared to other public high schools, was the name. Every public high school has cliques between the students and money problems, but I grew up with the students of Daniel Boone. I made some of the best friends and made unforgettable memories (both good and bad).

Even though Daniel Boone was dirty with very subpar lunches, my roots are still there. Thank you to the friends I have stayed in touch with, the friends that drifted away, the bullies, and the random person who sat next to me in History class. You all helped make me, me.