Last week, for the first time since I graduated, I spent the day visiting my former high school. I walked into the office and signed in as a visitor to a place that had been my second home for four years, which felt unbelievably weird.

I saw students that I graduated with, talked to friends from the class below me, hugged former teachers, and even ran into my former principal who, after talking to me, offered to pay for my lunch in the cafeteria. I've always thought of CHS as a great place, but going back reminded me how rare my high school experience actually was and how much of an impact it had on my life. I know we all like to believe that we are rare and special snowflakes and that our high school experience was unique, but I'm not going to fight the cliche. Charleston High School was and is a special place.

Now, I am not saying that I want to go back in time and spend four years in high school again. Regardless of how wonderful my experience was, college suits me a lot more. What I mean by this letter is that I will never blame my high school for any lack of success on my part. I refuse to name drop CHS as an excuse when I make mistakes or don't have everything I want. Being a student at Charleston High School didn't hold me back. In fact, it gave me almost every amazing opportunity I've ever had.

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In choir, I sang college-level repertoire, was a member of an a capella group that competed on a national level, sang in a barbershop quartet with some of my best friends, and got to go on a trip of a lifetime to New Orleans, where we sang in the St. Charles Cathedral.

In musical theater, I was able to perform in four shows. Most notably, I had the unforgettable privilege of portraying Fiona in Shrek the Musical. As I sang my favorite numbers and pretended to be able to tap dance on a stage with an incredible student-made set, I got to live my dream and do something that 10-year-old me never thought would happen.

In speech, I was on a team that was known for being small but mighty. My junior year, I competed with one fellow team member at state and with two people, our team was ranked 8th out of over 100 teams. That year, my friend Katie was ranked 3rd in the state in Impromptu Speaking, and I received 4th in Dramatic Interpretation and 1st in Oratorical Declamation.

I could write entirely separate thank you letters to choir, to musical, to speech, and to all the directors and coaches involved. But to keep it short, those activities opened doors and changed my life.

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When I list off these experiences, few people would suspect that this same high school has about 800 people and massive budget problems. Last year, transportation funding had to be cut, and this year, a facility tax was put in place in order to make structural repairs that have been needed for decades. All of the opportunities I've listed came with the added challenge of food sales, car washes, and a dozen other types of fundraisers. High school taught me that, while money is certainly a necessity for programs to function, it doesn't equate to talent or hard work.

For me, my high school experience felt even more special once I started college. Five CHS students, including myself, received full-tuition scholarships from EIU and over a dozen other students received huge scholarships from EIU for their academic accomplishments. I also graduated with students who received scholarships to other universities in Illinois, to out-of-state colleges, and to community colleges. I graduated with state-ranked athletes, incredible artists and musicians, people with huge hearts, and some of the most brilliant people I've ever met.

I know it's common to complain about high school, but if you went to CHS or if you currently go to CHS, I hope you feel lucky for it. I hope you take the homework, the friend-group problems, and the PARCC test with a grain of salt and see the bigger picture. I hope you take advantage of the opportunities that not everyone is lucky enough to get.

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To the teachers and the faculty, thank you for teaching me about life just as much as you taught me the curriculum. Thank you for being like parents to me at times. Thank you for the countless hours that you put into making us better students and better people. Lastly, thank you for friending me on Facebook. It's a dream come true.

CHS, you really are a pretty cool place.