Coming from a school that had 69 people in my graduating class actually had its perks. Some people always said they could not wait to leave and that they didn't like everyone being in their business. Which I do admit, the small school had its down falls but truly, it was the best way I could think of learning and spending thirteen years there.
#1 Class Sizes
Take it from me. I left my tiny high school and went to a large university with huge classes and lectures and I always felt like I was drowning. I had no time to talk to the professor and actually ask questions. However, in my small school, I had twenty or twenty-five kids in my classes where we could actually do group discussions and ask questions.
#2 Sports Events
It didn't matter what the sport was, there was almost always a student section and people there to support you no matter what the outcome may have been. For example, my small school's single A baseball team just won a district title! There were balloons, a mini parade led by fire trucks, a student section, and just about anything else you could think of. The support in a small school is actually huge.
#3 You Actually Know Everyone
Okay, this could have its up's and down's but I think there is more up's than down's. You can actually graduate knowing who everyone is. You can listen to your Valedictorian's speech and actually know who, what, when, or where they are referencing.
#4 Love and Support
Imagine having a hardship hit your school without any warning. Imagine losing one of your most beloved teachers. Imagine feeling lost and not knowing what to do. This is where being in a small school has a huge perk, everyone is willing to help. Rather it be someone needing a liver transplant or a death of a young teacher with a huge heart. No matter what, in a crunch, the small schools always come together.
#5 Memories
High school is a time of finding yourself and discovering who your true friends are. I mean afterall, you have more or less spent the last thirteen years of your life with these people. Coming from a small school, you can be lucky enough to talk to everyone and have a memory of everyone from some point along the journey.
So, to my class of 2015, thank you for all the study hall talks, student section rallies, getting to know one another, the support, and the memories. I will forever be grateful for my experience at my small school.
