First of all, I would like to say thank you to the people who voted yes for the referendum. As a result, our school is able to stay open. You saw promise and something great in us. You guys saw something that was worth saving in us. We took things for granted like our school, our friends, our work and our time; the time we spend together when we laugh together and work together. I fell in love with this school and the people. We are a school but at the same time we’re a family-a dysfunctional, happy, beautifully weird family and I don’t know how I could say goodbye to any of this. This school was a gift to me and I sometimes take it for granted.

I’m thankful for how our school is project-based and we can get the attention and help we need. I’m actually doing a project on animal rights right now with my friend, Cali. We are researching fur farms, animal testing, animal abuse, dog fighting, dog racing, rooster fighting, animals used for entertainment and so much more. It’s a privilege being here. Picking my projects and going at my pace is the way I learn best. The unique thing about my project on animal rights is that we can volunteer at the animal shelter and use that time for a community service project to help animals.

Recently, we went on a field trip to Nicolet College and we heard a speech called “Different Doesn’t Mean Wrong” by Barry Scott. He was so inspiring in the things he said. One of the things was to “Picture the Past, Present and Future” and when I see my past, I see NCSS and in my present and most definitely in my future, I know that would and will never change. Once again, I want to say thank you for not judging us by our cover and seeing that our school is worth saving.