Entry 2024: Goodbye Lockport

05/13/24

Dear Lockport,

My four year journey with you is coming to an end. Since August of 2020, you have fostered an environment that has helped me grow into the person I am today, and for that I am eternally grateful. The class of 2024 started their journey on a remote and hybrid schedule dealing with the whiplash of the pandemic. My freshman year was a stripping of my identity. I had fallen out of love with a sport that I had been playing since I could walk, and despite familial expectations, I was going to end my career. Volleyball had been who I was for as long as I could remember, and with no involvement in clubs or other extracurricular activities I was choosing to step away. This left me completely raw and unshaped. I had no idea what my future held or how to proceed. 

That is when Lockport, you, opened up an opportunity for me in my school newspaper. My freshman year English teacher, Ms. Pusinelli, was the sponsor of our school newspaper: The Porter Press. As soon as I put pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard, I unlocked a voice I never knew I had. The first stage of my Porter Press career, I was the advocate. I took an unexplored area of journalism at our school, and I used it to share my story with my fellow students. Ranging from topics of the isolating feeling of depression to the all consuming feeling of broken boundaries when it comes to mental health, my articles were my tribute that one is never as alone as they may feel. My freshman year was one of the most difficult years of my life. I had lost my uncle at the age of 45 in June of 2020, the lack of social interaction during the pandemic took a toll on my feeling of worth, I had turned to maladaptive coping mechanisms, and I did not feel heard because I was not speaking for myself. When the hole kept getting deeper and darker it seemed that I would be unable to crawl out and make anything of myself. My articles were not only for others, but they also served as a means of healing for myself.

During the summer after my freshman year, I experienced my first heartbreak. In Orlando, Florida, I played my last ever volleyball game. I had to muster up the courage to tell my coaches that despite having a future in volleyball if I wanted it, it would never live up to the future I could have academically. I was not like my family members who played DI at Pitt or Purdue, but academically I saw something of substance. When that last ball hit the ground, volleyball was no longer a present part of my story. My second heartbreak came when my idealistic perception of the world and my life was completely shattered. I learned that despite all my effort there were some things completely out of my control and that the thoughts of others took precedence over what I thought should happen. There is a lot of resentment built on lack of closure from situations where one’s value is just not enough. Unfortunately, that resentment was internalized to where I did not believe I was good enough. But as I would move through my time with you Lockport, you would only continue to affirm that my idea of self would continue to be challenged. 

Sophomore year was my real first day of high school. A new campus full of 3000+ kids and clubs that I had not even heard of. As my first day of high school was coming to an end, I sat for the first time in my 10th grade English class that would completely change my high school experience for the better. My Honors 10 English class taught by Mr. West was taught in a way that made me enjoy my schooling for the first time in a long time. Surprising to no one who has ever had Mr. West, he pitched his club Model UN like it was a ticket to success. He packaged it up with a nice little bow so that all the over achieving teacher’s pets would come, so naturally I showed up to the first meeting that Wednesday. There was an influx of wide-eyed sophomores in room 205 who were looking to add a club to their college resume, but  then when it was revealed the club required work, that number of sophomores quickly dropped to just two. Every Wednesday my ideas and beliefs were challenged, and I did not really like that. It was an uncomfortable feeling to have what you believe are your core values absolutely obliterated by a tall guy who has seemingly lived 1,000 lives by the age of fifty. Truth be told, after the first semester I was out of there. Fortunately, while sitting in English class, Mr. West presented me with the first Squirrel Mug of the year. He paid homage to my dedication as one of the only two sophomores (the other sophomore was also given a mug) in the club, and after that moment I knew I was stuck. The other sophomore, a person who would become my best friend, and I were now blood bound to this club that we made a pact to leave after the first semester. Little did we know that mug would keep us tied to one of the greatest things I would ever have the privilege of being a part of. 

Second semester came, and Tory and I were plopped right back in room 205 on Wednesday’s for what seemed like the rest of our lives. Our first in person conference was at Lyons Township High School (the lesser of the two LTHS) where both Tory and I were shell shocked by the extremities of Model UN but were motivated by the possibility of glory. I mustered up the courage to speak in opening statements and promptly cried. Throughout the rest of the committee, I remained silent. On the bus ride home after going 0/8, we were gawking at how developed the Big Three (Ignatius, Sandburg, and Lyons) were. Out of inspiration for a brighter future, the idea to start our summer camp blossomed. Starting February 27th, Tory and I were motivated to create something out of nothing. Our sponsors Mr. West and Mr. Walsh were nothing but supportive of our ambitions. And while we did indeed have to pay kids to come to our camp (that was a half joke), the LPMUN Summer Program was officially something that Lockport offered. Where else would two sophomores with little idea of what it takes to do much of anything be able to create a fully functioning summer camp to teach kids in our district about Model UN? Lockport, you created an environment where we would take an idea on a bus and turn it into something that is now self sufficient. 

As I wrapped up my sophomore year, I was filled with teachers, students, and family telling me my junior year would be one of the hardest academic years of my life. Taking this knowledge and really letting it soak in, I decided, like many juniors, to overload my schedule and take AP Language and Composition, AP United States History, AP Biology, Spanish 4, and Honors Math 3 (now AP Pre Calc BC). Academically, junior year was nothing short of a humbling experience.  My extracurriculars became more and more demanding. It was my second year as the Editor-n-chief of the Porter Press, and I had entered a new phase in my journalistic career. The euphoria had faded and it was now my mission to transition from The Advocate to The Constructor. My new primary focus was helping all the staff writers and editors build articles. I wanted to share the opportunity of using their voices to write about what they were passionate about. It was no longer about producing blockbuster articles, but now it was about going behind the scenes to make sure what we were publishing was of quality. In Model UN, Tory and I had taken on our titles of Co-Secretary Generals. This was a new start with new roles and new stress worrying about shaping my future. At the end of my junior year, an email flew into my inbox about the District 205 Board of Education adding student members to the board and how to apply. Off of a whim, I decided to apply. 

To begin the summer before my senior year, I attended an event that discussed the possible renovations of Central Campus. While it was a beautiful community staple, some of its outdated amenities made it hard for contemporary education. Community members, staff, students, and architects gathered to share ideas, memories, concerns that would be taken into account by the School Board when it comes to renovations. In the coming month, I anxiously waited to hear if I was moving onto the next round of interviews for the student board position. While I was touring schools on the east coast, I got a call from my aunt saying that I was one of the twelve candidates chosen to do a panel interview. I was elated with the opportunity to display a skill that had been fundamental to the rest of my high school career: promoting student voice. During the interview process, the topics I chose to touch on were the importance of keeping book banning out of D205 libraries, and how using my voice on the Porter Press was only evidence of how I would present myself on the board. We finished our interviews unsure of what decision they would make for the two board seats until the next day when four of us got a phone call. Tory and one of my other best friends, Chelsea, were named the two student members on the Board of Education. The BOE then decided to create two more student seats to serve on the Finance and Facilities Committee and Curriculum Committee. I was chosen to serve on the Curriculum Committee under Dr. Cristofaro and Dr. Huntington.

 My time on the Curriculum Committee opened my eyes to how education is constantly evolving to meet the needs of all students throughout the school. It was an enlightening experience that taught how the strong bones of our curriculum have contributed to the large amount of opportunities I have been offered during my time at Lockport. My gratitude to the Board of Education for giving me the opportunity is never ending. It has taught me the vitality of professionalism and conversation like no other. To all the Board members and administrators, I thank you for giving me the chance to represent my fellow students.

Embarking on my senior year, I was terrified thinking about how a place where I had buried my roots deep will no longer be my home. I became so complacent in my career that I did not think to join any more clubs. This was my mentality until I joined Best Buddies. I knew this was one of the best things I have ever done after I met my Buddy, Audrey. Audrey is one of the most fun and sassy people I have ever been privileged to call my friend. She and her family made me feel so accepted and valued, and if I am thankful I joined any community, it was the Best Buddies community. After joining Best Buddies,  there was only more to come. Friday nights were spent on the football field;  Homecoming celebrations were done for the last time; fall came and went in the blink of an eye, and by the time we knew it we were starting our last semester of high school. College decisions filled us with anxiety all the way until May 1st and now we will wear our futures on our chest for the last time on Friday.

Lockport, you have given me opportunities on top of opportunities that have built me into the person I am today. You have taught me that I have value, and that what I say has value. You took a person that thought they were worth nothing and surrounded them with people who made them know they are worth something. I will never forget the great lengths you went to to ensure I would become someone that will make a positive impact on the people around me. The lessons I have learned from you, Lockport will follow me as I go onto college and beyond. Despite it not always being easy or fun, my experiences with you made my voice and soul stronger. Thank you for giving me the club that saved me in the Porter Press, the club that taught me how to lead in Model UN, and the club that taught me the importance of love in Best Buddies. Thank you for giving me my best friend in the entire world, Tory DalPonte, someone who inspires me to be better every day. Thank you for giving me the best support system someone could ask for in Chelsea Osei, Maddie Matthis, Georgia Dyskstra, and Erin Svoboda. As I say goodbye to you on Friday, know that you have given me the foundation to do whatever I aspire for in the future. Your staff (honorable mentions to Ms. P, Mr. West, Mr. Keller, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Rinkenburger, Ms. Knezevich, and Ms. Jenny) have made me fall in love with the beauty of education over and over again. Despite me not loving every class I have ever taken, or days I have walked into the building in the rain or snow, I would never choose to do it with anyone else. Lockport, for you and only you, I give infinite gratitude.