By Ava Vaughan, Senior Chimacum High School

This week, while preparing for my “last first day of school,” I found myself reflecting on memories from twelve years ago. The year was 2009, and the start of Kindergarten couldn’t come any sooner. The summer had been full of anticipation and seemed to last years. I vividly remember waiting for the bus in my pink Disney Princess backpack and new yellow rain boots. I came home that day tired and muddy but with a passion for learning (aka recess) and a longing to do it all again the next day.

Twelve years later, summers have become shorter, and the class loads have become more daunting, but the same anticipation remains. In the time I have been at Chimacum, I’ve learned much more than core curriculum standards.

From exploring local food systems to repairing riparian zones, going to school in such a uniquely situated district has cultivated an overwhelming sense of pride in my education and community. As I led a freshman orientation, I realized just how many exciting things there were around campus. On the left were the new greenhouses and outdoor classroom fit with a pizza oven and prep table. Just behind the track, one could admire the cows grazing and hear the horticulture beehives.

Views of the valley from the classrooms, Chimacum Creek, the smell of freshly cooked, local food from the kitchen were all things that I was proud to make a note of to our incoming students.

As I prepare for life after high school, I think of the fantastic opportunities I had growing up in a small rural school district. I reminisce on the field trips, activities, community, and classrooms that taught me so much. My education instilled in me skills that not only made me a better individual but a better community member: interdependence, compassion, ingenuity, and resilience. In the future, I can only hope to bring the lessons I have learned with me into my adult life. My yellow rain boot days may be over, but my love and appreciation for the school that has taught me so much endures