Maryville Saved My Life (And That's Not Sarcasm)

I noticed that I do a lot of complaining about Maryville. I mean, there's a lot to complain about, but we do have it a lot better than others do.

I grew up in this town called Barnard, about fifteen minutes south of Maryville. It was a good place to grow up; there was no crime, you couldn't get lost, and most of the people were friendly. But as a kid, you lack cultural exposure. We had one African American student in the entire elementary school. Most of my classmates (there were about fifteen of them) were raised very conservatively, and that's just how things were. Anyone who had a conflicting viewpoint (namely myself) was often tormented.

I moved to Maryville when I was in seventh grade. I had gone previously during my second grade year, but hated it and moved back to Barnard. I really liked it. I made friends quickly, I felt as if I blended in, but not enough to get one-on-one attention from teachers, and I just felt like I didn't have to try to fit in to a group of people. I was myself and found friends that appreciated that.

By the end of my seventh grade year, however, my mother passed away. I begged my dad to let me continue going to school in Maryville, and he did the most awesome thing anyone could have ever done for me. I lived with my aunt and uncle for a semester of eighth grade, and then my dad bought a house in Maryville that I could live in so I could attend MHS without paying tuition.

I now attend the Missouri Academy, and I feel that I would not be here if I went back to my hometown. Why? I would value education much less. An agricultural class is required to graduate from there. That's not my cup o' tea. Also, Maryville's curriculum (as awful as it seems now) really helped me understand the concepts of math and science. And if it weren't for Maryville, I would lack the friends I'm literally never going to forget.

So, as I rant about how terrible of a school Maryville High is, I want you to know that it helped me be who I am today. And I'm very proud, at times, to be a former Spoofhound.

The picture is the last day of the summer when all of my friends and I were able to get together. We call ourselves the Soccer Field Society - we hang out at the soccer fields almost constantly during the summer. It's the best.