How do our experiences as high school students shape the people we will become? As a graduating senior, I’ve been forced to think about what the future entails. Education is not just a jumble of facts but a powerful tool. In Lexington High School’s classrooms, I learned not only how to apply knowledge, but also acquired the skills needed to question and even correct people’s claims. The core values and skills we learn at LHS will equip us to contribute to the world as conscious and critical thinkers. 

Continuing to practice LHS values, even after graduation, will allow us to better face the country’s most pressing challenges, such as the suppression of free speech on both sides of the political spectrum. Utilizing the LHS values will enable us to care for ourselves and others while showing compassion to those with different experiences and opinions.

Additionally, my time at LHS has provided me with an inventory of skills I intend to employ as I enter college and the workforce. Naturally, a lot of our time is spent learning facts (the French Revolution began in 1789, the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, etc.). No less important are the skills we acquire as a result of our time here; what I learned about essay writing will enable me to powerfully voice my own opinions, while my experiences with scientific inquiry will allow me to rigorously question the claims that come my way. What I learned about the past will allow me to understand how we arrived at the present, and how we can move towards the future. 

The values and skills we  gain at LHS will allow us to achieve great things not only for ourselves but for our communities as well. Right now, conflicts are raging, political tension is running high, and minority voices are being silenced. It is time for us to use our LHS experiences to start addressing these issues now.