Albany High School is a very important place. Within it, there is an unrivaled diversity among other high schools of the area. Within it, there are teachers who care about their students, pushing them beyond their comfort zones to truly blossom into people capable of impacting the world. Within it, although tensions run their courses, there is authentic acceptance.

In my four years as an Albany High student, people have asked me an immeasurable amount of times “Do you like it there?” as if the school were something horribly repulsive. Maybe it’s not surprising, as media outlets, both local and national, have stated that this must in fact be the case. The thing is, those people are simply bystanders on the outside looking in, with nothing but preconceptions and one-sided opinions to help formulate their views.

From the first days of my freshmen year to the final hours before my tassel will move from right to left, my answer to the inquisitions about my school have always been “I couldn’t see myself going anywhere else.” Albany High has nurtured my writing, my photography and my musical abilities in ways that I could have never imagined. The people I have befriended and the teachers that have encouraged me will not simply vanish from my life after tomorrow, because they have left an impact that goes far beyond the walls of this school. This is not only my story, but the story of countless others, past and present.

In less than 24 hours, those who have transcended the stereotypes and misconceptions of what Albany High School students are capable of will walk across the stage of the SEFCU Arena. There will be no doubt or fear regarding this four-year journey. Instead, there will be celebration.

The real Albany High School is not the one of the media. The real Albany High School is not the one of suburban gossip. The real Albany High School is so much more.