What makes Everett different from East Lansing or Holt? Essay

I have called Lansing my home for 20 years. I have walked down the streets of downtown countless times. I have found the best places to eat, hang out and have fun.
Not only have I lived in Lansing my whole life, but I grew up attending Lansing schools.
That is usually the line where people stop appreciating my knowledge of Lansing and start judging me for it.
It's usually a disgusted look or an apology, as if they actually knew what attending Lansing schools was like.
I walked the halls of Everett High School for four years. During those four years I spent my time high fiving people of all backgrounds, races and beliefs. I learned new things from some of the most well-rounded and talented teachers.
While attending Everett I never realized the stigma that went along with attending a Lansing public school. I never ques-tioned whether I was getting less of an education compared to those 10 minutes away in East Lansing or Holt.
I never was scared for my life attending an 'inner-city school,' and I never once thought about leaving the district.
Those were things I never questioned because as I sat with my friends chatting the latest news, making plans and figuring out that one math prob-lem that stood in the way of finishing our homework, Everett felt like home.
What makes Everett different from East Lansing or Holt is money. Yes, Everett lacks money and improve-ments need to be made. But the lack of money also makes the school a unique place.
We never had the type of cliques one would see in a school like East Lansing. It was never a battle between the rich and poor or black and white.
This is because we all came from very dif-ferent backgrounds and cultures. There were no two groups or three groups, but many groups that were all different. We all had a brand placed upon us from other schools and we all set out a mission to graduate and prove ourselves.
Let me guess, you have probably heard that Everett was dangerous? Maybe you have heard that we had cops who lined the halls? Maybe that our teachers weren't providing us with the proper education?
Those statements are wrong and yet they are the most commonly asked questions. No one ever asked me about our football team or our marching band, which was very successful while I attended.
Everett had some of the most dedicated teachers who would spend hours after class tutoring and mak-ing sure each student got individual help.
Everett helped shaped me into who I am today. It helped open me up to new people and further me in journalism.
Three years later from the time I graduated in 2013 and I still go back just to walk the halls of Everett, high fiving people of all kinds, backgrounds and races along the way.
I am a product of the Lansing School District and I will never be ashamed to admit it.