Being raised in a small town certainly gets a lot of flak and condemnation, and I can understand why. When I was younger, I wished I could grow up somewhere with more opportunities, better education and less family history. Indeed, countless complete strangers pinching my cheeks (really) and saying, “Tell your mama I said hi,” and leaving me feeling hopelessly confused began to grow rather tiring. People from other places often talked down to me like I was an ignorant, underprivileged child for simply living where I lived, and, for a little while, I half believed them. If I came from nowhere, would I be a nobody?

But here's what I’ve learned as I’ve grown: Because I’m in a small town, I’m a somebody. And I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up anywhere else.

The trite statement “everybody knows everybody” is (for the most part) accurate, and I could give you several reasons why that is actually a positive thing, but I’ll give you one that might be new to you. Because of this, I, at a very young age, was able to grasp the enormity of my actions having consequences. In a small town, disappearing into the crowd isn’t much of an option. Meeting new friends that don’t know your past isn’t much of an option. I learned how to show humility, face my fears, ask forgiveness and hold my head high like I could have nowhere else. You don’t have to pretend to be perfect in a small town; everyone already knows you aren’t.

I've also had opportunities and experiences that those in larger cities typically don’t have. How often do kids get to say they were in the newspaper or on TV multiple times? In my town, it’s still exciting, but certainly not uncommon to see your picture or name in print. And at how many big city schools are you able to have leadership positions in various organizations? I don’t spend my time sitting in traffic after school, so I have more time for other activities. Parades are filled with friends and familiar faces. Simply saying, “I know so-and-so,” can guarantee a job. I see the sun rise as I drive to school in the morning and bright constellations from my back porch at night. The entire town comes out to sporting events, which is incredibly encouraging and supportive. Many of my classmates have been with me since Pre-K. I get to shop local and eat good food. And people are just so darn friendly. (Outsiders often claim that this friendliness is fake. I call it being polite.)

But mostly, I have an impact here that I couldn’t have somewhere larger. I can actually make a difference, an influence, a change. Somewhere else, I may not have a voice, but I do here. I’ve gotten to publish editorials in our newspaper. I’ve gotten to have a face-to-face meeting with the school superintendent. I’ve gotten to shake hands with my county’s leaders and volunteer at a local debate. I’ve gotten to speak to my mayor. I’ve gotten to suggest possible improvements to local leaders at a youth leadership meeting. Living in a small town has given me the confidence and the drive to make a positive change on a larger level. I’ll never again fear of being no one because I’m already someone thanks to my hometown.