Dear Wheatland- Chili,

You might not hear this from all us graduates, but thank you. The seven years I’ve spent within the walls of Wheatland have been nothing but life-changing and eye-opening and I can do nothing but thank you for all the experiences you’ve given me. From sports, to clubs, to friends you’ve given me more than I could ever ask for and again, I’d like to thank you.

Let me start with the High School.My time spent walking, running, skipping down those halls will always be remembered. That’s right, I skipped sometimes, judge me all you want you won't see me in there anytime soon. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve walked its multi-colored halls and just gazed at the beauty that is Wheatland-Chili. Minus some of the dust sometimes, the constant problems with the scoreboard (Which I heard they recently got a new one and I’m a little hurt it happened after I left), the lunches, and a few other miniscule things,I never really had a problem there. I know there were times where I couldn’t stand it there. My father always taught me to never use the word hate but when something doesn’t go according to plan as a teenager, the word loses its strength and just becomes trivial. It might have just been the people, the teachers, the coaches, etc, but the word was tossed around a lot,especially Senior year, but I never truly meant it. You’ve given me too much for me to ever hate you. Why bite the hand that feeds you, right? Since I don’t have much time left in town, I won’t keep you for long, but I just want to express my gratitude for all that you’ve done.

I know you were small. I remember running around town my Freshman year for Soccer and my Sophomore year for Track. At first, I hated that Wheatland was so small. I had always loved metropolitan areas and how quick everything moved. Nothing moved quickly out here. It’s like the town was forcing you to slow down and smell the roses. As much as my parents wanted it, my six year old self didn’t want to smell the roses. But because everyone out here was always with each other since birth and literally lived across the street from each other, most of them were born smelling roses together. I didn’t live too far from town, but I wasn’t exactly a walk or bike ride away from a friends house, so play dates weren’t extremely accessible. I usually ended up staying home and playing with my older cousins. I know, sad right? A six year old experiencing minimal isolation. It’s not like the children didn’t like me or anything though. I’d like to think I had a ton of friends in elementary school (If you call four a ton). I was just never able to see them outside of school. They were school friends and nothing really more. I mean, I was invited to birthday parties and play dates too, it just sucked to know that all these same kids were constantly over each others houses or went to the same day cares or were related. I had always yearned to be apart of the small family of Wheatland that most of the kids around me grew up in. Yeah,I did Girl Scouts and I was in clubs in the elementary school, but I still never felt connected with Wheatland. I never knew why either. I never really became connected until later.

Is it sad that I can’t remember the exact year I joined soccer? I just remember that I was middle school maybe... Well, just know that that was the year that changed my life. I don’t actually remember how I ended up on the team and I don’t remember going to any practices, but I do remember my first game. My mom couldn’t give me a ride but I got a ride from who I like to call the Wheatland Mother and My Biggest Fan, Nancy. She wasn’t my biggest fan just yet, but this is when it started. This is the exact moment my life started. I don’t even remember if we won or lost, but I do remember the smile on my face as I waited for my mom to pick me up from the game. I had finally felt like I’d belonged somewhere in this tiny society. I hadn’t really developed a relationship with most of the girls on the team. I only knew the ones on the team from my Girl Scout Troop well enough to hold small conversation,I still had absolutely zero to none knowledge of the sport, I thought a toe ball was the proper way to kick a ball for Christ sake, but I felt something. Soccer was the start of something new in my life. Soccer became a new love in my life and a new way to socialize. People were practically forced to include me in things. Okay, not forced, but you get what I mean. I was finally included and forced to be social with people I never really knew or hung out with. Soccer games, soccer practice, soccer parties, the sha-bang. Soccer in high school turned into going to soccer games. Soccer games gave me a means to bond with others. Soccer games turned into going to other sports events, this gave me friends in different sports that made me want to play new sports. Making new friends turned me on to things like doing The Musical, Student Council, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Masterminds, and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA, which also helped me choose my college major). I finally formed friends that were good influences and I could actually connect with on something. To a young girl, nothing is better than having friends. Someone to grow with and share a common feat with. It was amazing.

High school. Man, was that a bumpy ride huh? I gained friends and lost some but it was all for the best. The best thing about my high school years was that I was changing. I never really liked change. At all. The best thing to me was when things didn’t change and everything was constant. But, I sadly learned that only the good things change. That in order for someone to grow, we needed change in our lives and I’m glad Wheatland brought me that change. Everything changed about me. My friends, my style, my mindset. I still acted in the same immature manner as I always did, but that was just my personality. I was still the loud and always happy person I grew up to be, but now I had a reason to always be happy. I always had people I connected with no matter what level I was on. Being in Wheatland gave me many friends that I want to keep for ages and gave me memories that I can’t wait to tell my children.From lunchroom pranks and jokes to explicit talks with friends in the school or just walking around town for fun. There was most likely never a dull moment that I had in the town. Thank you for always keeping me interested guys. All of you. I had never really realized what true friendship was until this time and I’m glad I had a great group of friends to help me realize this.

Thank you to the friends you’ve brought me. Thank you for all the times that I’ve had a house to go to in town and call them a second family to me. Thank you for allowing friends to introduce me to new things. Because of my friends in this town, I found a new found interest in things like religion, books, music, and activities that I will definitely carry with my in life. Sure, I might not go to church every Sunday anymore, but I will admit that there is nothing better than a good Zac Brown Band song while driving down a traffic free and quiet town at 10 o’clock at night. Say all you want, "Toes" by ZBB will forever be one of my favorite songs, hands down. I will never regret all the lessons I’ve learned from these friends and I’d like to thank all of you, every person in the Wheatland Class of 2016 for all that you’ve done. I would write all of your names, believe me it wouldn’t take much time seeing as there was only about 60 of us, but we’re leaving now. Our story in Wheatland is over.

So thank you Wheatlanders. Thank you to my old teachers, my old coaches, my friends, family. Thank you for teaching a young girl how to drive slow and smell the flowers. Granted, I can’t really drive yet, but when I can you bet I’ll be driving the new people in my life around and showing them the beauty that is my Wheatland. I’ll miss all of you, but like every Wildcat, it’s time I leave the den and find my own home. It might not be in Wheatland anymore, but I promise to be back (I mean, there is one Boswell left in there. I have to make sure she makes it through as well as I did). Next time, I will have hopefully made a name for myself. But until then, keep us Class of 2016 in mind. We are a class of big people and ideas and when we change the world, hopefully you’ll be able to proudly claim us as the children that you raised and nurtured into the people we are then. So again, thank you. This little Wildcat will never forget you.

Love a Class of 2016 Graduate,

Jazmine Marice Boswell :)