For most teenagers, high school is just a place to go and learn some stuff for four years and wait for graduation. For Stillwater students, high school is a place of opportunity, family, inclusion, and diversity (and obviously learning). Throughout the year, I have been able to get more involved through Student Council and Stillwater Makes A Change. Both are incredible organizations that work towards creating leaders and making a difference.

Stillwater Makes A Change is a student-led organization that picks a non-profit organization in the community to be that year's beneficiary. This year's beneficiary was MPower, a place that special needs adults can go to join the workforce. There were many events that were put on through the week of March 27 - March 31, such as a talent show, quidditch tournament, and so much more.

On Monday, the theme day was to wear our SMAC shirts. They were offered in 4 colors depending on the Hogwarts house you belong in, as our theme was Harry Potter. I'm very much a Gryffindor, so I chose the color red. Later that day, various students went to serve food for Snack with SMAC. This event had food donated from many Stillwater restaurants and was open to the public to go eat and enjoy live music. After that, the Mangeant took place in the SHS Performing Art Center. The Mangeant is exactly what it sounds like- a man pageant. 10 senior boys.. ahem men, competed for the title of Mr. SHS.

Jersey Day was Tuesday, and many students showed their love for their teams. They were able to ball all the way to that night's event, which happened to be the variety/talent show. There was such incredible talent with acts that involved singing, dancing, and an original piano composition.

Wednesday's theme was "Why is this in my closet?". It was probably one of my favorite theme days because seeing everyone wear absolutely ridiculous outfits, brought a smile to my face the whole day. That night, the quidditch tournament took place and I regret to inform everyone that my team did not win. We all had a lot of fun, though, and we're all thinking of going pro. Despite the chilly weather, we all pulled through and participated in an amazing scavenger hunt. It brought us to different parts of the school with riddles and I loved every minute of it. We ended the night with a talk from Mr. Taylor, one of the stuco and SMAC advisors, asking us why we do SMAC. His question set the tone for the rest of the week, and I began to cherish the opportunity I had and really pushed myself to experience every second of SMAC.

Denim Day had everyone looking straight out of the 80s on Thursday. Some students decided to go the extra mile and wear 3 layers of denim! Once school got out, the Carnival began. Different kinds of clubs set their own booths with different games and prizes. Of course, because the weather was still bad, we had it in the student center. That didn't seem to impact how much fun we had because we danced and sang all afternoon. Towards the end, I even played a game (pin the scar on Harry) and won a pygmy puff! It was probably one of my favorite moments of the night because it was just a day to have fun.

The last day of SMAC Week was future occupation day. Who knew doctors, lawyers, and firemen currently went to SHS? That night's event was the SMAC Dance-A-Thon. The setup was amazing, with the gym decorated with streamers, balloons, black lights, and huge SMAC letters in the middle. We all danced the night away until the big reveal at 12 a.m. We all held hands and when the number was announced, there was an uproar. Some students had tears running down their faces, while others jumped with excitement. Stillwater High School students raised $170,038.21 for MPower. $50,000 was a completely donated parking lot, while the other $120,000 was cash still raised by SHS.

Overall, this week has been one filled with amazing experiences and the chance to meet some incredible individuals. I can't even put into words how grateful I am that I go to Stillwater High School and that I was able to take part in all of this. I am absolutely that I had such a great first year here, and I can't wait for what my senior year of SMAC brings.