I, unlike many of my peers, have never been to public school.

I have never walked large halls, I have never seen a fellow classmate and not recognize him or her.

I went to a Montessori pre-school, and then went to Calmont School my kindergarten year.

Unfortunately, Calmont no longer exists, but I spent nine years there. My classes were always small and I can still remember the name of every single one of my classmates from kindergarten and on.

Kindergarten: 12 children

First Grade: 14 children

Second Grade: 4 children

Third Grade: 14 children

Fourth Grade: 10 children

Fifth Grade: 11 children

Sixth Grade: 13 children

Seventh Grade: 9 children

Eighth Grade: 8 children

This is my second year at Ojai Valley School, and the upper campus (ninth grade through twelfth grade, having roughly 110 students) has more students than Calmont did my graduating year (pre-school through ninth grade, having exactly 103).

But I don’t mind the small environment, in fact, I enjoy it. At this school, I will be emailing my journalism teacher, and he, after misspelling my last name, will respond: If I had a hot poker, I would remove my right eye… Leave me alone.

At this school, my advisor and I have a secret handshake, and my Spanish three teacher will tell my class stories of the time she and her husband beat up an off-duty cop at a concert. My world history teacher will let me touch his ridiculously spiky hair, my English teacher is the coolest woman I know, and my algebra two teacher competes in roller derby.

Here, I am not only taught by brilliant people, but I have the privilege of being their friend, too.

I take more classes than I have periods, I have more homework than I want, and I have trouble managing my stress-induced headaches, but I can’t imagine myself at any other school.

I don’t know where I will go from here, but I’ll keep putting one foot in front of the other and hope I don’t run into any walls.

Coach Daren Springett was my P.E. coach for a total of eight years. I will never be able to call any other sports instructor “Coach” because of him. He was not only a fun instructor, but he was an amazing person. He was the person you went to when you had any problems, and the person who would always answer any call you made to him. It is a tragedy he no longer works for the school that I still call my home. But when I think of someone strong, someone caring, someone truly life-changing, I will always think of Daren Springett.

Thank you for eight years of being there for me, it will never be forgotten.