This essay, by Grace from Littleton High School, is one of the top five finalists for our scholarship. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comment section below this post!
What do you think of when you hear the word “live?” Do you think of survival, or a place where you eat and sleep? Do you think of a physical place? When I think of what it means to live, I think of the Cambridge Dictionary definition, “to have an exciting and fulfilling life.” That is why, though my physical home is in Denver, I live in Littleton, Colorado. It is where I have had the chance to live an exciting and fulfilling life. I am the person I am today as a result of this beautiful community.
I love Littleton, Colorado and think it is a great place to live for many reasons. My family intentionally open enrolled in Littleton Public Schools for the many opportunities it offers. Having the ability to attend school in this community has given me the chance to meet many amazing people. The extensive number of clubs, sports and activities that my High School provides has allowed me to have numerous growing experiences. By participating in the Littleton community, I have grown into the best version of myself.
Littleton, Colorado is a friendly and welcoming community. When I first open-enrolled to Newton Middle School, I was more than a little nervous. I was taking my first steps into a bigger world, and I hardly knew anyone around me. I remember looking around, and feeling like everyone already had friends. Right away a girl came up and introduced herself to me, and from that moment on I knew friends were plentiful in the Littleton community. When I think of why l have loved being a part of Littleton’s Public School District, the people I have met and the friends I have made definitely come to mind. The community in Littleton, specifically Littleton High School, is unique in that it is a place where anyone feels welcome. As one of a few Denver kids open-enrolled to the district, the atmosphere of the Littleton schools has felt friendly and welcoming. Throughout my time at Newton Middle School and Littleton High School, I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet many different types of people! This community has provided me with many exciting experiences and has taught me a lot about life, love, and myself. Most importantly, though, the Littleton community has taught me what it feels like to be home, even if I am away from my physical home. It is with the many friends I have made over the seven years I have “lived” in Littleton that I have learned the meaning of family beyond blood; a lesson I can take with me as I journey on.
An advantage in going to a smaller school like Littleton High School is that it is easy to be involved athletics and clubs. As I reflect on my time at Littleton High School, I appreciate the variety of experiences I have had because of the many activities offered. The clubs and sports that I have participated in with Littleton High School have taught me a lot about the real world. Such experiences have made my time with the Littleton community both exciting and fulfilling. This busy and exciting time in my life has taught me much and has helped to prepare me for the future. Being in Littleton’s Technology Student Association (TSA) chapter introduced me to the creative world of technology, as well as the world of conferences and the Parliamentary Procedure. Thanks to TSA and the process of preparing for yearly conferences, I now know a lot more about perseverance and how to manage my time.
The ability to participate in the athletic programs offered at Littleton High School has also taught me a lot about myself. Though I swam for five years prior to High School, it was with Littleton High Schools Girls Swim Team that I truly matured as a swimmer. Over the course of the four years that I swam with LHS, I had the amazing experience of being a member of both the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams. Being on the Varsity team especially motivated me to be the best athlete I could possibly be. High School swimming taught me how to be a leader and a positive influence to younger swimmers. As a Team Captain during my final season I was deeply inspired by my coaches. Littleton High School swim coaches were by far the most encouraging and positive coaches I have ever had. By the end of my senior season, they were not only coaches, but were also friends and mentors. The experiences that Littleton High School has allowed has made my high school career exciting and one that I will build on for the rest of my life. Part of “living” somewhere is filling one’s life with experiences that are not only fun and enriching, but also give one insight about themselves. Being in the Littleton community has done this for me.
One of the most important things about living in a community is what you learn about yourself as person. The definition of live that I like to use when it comes to Littleton, Colorado includes the ability “to have an exciting and fulfilling life.” My life in Littleton, Colorado has been fulfilling because of the amazing people I have befriended. My life at Littleton High School has been exciting because of all the wonderful experiences in the Littleton community that I can build upon in the future. I can say that I “live” in Littleton because my time spent in this wonderful community has been “exciting and fulfilling.” It has shown me who I am as a person: I am imaginative and optimistic and motivated. It has shown me who I strive to be each and every day: kind and selfless and understanding. I love “living” in Littleton because it has shaped me into the best version of myself that I could possibly hope to be.
