by Alex Nnabue

After growing up in the Olney community, my impression has been that it is a tight-knit town with very limited perspectives and experiences. Luckily, my senior year has been filled with taking advantages of unique opportunities and gaining new perspectives. Since August, I have traveled to four different countries, becoming accustomed to four drastically different cultures and ways of life. Many of my peers would probably say that prom night or the homecoming football game were the highlights of their last year of high school but I would disagree.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely enjoyed those typical moments, but in ten years I will most likely forget them all and vividly remember others. Instead, I’ll never forget jet skiing in the Bahamas or admiring the futuristic streets of Dubai. I could also never forget breaking traditional kola nut with my elders in my native Nigerian village and bike riding through Seville with my Spanish exchange partner. The only downside was catching up on endless missing assignments while battling senioritis, but it wasn’t that difficult considering I only took four classes with a half day schedule. Actually, in all honesty, it was really hard.

However, it was easily overshadowed by the unforgettable by Leah Peloff by Alex Nnabue memories, amazing food, and global perspective I gained. As I began to see the world, I became more eager to step outside the extremely small bubble of high school and Olney. I hope to take the valuable lessons I learned and branch out in college as I plan to study international politics and, of course, study abroad.