By Lilly Turnbow
Grace Holistice Center
Nobody really likes school. It’s like work, they say; no one really likes the job. But is that how we want to live our lives? Hating what we do to fit in a system? I think that the environment we are in, really determines who we are as a person. And when we are not in a happy place, can we really be happy ourselves? Grace Holistic Center is a place that brings happiness to the students who go there.
Walking in and being greeted by smiling faces is something that I find so important. Being greeted while walking into school makes it seem like people want you there; they want you to enjoy being there. All the teachers always stay positive for the students, and that is something so powerful. When they have a bad day, they stay strong to keep us going, to keep us learning. And they care about our learning. They want us to learn what they teach, they want us to use the tools they give us. If we are failing or struggling, teachers take time out of their day to help us understand what they teach. They ask what is struggling with us, and they find different ways to help us through that. There is no failure at Grace, there’s only keep trying until you succeed.
The classes they offer grab the attention of all ages, as well. We have fun in elective classes that show us how to cook, some that get us outside walking and get exercise, and some that focus on our mental health, which is all so important. They have great life-skills classes that teach very useful things to the students, such as how to buy a car, how to use and not use credit cards, and all about our credit. The great thing about that is that older kids, which I am, and the other high schoolers, really will use this information. I had no idea how a credit card and credit scores worked until we had one of our life-skills classes on all about that!
At Grace Holistic, everyone is welcome. Everyone is all friends with everyone. No one makes fun of you for how you dress or for what you wear, or if your shoes are on brand Nike or not. Everyone has a place here, and everyone gets treated the same. Grace Holistic is such a warm, welcoming place, and for kids who truly struggle in public schools, like me, it can really help.
—Lilly Turnbow is a senior National Honors Society member of Grace Holistic Center in Yorkville.