My name is Emily Gray Powell.  I’m a senior here at Heritage.  I’ve been going here for 15 years... and it’s truly been my home away from home. The memories, friends, and opportunities I have made here at Heritage will be things I will cherish and carry with me the rest of my life. Being a part of the Heritage family has truly made me the person I am today.

The friends I have made here at Heritage are ones I feel I will keep forever. Even as we go off on our own separate ways into the world, I will still remember them, and they will be true to my heart. From Pre-k playing on the playground, to middle school and that girl drama, and now to high school, it has been a journey... a long journey. But we have become like a family, like brothers and sisters. That is one of the most amazing things about this school: the friendships that are made right here in this very small, but unique place.

The teachers here are great. They are always willing to bend over backwards to help you, if you are willing to show them that you really care and are ready to go the extra mile. They are there to encourage, help, and support you—not only with you school work but with your every day needs. As a student I learned at a very young age that math was just not my thing. If it hadn't been for math lab and for the help of teachers every day in XL, I’m not sure I would be standing here today, much less graduating. It has been a long, tough fight, but I have acquired study habits that have served me well. It might take me longer to get to where I need to be, but I have learned through hard work and perseverance what needs to be done. 

The opportunities I have been given here are far and wide—from academics to sports to our outstanding interim trips. We have backpacked through a national forest and kayaked through Tybee Island. We’ve visited colleges and, best of all, traveled on our senior trip to the beautiful Cumberland Island. I feel so fortunate to be able to have time spent outside of the classroom—to get away from our everyday busy life and learn about each other in a different environment. I don't feel like I would have had the chance to explore these different places if I had not attended Heritage.

You can literally play any sport you want to here at Heritage. There are no try outs; you don't even have to have any experience to be on the team. You might not play every minute, but you are given the chance to learn and improve. A lot of great athletes have developed from being given a chance instead of being cut. I have played softball, tennis, basketball, soccer, and even run cross country. I stuck with basketball and soccer. I was allowed to play in tennis matches, as long as it didn't interfere with soccer. In the 8th grade I played varsity basketball and soccer. Tomorrow I will travel to Valdosta State, where I will be attending college and playing soccer next year. But there is something out there for everyone. Other than the sports I mentioned, we also offer an Equestrian team, swimming team, and golf team. My older brother Hanson played on the first ever Heritage football team, and my younger sister Nora recently played on the first ever volleyball team.

I have always felt like I was safe here. I never once have been afraid to leave my backpack or even purse lying on the ground. This may be the only school I know of where students don't put locks on their lockers. Trust and honesty play a huge role in the life of the Heritage student, which brings me to another important and unique thing we have here: our honor council. We sign our agreement at the beginning of each year, stating that the Heritage student will do his or her own work. The Heritage student will credit the source of others, etc. I don't know the code word for word, but I know that it teaches us to take personal responsibility for our actions. Traditionally the older students mentor the younger students. We take them around during our annual Halloween festival; we help them with their studies; coach intramurals; and most importantly, serve as leaders and set a good example. Everyone gets along, and we have very few issues with behavior.

I can’t believe these 15 years are slowly but surely coming to an end. I feel my time here has been spent well. If I were given the chance to do it all over again, I would not have to think twice. This is right where I would want to be. These are just some of the highlights from my life at Heritage. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. Thanks so much for your time.

My name is Byron Anthony York. I am currently a senior, and this is my second year attending The Heritage School. I want to tell you a bit about what Heritage has offered and meant to me, but first let me tell you a little about where I came from. I was born in Selma, Alabama, which was the number one city in the state for high school dropouts. I was raised in the highest ranking county in Alabama for teenage pregnancies and convictions. I was educated in a school system that was corrupted by its own school Board—a Board that created segregation within the schools, a school system that was negligent to the educational needs of those who could not afford a better education, a school system that supported teachers whose goals were not to educate all students—but rather just their own, a school system with a large number of students yearly who were unable to, or chose not to, further their education after graduation, and for quite some time, I thought that any of these outcomes could have happened to me.

Because of this I was lost, and I didn’t know what was to come of me after my high school years were over. I had constant thoughts of should I conform to the belief of many of my friend—that education wasn’t really the way out? Should I just give up on this school system, and on education, like so many before me? Well at the end of my junior year, my parents finally had enough; they wondered what was to become of me, if I stayed in this system and continued going down the road that I was headed. If it wasn’t for my parents and those watching out for me, I would have been nothin—just another addition to the percentage who failed out of Dallas County High schools. That year they came to me with a better option, a chance at a better education, which was when I received one of the greatest opportunities of my life—my opportunity to attend The Heritage School.

The Heritage School has given me so much over the past two years. It has given me not only a better view of, but also a second chance at, education, for which I am so thankful. The Heritage School has given me experiences that I could not have received from where I came. I have played sports for the first time here at Heritage, and I have learned what it means to be a team, both on and off the field. The Heritage School has taught me to trust and connect with my teachers in a way that I couldn’t with those in my past. From campus life to the freedom students enjoy, the teachers show the students they believe in them. I am proud to be considered a part of The Heritage School because it has done so much for me. The events of my past shaped me into the young man I was; The Heritage School has shaped me into the young man I am today.