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We are all born with a genetic endowment, the biochemical blueprints of our DNA, that dictates who we are. However, this is not the end of the conversation of who we are meant to be.

Rather, our environments constantly impact gene expression, meaning that factors like nutrition, societal patterns and lifestyle alter how our basic blueprints are translated into personality and behavior. This phenomena, known in biology as “epigenetics”, means that we are all products of our environments.

It may seem silly to be thankful for a biological phenomenon, but I am so thankful for epigenetics. Though this might stretch beyond the biological truth, the principle remains the same: I fear that without the influence of my fantastic parents, mentors, and community, I would not be who I am today.

I have lived in the same house for 18 years. I have had but one environment influencing and molding me, all this time. Admittedly, I have been frustrated with Ritzville on more than one occasion: “It’s too small. I’d have more opportunities somewhere else. I can’t wait to leave.”

That being said, I’m a firm believer that someone’s (or some place’s) weaknesses can also be their biggest strengths.

It’s no secret that Ritzville is small, but it’s also very clearly a safe, tight-knit community to grow up in. Between waving to neighbors on the street and going to class each day with the same friends, Ritzville’s lack of size provides an opportunity to create meaningful connections with others, an opportunity that is rare in a society dominated by technology.

My appreciation for these connections will neither fade nor falter when I move on to my next community, and for this, I feel that my hometown will forever be a part of me.

The apparent lack of opportunities, classes, resources, you name it, was another complaint of mine for quite a long time. It was only recently that I discovered the value in the absence of easy pathways for rigorous courses or other opportunities for growth.

It becomes necessary to persevere through the adversity, innovate new opportunities for independent learning or self-motivated challenges, and champion the “do good anyway” mentality. Though classmates of mine next fall may come from privileged backgrounds with abundant resources, none will have come from Ritzville, and for this they might be hard-pressed to match our tenacity.

And then there’s the ubiquitous complaint among youth, as we lament of our hometowns, “I can’t wait to leave.”

My new community and home for the next four years will be Washington and Lee University (W&L) in Lexington, Virginia. Traveling 2,500 miles across the country is not by any means an attempt to escape Ritzville, nor to evade the people who have helped mold me. It’s actually quite the opposite.

I want the opportunity to develop my skills as a bioengineer, a scholar, and a leader in a new environment with the same strong community values that I have grown accustomed to.

Therefore, I chose W&L because I want my new home to be full of friends, teachers and mentors that will support me, inspire me, and drive me in the same way that my original home has. I chose W&L for its ability to help me become greater than yesterday, “manipulating” my epigenetics in the same concept that Ritzville has for 18 years.

It’s the truth that I can’t wait to begin the next chapter of my life, but I don’t think it’s possible for Ritzville and I to ever truly depart from one another.

How can I leave a community that will forever be a part of me?

When I first started writing these articles, the year was 2013. I was in eighth grade. I had never heard of W&L, nor did I know that writing these articles would help me get there.

Still, when my English teacher Mrs. Rita Fryberger and then-publisher of The Ritzville Adams County Journal Stephen McFadden advocated for me to start contributing as a student correspondent, I jumped at the chance.

Since then, I cannot begin to count the number of ways that this community, my teachers, my mentors, my friends, and (of course!) my parents have impacted my life for the better.

I can, however, count the number of articles I’ve written. For anyone interested, this article marks number 222. With LRHS Class of 2018 graduation on Saturday, this 222nd act of “student correspondence” will be my last.

With my final words, I would like to extend my gratitude to Katelin Davidson for being a phenomenal editor and collaborating with me over the years, and of course to you, the loyal readers and community members, for not only taking interest in The Bronco Bulletin, but for helping to mold me into who I am today.