Student Central

Editor: Makayla Wise

Graduating G&W staffers reflect, extend advice

by Tanya Hannaford

Grace Corey

Whatever is going on in your life, Grace Corey wants you to know it’s going to be okay. She says, "If your grades slip a little, it’s okay. If your sports team doesn’t win, it’s okay. If you fight with your best friend, it’s okay. If you break up with your boyfriend, it’s okay. You’re okay. Take a deep breath and take another step. This isn’t the end of your life. Really, it’s only the beginning."

The devotion Corey has for her friends is often lost amongst her snarky jokes and generally silly demeanor. "I think a lot of people underestimate my heart," she laments. "When I love someone, I’ll always care for them. I won’t always drop everything to help someone, but I will always do what I can."

However, she has learned to not take that too far. She says, "I spent years caring for other people way too deeply, wallowing in my own emotions. Not putting up boundaries with other people and within myself ruined me." The solution to the problem of loving others too much? "You have to put yourself first. You have to read that book. You have to take time for yourself. You have to love yourself."

This year senior Grace Corey has served as an editor and is now finishing her seventh semester on the Green & White Review staff. As she looks forward to graduation on May 19, she offers this advice: “Three words: fall in love. Now, that doesn’t mean falling for another person per say, but fall in love with something. Fall in love with yourself. Fall in love with school. Fall in love with your craft, your classes, your friends, your extracurriculars, whatever. Love is such an underestimated thing, and it doesn’t just cover a significant other. It doesn’t have to.” photos by Grace Corey

One of the best ways to love yourself, Corey contends, is to "hold nothing back. Be yourself!" She says to avoid the trap of putting on a fake persona that you think will please others. Instead, she urges, "Laugh a little. Wear what you want. Speak your mind. Stand up for what you believe in. If other people don’t like it, that’s their problem." 

Corey says she’s not completely sure about next steps after graduation. "I’d like to take a bit of time and focus on myself, rather than classes and other people," she says. "I also want to work, whether that be in my ending goal of photography and media, or somewhere else. I want to travel as much as possible. Beyond that, life will take me where it takes me, and I’m ready for the ride."

Darrah Dickinson

"Don't take yourself so seriously," senior Darrah Dickinson warns. Frustrated by classmates who seem to want to rush into grown-up situations and problems, she urges her younger schoolmates to just embrace being kids. She admits, "high school and life can be miserable, yes—but it's also what you make of it. If you choose to dwell on the bad things, all you will see are the bad things." She adds, "The people you surround yourself with make all the difference."

Dickinson looks forward to graduating high school with academic honors and attending Mizzou in the coming fall. A current editor finishing her fifth year on the Green & White staff, Dickinson reflects on what has made her academically successful: “Do the work. It's a lot easier to just get it done than it is to go back and do damage control. At this point, you've already made it so far. This is definitely not the time to give up.” photos by Grace Corey

Dickinson reflects, "I think about who I was at the beginning of this four-year journey, and I was honestly pitiful. I wore my hair in the same way every day (a tight braided ponytail), I was never separated from my band hoodie, I was afraid of bright colors and anything that would make anyone look at me." 

She says surprisingly, her turnaround began during the onset of the COVID pandemic. That forced time of isolation, she says, taught her what was truly important: "Never be the person who is afraid of what others think, never be someone you aren't for someone else, always be you, but don't ever be the person who makes someone else afraid to be themselves. And who told me that? I did."

So when school fully opened up the following fall, Dickinson stopped worrying about how others perceived her. She says, "I came back with my hair flowing and wearing skirts. I took on leadership positions in band and truly developed relationships with those around me."

Next fall, Dickinson will begin her first semester at the University of Missouri, where she plans to major in biology and minor in music. She hopes to flourish in a career as an oncologist. "I chose this profession because I ultimately just want to help people," she says. "In a hospital, especially as a doctor specifically for cancer patients, I believe I will have the opportunity to make a difference for people at their lowest points."

Emily Horrell

Emily Horrell’s best friend is a 65-year-old woman. That senior citizen, who has supported Horrell both financially and emotionally since she was six years old, is her maternal grandmother. Horrell recalls that when times got pretty tough later in high school, her grandmother gave her some wise advice: "It's okay kiddo. Plan for the worst and hope for the best."

Though she has often felt judged and dismissed by others, senior Emily Horrell has proven to be a kind, generous, and gentle soul who donates blood and dotes on cats. She says, “I am a lot smarter than people think and I have my life together. Also I think people believe my whole personality is being gay and that is also untrue.” submitted photos

Now that Horrell is finishing her senior year, she has some advice for those she leaves behind at MVHS. She explains that high school is a tough time for everyone. "The people are always awful, they're rude, they change, they may not like you, and you might be struggling," she says. "Just be you and make it through to the end. This is such a tiny portion of your whole life and if you just get out you can be and do every possible thing you've ever dreamed of."

Missouri Southern State College’s two-year paramedic program will be Horrell’s next challenge. She plans to live in Joplin while she works to attain full certification. "I want to help people," she says. "That's why I chose this program. I want to genuinely help people."

Kandice Williams

Vocal performer Harry Styles once said, "If you're happy doing what you love, nobody can tell you you're not successful." Kandice Williams, a senior and editor for The Green & White Review, is a long-time fan of Styles’ music; nevertheless, she was surprised by the personal connection she was able to make to this statement he made in an interview. 

Williams says for most of her life she’s been a people-pleaser: "Whether that be my parents, or comparing myself to my peers around me, I was never focused on achieving things for my happiness." She explains, "I have reached a point where I do things for myself, focusing on what makes me truly happy and inspires my soul. And according to the wise words of Harry Styles, that makes me the most successful I can ever be."

Senior Kandice Williams, who plans to study journalism in college, says that “experiencing the outside viewpoints of the people around us is one of the most beautiful things that the world can offer us, and this is something that I try not to take for granted.” These photos were taken by Williams’ mother in Eureka Springs. photos by Kristina Jones

"I genuinely love connecting with others,” Williams says. "Meeting new people or just simply asking someone how their day is is one of my favorite things to do." These proclivities will serve her well as she explores her new passion in the field of journalism. "I want to get better at writing and hopefully one day be able to pick up a magazine and find the line 'written by Kandice Williams' inside," she says.

Her advice to the rest of us? Make the most of this time in your life. "One day you're trying to learn your way through the high school hallways and the next you're planning how you want to decorate your graduation cap. Do not procrastinate on planning your future because it will be there in the blink of an eye. Focus on what you want to do with your life, but also take that essential time to live in the moment."

Williams is trying to live that out now. "I just want to experience everything life has to offer me while also prioritizing happiness and self-love," she says. "Growing up is scary, but also essential—and I have to remember that it's ok to move on and separate myself from things that have surrounded me for so long. There is so much beauty in new things, and I hope to uncover that."

Makayla Wise

Future Oscar winner? Maybe a potential host on Saturday Night Live? Who knows? But senior Makayla Wise, who is saying goodbye to her high school life and her editor position on The Green & White Review to explore the world of filmmaking, is up for either or both.

Wise remembers that it was a substitute teacher who encouraged her to strive for her dream career, even if her other interest in becoming a nail technician may have seemed more within reach. "She opened my eyes that day to the broad and expansive life I have ahead of me," Wise says.

“Be polite to teachers,” senior Makayla Wise advises younger students. “They are the backbones of education.” After graduation, Wise hopes to find an enjoyable place to live and work as she learns the art of filmmaking. “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way,” she says. This photo was taken in the recreation of the Gillioz at the Monett Historical Museum. photos by Jamie Thompson

Though fully aware that others might see her as "quiet and shy," her friends know her to be a hilariously smart, fashionably nerdy movie aficionado who takes in a new flick at the Monett B&B Theatre nearly every weekend. She feels there’s so much under the surface that many of her classmates may not realize.  "I think I’m smarter and cooler than I let on, and more so from how others view me, or at least I hope so," she says.

She has plenty of advice, too: "Focus on your work, but take it easy on yourself," she says. "Check out a book from the library and read it in your free time," she adds. Perhaps most importantly: "Be kind to those you pass by everyday in the hallway; you never know what they’ve been through."

Cream slushes and scenic views: MVHS students offer guidance on romancing in a small town

For decades, the glorification of small-town romance has flowed through every form of entertainment. Lifelong friends to lovers in books. High school sweethearts in movies. The football player gets with the underdog in a music video. All of them follow the potential adoration that can bloom in the comfort of tiny hometowns. Yet most of them seem to overlook one crucial factor: is dating in a small town really as appealing as our imaginations make it out to be?

For couples living in the small town of Mount Vernon, Missouri, their options for date nights are truthfully slim to none. However, couples here at MVHS still find ways to make the most out of their limited options. MVHS senior power couple Caley Rogers and Aiden Morton are one of these couples. When asked how they make the most out of living in a tiny town, Rogers is quick to respond with some of the ways that she and her lovebird spend their evenings. "When it’s nice out, Aiden and I will take our dogs out for walks. We usually go to the park and walk around the pond." The park is always a great option for small towns. Similar to Caley and Aiden, a simple walk and chat is a perfect way to get both physical and converse. It’s also the perfect location for a sunny picnic or even nighttime stargazing.

Though options are limited, fun date opportunities still flourish in homey small towns such as Mount Vernon. photo by Kandice Williams

Exploring restaurants is another fun option for Mount Vernon sweethearts. A cozy and comforting coffee date at KeenBean. Sharing chips and salsa at El Maya. Getting cream slushes from Sonic for late-night drives. And according to Rogers, The Family Restaurant is a great place to "go get lunch." Simply put, small-town love often leads to finding a signature food joint that lovers can regularly visit. 

Random adventures are also always fun, (and slightly chaotic), options as well. A quick trip to Walmart or even chilling out in a vacant parking lot can be random but potentially spark the best lasting memories. Love is formed in the most random places and truthfully, no matter the location, the gift of romance can grow wherever it’s planted.

Overall, though more inconvenient than the media paints it out to be, romance is possible in the comfort of tiny towns. Once you find your special someone, the beauty of bonding in the oddest places can bring you moments that live within your heart for the rest of your life. Towns may be small, but the love that can thrive within them can be infinite.