My mom’s whole side of the family grew up in Carlisle. At age 19, my mom joined the Coast Guard, where she met my dad. So, I’m a military child. I was born in Alabama and lived in the deep south for many years. Later, I moved to a suburb of Philadelphia and then a small island in the state of Washington. About four years ago, when my dad retired from the military, my mom suggested we move back to her hometown of Carlisle. Carlisle was always a place we came to visit and in essence, a place that I always referred to as my home away from home, until it officially became my home. As a senior at Carlisle High School, when I graduate, I’m hoping to attend the University of Delaware to study pre-veterinary medicine and then to Vet school.

To me, what makes Carlisle great is its small town feel. It’s completely different from any other place I’ve lived – from the big cities to the small islands. Carlisle just has this perfect balance of big and small, where you can drive just a few short hours away to the major metropolitan cities or you can stay here and enjoy your small town local shops and community feel. Personally, I love all that Carlisle has to offer. In the summer, I love to go hiking. I also play field hockey for the school so my friends I oftentimes go to the fields and hit around. In the winter, we love going to the movies and hitting up some of the local restaurants for foods. Oh, and the diner! You can’t forget about the diner!

Moving here later in life provided a very different perspective on our community. As an outsider, it was easy to see that most people that lived here, have lived here their whole lives. But with the war college and the youth ballet, these resources provided a unique set of differences that even though people attempted to stick to their own circles, they learned to become very accepting of others. For me, initially, it was hard to pass that barrier, but once you get past, it feels like you’ve been here forever.

I learned a lot having the experience of living in various communities around our country. We lived in a poor suburb of Philadelphia where their school system was severely underfunded. The school I went to at the time is now shut down due to financial problems and local corruption. And then I also lived in what felt like one of the most privileged places in Washington where there was more money than they knew what to do with. And I think that’s one of the major problems in our country – the global disparity in resources. That there’s oftentimes too much or too little, depending on who you are and where you live.

But, I think we have the ability to overcome a lot of our challenges. To me, I feel like one of the best things you can do is find the small things that make you similar instead of focusing on the larger things that make you difference. I’m incredibly passionate about people using their own voices and I love democracy, especially when it works – and would love to see it work more. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve loved being able to use my voice for good, but now that I’m old enough to vote, I’m excited to be able to use my vote for good too.

Overall, I want to see change – especially after our rally. It truly felt as if we began to see the community listen more. There are so many different sides, but I think we are starting to respond to each other positively, regardless of where we stand. I have family members that have lived here their whole life in Carlisle, and have one particular view and that was the only way. But they came to the rally. If you would’ve asked me one year ago if they would’ve been there, I would’ve said no way. But they were there, and I truly think that’s because people are finally beginning to listen.

I love seeing Carlisle change in a more positive direction and become more of an inclusive community, but at the same time,  I don’t ever want Carlisle to lose what makes it unique – it’s traditional Carlisle feeling. I love our local pride.. I don’t want to ever see it become “not Carlisle.” I want to see it the place we’ve all come to love, just with a more supported and inclusive community feel.

And for the rest our country, I want the same thing – I want people to listen. Isn’t everyone tired of it just being adults speaking? We have many things to say. And our generation has more access to resources and media than any other generation before it. And  I think if we can all learn to respect and listen to each other more, progress will be made! – Maddy Starling, Senior at Carlisle High School, Age 18