How my Grandpa Represents Valley Excellence by Eisley Diaz

My grandpa is honestly the best grandpa I could ever ask for. Every time I see him, it brings me peace and joy, as if my backpack full of rocks got lifted off my shoulders. Every other weekend when I see him, since I always see him when I’m at my mom’s, he does not miss the opportunity to grab my hand and tell me that I am worthy, I am strong, I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, I am loved, I am important, I am wanted, and I am kind.

I always take my grandpa’s words to heart, and they mean a lot to me since I don’t have family who will ever say that to me, no matter what accomplishments I achieve (besides my mom and grandma).

My grandpa also doesn’t see me as different because of the mistakes I make, legal or not; he always sees me as me. And he won’t let anything change that because he knows that in the end, I will always get back up off the ground and continue to push and make it far to have a good life that he sees me building.

And I know you’re probably thinking, “What does your grandpa have to do with Valley excellence?” Well, that is what I will be talking about now: how he resembles Valley excellence in my everyday life, even when he’s not here.

At Valley, we students are always pushed to be the best we can. And that’s in a good way too. Within all the staff and teachers, there is always something that they say and do that resembles Valley excellence in good ways. The staff and teachers here always do the best that they can to support us and make sure that we are okay.

At Valley, every single day, the staff and teachers constantly tell us that we are loved, wanted, important, and successful. And they don’t see us any differently because of the mistakes we make. They help lift us back up and put us on the right path to continue succeeding. No matter how many mistakes us students make, the teachers and staff will always pick us back up off the ground and put us back on the right path to take.

Every day, no matter if it’s the morning, midday, or afternoon, one of the staff will go on the speaker and tell us about school opportunities. And at the end, whoever it is always says, “You are loved, and we hope you have a good day.”

And yeah, no, none of the staff or teachers grab our hands and tell us we’re loved, important, needed, etc., like my grandpa does because that would honestly be a tad bit weird. But they say the words we need to hear, they help us in the way we need help, just like how my grandpa does with me every other weekend.

And with other things, Valley High School tells us what we should do, in their opinion, to be the best we can so that we can grow into the best we can be for the world ahead of us when we’re out of here. And the advice from my grandpa for me and all you other students out there is to be yourself. Don’t let anyone bring you down and tell you you aren’t worthy because you are enough, and you can do anything imaginable if you put your mind to it and work towards what you want and what you see yourself doing in the future to reach that. You’re all important people in your own way and can make things possible if you think it’s possible.

And with that, that is how my grandpa represents Valley excellence. Even in his own way, he still represents it by being an amazing person and trying to help in any way he can, just like how our school, Valley High School, does on a daily basis.