Best four years I've had! This school was my saving grace. Most people who are like me tend to complain about their high school experience to no ends because they didn't fit in, they were bullied, or they didn't have enough help to make it through their high school year. But I can safely say, as someone who didn't fit in at all in middle school, that the people here are the least judgemental I've seen around Reno. You really can be yourself here with no consequences. I had terrible teachers, some of which wanted me to fail because I had a learning disability, and the teachers here are some of the best I've had. They're easy to talk to and care about teaching a lot more than some of the other teachers I've met. I got lots of help from my special education teacher during my time, as well as a lot of my other teachers, and have done so much better than I think I would have at any other high school. The students here know what they want to do with their life and have a passion that they work towards every day in the academy they choose. They aren't necessarily known for their brute strength and would rather battle it out over a friendly race than a fight (true story, possibly one of the best out of my high school experience). There are still popular kids because when it comes down to it, we're still high school kids. But don't think of it as Mean Girls, because it's definitely the furthest from Mean Girls you'll ever get. Freshman year was a rocky start, and sure, there were a few teachers I'd rather have not had, but as of right now, most if not all of the teachers here care about their students and care about teaching their subject right. This school isn't a very sports-centric school, so if you're a sporty person, you might not like it here. But if you're like me and hate sports, or you're more of a nerd than a jock, it's a dream come true. It's definitely not the "rich" school most people think it is, though. I'm in the CommArts Academy in the film department. We're community-funded, so our equipment isn't the highest quality you'll ever find, like at Spanish Springs. But it's not the worst, either. It's functional and works for what we've got. And to be honest, I'd rather have spent 4 years here with average equipment and the best friends and acquaintances I've ever made than 4 years anywhere else with the best equipment and the worst social situation you could think of. I found my voice and my passion through AACT, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.Hannah Mills