The Gilbert Story

Entering Gilbert High School is more than just entering a campus; it’s entering a vibrant, one-story space. However, this story is shaped by innumerable voices, written by hundreds of hands, and lived out in thousands of moments, unlike a novel written by a single author. The new student, curious but uncertain, enters strange hallways with a mixture of hope and fear. Even though their story is just getting started, it already contains dreams that no one else can completely comprehend. One senior manages to juggle long workdays, finishing assignments late at night, and the ongoing demands of family responsibilities. That senior consistently demonstrates that resilience is a way of life rather than just a concept from a textbook. And then there are educators who devote their time, energy, and inventiveness to teaching, sowing the seeds of bravery and self-assurance that will sprout long after graduation caps are thrown into the air. When combined, these separate stories make Gilbert more than just a school, it becomes a community. Every voice counts. Every chapter adds to the overall work. Therefore, the question is not if a student matters, but rather if they think they do. All too frequently, society advises youth to wait for their moment—that their significance will materialize after they have reached adulthood, obtained a degree, or established a career. However, Gilbert’s tale presents an alternative reality: students are important today. These days, their opinions matter. Tomorrow is shaped by their decisions. They are the very foundation of the future; their identities are not incidental. The Gilbert Story continues to be written. It expands with each honest statement made during class, with each deed of compassion that overcomes loneliness, and with each bravely faced obstacle. Every page teaches us that greatness is not limited to bygone eras or well-known figures. It is being made right now by regular people who, by just showing up, working hard, and having faith in both themselves and others, accomplish extraordinary things. However, the students occupying classrooms today are not the only subject of this tale. It goes all the way back to Gilbert High’s first graduating class, to the former students who passed through these same corridors and made their way into the outside world. The book that today’s students are still writing incorporates their memories, hardships, and triumphs. A living tradition, the Gilbert Story is passed down from one generation to the next. Therefore, the question still stands: What is your story? Which lines will you add to this community’s chapters? It could be in your leadership, your art, your silent tenacity, or your advocacy for change. No matter how it is told, one thing is for sure: Gilbert’s story will not be complete without you. Even as an alumni from Gilbert here, I too am a part of the Gilbert Story and still contributing to it. We all are, even those who have graduated to do great things, because of their second chance are a part of it. My goal is to see it grow even bigger than just us, but to those of future generations. Our stories, decisions, identities, and goals continue on to those of today. That’s why the Gilbert Story isn’t only one, it’s many united in one.