The town is quaint, with merely nine thousand three hundred sixty-two residents filling the cottages that dot the edges of Main St.. Decorating the one-hundred twenty-five mile expanse is an abundance of wildlife. From the mob of white-tailed deer residing alongside the town lagoon to the mockingbirds nesting high in the branches of a brilliant pine that dwells on the cliffs of the local nature park, the town is artless. My town is the local diner where, without fail, you’ll find the die hard football fans each Friday night situated at their appointed table, ready for their post-game steak and potato. It is a football stadium filled to the capacity with a sea of blue and white ready for another win from the bulldogs, and a student section stuffed with the team’s biggest fans. My town is late night trips to Baskin Robbins with the cast of the latest musical, and singing show tunes while hammocking up on the cliffs of Bell Park. It is comfortable and ignorant. My town is the cement walls that corral the majority of the population for lessons in, “football players are always deserving.” It is a shelter from terror attacks in Vegas, and London. Our town is, “did you hear about the new mexican restaurant” when it should be “what can we do to help those affected by the hurricane?” Greenwood, Arkansas, but a miniscule piece of the puzzle, has become, over the past ten years, my home. It is the town where I’ve made lifelong friends, and some of my most treasured memories. It’s where I began to grow into the person that I’m meant to be, and yet with all of Greenwood’s admirable qualities, it does have many imperfections.

Growing up in Greenwood, we are taught how to respect authority, have compassion, be loyal to your friends, and be thankful for all of God’s blessings. Although each of these attributes are extremely important if you strive to be a well-liked, functioning person of society, I have to wonder, what about the skills that each person knows that I seem to be naive to? Balancing a checkbook, paying taxes, voting for the President of the United States, getting a loan, and even something as simple as opening a savings account are all very important matters that each new adult is going to have to face when they are on their own, so why not go ahead and explain to them what their walking into and give them a head start? Therefore, I propose that if I was mayor of my town, Greenwood, AR, the issue that I would address would definitely be the lack of real world education that is presented in our public schools.

Being that this is an issue in education, I find that the solution to this dilemma is quite uncomplicated: simply propose to the town that we create a new class, dealing with the affairs of an adult. Despite being a fairly straightforward task, there are quite a few steps involved in the addition of a new class for any school, so in order to obtain approval for a new course, the first step taken would be to get approval from the State Board of Education with a presentation at the ready to present our plan. If given approval, we will begin making a unique curriculum for the graduating seniors in our state with the help of the department or staff member who is willing to teach the course, whether it be a newly hired teacher or a previously employed teacher. Making sure to include set guidelines, we will include things such as balancing a checkbook, paying taxes, nailing a job interview, how to choose insurance and healthcare, registering to vote and voting, how to read a contract, take out a loan, and invest your money wisely. Being considered as a mandatory class as well as an academic credit will insure that the class will be taken advantage of in our school district.

Becoming an independent adult is a huge milestone in each person’s life that can be very frightening to say the least, but being somewhat prepared for the challenges awaiting us will make our transition from dependents to individuals more comfortable and exciting. Having this class at Greenwood High School will alleviate some of the stress and worry that each graduate feels when they are first on their own, not to mention the confidence boost that will be achieved for the newly established adults. It will encourage those who may not have felt ready to be on their own in the future, resulting in assurance that will inspire them to branch out and try more things knowing that they don’t have to worry about whether they did their taxes correctly or if they’ll be able to afford their car payments. The class will give some students the knowledge that they might have never obtained during adulthood, helping them be more successful throughout the trials that comes with maturity, and aiding Greenwood in producing students who are ready and mature enough to make a name for themselves in society. As mayor of Greenwood, there are many issues I could address, but for now I do believe that the issue of ignorance is one with my greatest priority. I feel that this is an issue with a simple fix that  would be beneficial for not only  the town, but the people who live in it.