Opportunity of a Lifetime

The Opportunity of a Lifetime

By: Noelle Bryner

This past weekend, I had an opportunity in traveling back to my high school and crowning the 2018 Homecoming Queen--this isn't some clicharticle on Homecoming Queen being an opportunity of a lifetime, it is, but my opportunity was something a lot deeper.

Growing up in the small town of Washington, Pennsylvania, I learned a lot. I learned that the town is so small, and my high school smaller, you pretty much know everyone or majority of everyone. If you don't know them, you know of them.

My mom, she went to the same high school as me, and she knows SO many people. Luckily, I had the chance of meeting one of her high school friends, Aubrey Cincinnati, who has four amazing kiddos. I always saw them at my family's Christmas party and remember those parties very fondly.

The one thing I remember is this super adorable, little girl she had. I had always talked with the rest of her siblings, but she was so very shy, it was the cutest!

Fast forward to this current year, I would see this little girl here and there at sporting events. Volleyball, cross country and other school functions. Every time, I tried to get her to talk to me. Nothing worked, she was just too shy, and I used to be the same way whenever I was her age.

Friday, October 5th, I went home to crown my high schools new Homecoming Queen, and normally homecoming games, just like college, have a lot of alumni come back. Well, Aubrey and her family and so did the youngest one.

After crowning the new queen, I walked off the football field and to the bleachers where my family waited, and there is Aubrey, so like any normal person, I waved and walked up to have a friendly chit-chat.

Little did I know the youngest one actually wanted to speak to me and see me. Aubrey told me that she watched me on the field the whole time, so I was excited. As I bent down to see her, she gave me the biggest hug. It was so adorable.



Being brought into a family, as large as mine, I knew what it was like for younger siblings and how cool it was when you would go places and see older people and get excited cause they were dressed up in a cool costume at Disney World or to see the Homecoming Queen. That was just cool when you were a kid.

So, thinking of what I would have wanted at that age, I took my tiara off and plopped it right on her head, and her face lit up. That little spark of happiness, it was amazing and made me feel great. I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to make someone's day.



Not only did I possibly make hers, she made mine by wanting to talk to me and take a picture. The best feeling of happiness is when you are happy because you've made someone else happy.