Jacqueline Boomer

104 Sunnehanna Dr.

Myrtle Beach, SC 29576
(850) 304-4172
jacquelineboomer@g.horrycountyschools.net

25th April 2017

Senior Digital Exploration Judges

10800 Highway 707
Murrells Inlet, SC 29577

Dear Judges:

When I first started at St. James I never understood what people

meant when they said that these four years would fly by. Now that
Im 26 days away from graduating, I couldnt tell you where all the
days have gone. I remember my first day of freshman year like it
was yesterday, and its hard to believe that Im almost done. With
the help of the amazing staff at this school I have grown and thrived
so much during my four years here. With graduation coming up its
hard not to feel bittersweet about it. My brother attended this
school and was always praised for being an outstanding student,
and as soon as I started here I was known as Boomers sister, not
Jackie. He set the bar for me, and ever since, I have been creating
my own identity for myself. I pride myself on my strength and
independence. I grew up fast and learned from a young age that
nothing in life will be handed to you. My father taught me how to
focus on the important things and be strong through the hard times.
I have worked my hardest in my past four years at this school to
show not only my brother but my father that I could make
something of myself and be something they could be proud of.
Easter Sunday I felt my father take his last breath, and that was the
most painful thing I have ever experienced, but I know that even
with all that has happened he wouldnt want me to lose sight of
what's most important. Although he won't be there to watch me
walk across that stage, he will be with me every step of the way. I
have been dreaming of this day for as long as I can remember, and
now I couldnt be more excited to walk across that stage. For the
first time in my life Im not scared anymore. The future is bright,
and I cant wait to see what it holds for me.

My freshman year of high school was the first time I heard the term
gay. I was on the art hall with one of my friends, and I was telling
them how I had a crush on this junior girl. My friend was confused
and started grilling me on if I was gay. I had no idea what that
term even meant; I always thought that you could be with anyone
as long as you loved each other, and that was okay. Freshman year
was the first time I lost a friend because of the fact that I was gay.
Ever since that day I have been interested with the LGBTQ
community and the issues they face in today's society. Through my
research I learned a lot about society's social standards. I became
close with many of my peers through shared stories and moments
of weakness and acceptance. I have learn that the LGBTQ spectrum
is so much larger than many people are aware. I have become more
open minded and understanding through this process. With every
spectrum meeting I would join the club on a discussion about
specific topics or issues happening in each of our lives. I learned
that everyone has a different story and that you should never judge
a person before getting to know them.

While working on this project I faced many obstacles on how to

approach the project with an unbiased opinion. I had to
continuously remind myself not to include my personal feelings on
the discrimination I face while writing about my research. There
were many times that I felt I was repeating myself but with Ms.
Mantlos help I learned different ways to approach the topic. One of
the biggest struggles I faced while working on this project was
finding the appropriate sources. I did a series of interviews with
many of my LGBTQ+ peers and had them write down their own
stories. I am happy that I chose the topic that I did because it has
truly made me more mature and taught me how to address
sensitive topics in an appropriate manner.

Thank you for taking your time to participate in the Senior

Exploration project. I appreciate your help in learning more about
the proper way to conduct research. Thank you for listening to my
studies and the different stories of our LGBTQ+ students. I hope
that my project may have enlightened you on a subject that you
may have been unaware of. Again, thank you for your time and
have a great afternoon.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline Boomer