March 5th, 2019

2728 Campus Ridge Road

Matthews, NC 28105

Judges, NC Graduation Project Board

Levine Middle College High School
2728 Campus Ridge Road
Matthews, NC 28105

Dear Judges:

Attending Levine Middle College High School, and just high school in general, has taught me many
lessons that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. I’ve learned that life doesn't stop for anyone, no
matter how sick, tired, or sad you are. I’ve learned that you must self advocate and fight for what you
want, and if just getting out of bed every morning is your fight, well there's no shame in that. I’ve learned
to take the little victories to heart and the big failures as opportunities to rise again and do better. High
school wasn’t kind to me, but the lessons it taught me are irreplaceable. They are lessons that can be used
in professional career settings, but are even more applicable when we consider life as a whole. That is
what makes them so valuable, and while high school has broken me down more than it’s ever built me
back up, I don’t think I’d trade those lessons for anything.

I’m very sick, I’ll just get right to that. I didn’t know if I would make it this far, and some days I’m scared
that maybe I won’t graduate. I was hospitalized four times over my high school academic career, and
those stays significantly impacted my grades and GPA. Most days I struggle and most days I begin to fail
academically and in my personal life. But I am here today, and for right now that is enough. I’ve learned
that no matter the grade or class rank, I should appreciate the life I have today, that I’m still alive and still
breathing. That mindset, along with the lessons high school has taught me, are integral to who I am today.

My Graduation Project topic is my way of paying respects for a friend of mine who didn't make it this far.
He will never graduate, he will never go to college, he will never feel the satisfaction of walking across
that stage. His death was entirely preventable, and with a little more kindness in the world, he would still
be here today. I believe that it is a fundamental and natural human right to have a place where you are
safe and can flourish with people who love you, and that it is our responsibly as a society to provide
people with those resources so that they may live. For the rest of my life, I will continue to fight for the
right to love and be loved, to be safe and to know you matter.

While I am scared to death about graduating and how far I’ll make it, I will always find peace in knowing
I’ve done something truly productive in high school through the Graduation Project. I have created
something that will outlive me after I graduate, and continue to help other youth like my late friend Ash
and I. I feel that a lot of people choose topics for this project that they're not really passionate about, but I
have thrown myself into this project because I can't stand to see a world that continues to lose LGBTQ
children at such a rapid rate, that scares me more than anything. I hope after my presentation that you feel
the same urgency for this matter as I do.

Thank you for your time, patience and attention in advance, as I present to you something I’ve worked
extremely hard on for the last 2 years.
Sincerely,

Peyton Gates