From the moment a freshman walks into FHC on the first day of school, they are pressured to have their whole life planned out, from graduation day to a lifelong career. Some kids have crazy, optimistic plans of becoming the president; some have little to no idea what they want to do. By the time they get to the doors of high school, they’re expected to suddenly be able to predict the future. Whether this is having a positive effect on terrified 14-year-olds is up to interpretation. Senior El Goossen has finally landed on what they want to pursue in the future.
“I am currently on track to become a veterinarian,” El said. “I took a couple [of] AP classes last year, and I’m taking two more this year, including AP Biology. Next year, I’m going to Northern Michigan University for zoology, and I’ll be in their pre-vet program, and after that, I’m planning on going to vet school at MSU.”
Veterinary medicine is quite competitive in comparison to many other fields. Most vet schools have an acceptance rate of 10-15%, and the field itself, once at practice, is also quite rigid. These are quite ambitious plans, but El has all the perseverance and leadership skills to make it and be successful.
One place where they have been a community leader is the Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) at school. They are currently an unofficial president of the club, having been there the longest and running the Google Classroom page. This has been El’s safe space for four years. GSA, being an accepting community of queer people and allies for everything from social issues and volunteer opportunities, welcomed them immediately.
“I’ve been in GSA since freshman year, but I had been looking forward to it since middle school,” El said. “I like that it gives everyone a chance to be completely themselves, and for some kids, GSA is the only place they get to be that person.”
Like many community efforts, GSA needed to improve before it could become a beacon of change. According to El, the club hasn’t always been the most accepting place. Under their leadership, however, El hopes to make GSA the best it can be.
“The first semester I was in GSA, it felt so good to be around people who understood me, but it had too much structure, so people were often excluded,” El said. “My second semester was great, and we had so much fun, but it was often canceled. Since then, [English teacher Sarah] Velie has been the adult leader, and we are slowly building it back up with advertising and planned activities.”
Posters have begun being put up at the school, plans are in place for a possible bulletin board for the club, and volunteer efforts are being brainstormed. For the past few years, both the student leaders and adult faculty leaders have been making an effort to bring more people in and remove some of the stigma around the LGBTQ+ community in the school.
Much of this couldn’t have been done if El themself hadn’t felt accepted. Both their school and community have supported them in this way.
“Especially during COVID, the [Grand Rapids] pride center had good resources, and I liked their virtual support groups,” El said. “Not only did it allow me to meet other people like me, it provided much-needed human interaction during quarantine.”
On top of this, Mrs. Borton, their seventh-grade science teacher, provided a space for breakfast in the mornings and a stress-free environment.
“I remember walking around to find my classes during orientation and seeing a sticker on her door that had a rainbow and said something about inclusivity, and I immediately felt more comfortable at the school,” El said. “She allowed me to express myself however I wanted.”
Even when the news and the events happening around the world are the exact opposite of inclusive, there are still communities that are supporting queer youth and being a beacon of hope. In general, when they have chosen to tell someone they are non-binary, almost all the reactions they’ve gotten from peers and teachers alike have been positive and accepting.
Apart from their community efforts, El has also been a long-time pet owner and has a passion for animals.
“I had wanted guinea pigs since I discovered them when I was six, but I didn’t get any until I was 12. I have three right now, but I’ve had a total of five in the past six years,” El said. “I think they are so adorable and entertaining, and they each have their own personalities, just like dogs.”
In addition to having three guinea pigs, they have a dog and love to create little crafts and art projects in their free time. These include knitting, painting, making jewelry, and all other kinds of creative outlets.
Through their amazing leadership in the GSA club and the school community as a whole, the countless art projects they’ve created, and their love and care for animals, El has truly shown their amazingly ambitious personality.
“In general, I feel relatively supported by teachers and peers…I appreciate the quality of the education [at FHC], and that colleges recognize us as a good school,” El said. “[Still], I have been waiting for high school to be over since sophomore year, and now I’m waiting for college to be over so I can be a veterinarian already.”
