My name is MacKenzie McGraw, and I am an upcoming junior at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, Georgia, home of 80 miles of golfcart paths on which we can get anywhere in town on our golfcarts. Country music, piano, guitar, and songwriting are some of my passions. I play lacrosse and cheer for my school, as well as ride horses and volunteer at a Theuraputic Riding Center.  I am activley involved in my school newspaper where I first found my passion for journalism, and I will be a Page Editor this year.
Our town has recently been the filming locations for Drop Dead Diva and The Walking Dead, so we are all learning how to deal with being star-struck. It has been interesting, to say the least, running into Kim Kardashian at our local gym and meeting Jake T. Austin, from Wizards of Waverly Place along the golfcart paths. Peachtree City is a safe-haven, one I gladly call home, but yet it is a place that shelters us from the "real world." While I love where I live, I will admit Peachtree City is mainly upper-class, conservative families that provide their children with every oppurtunity to succeed and excel. Brand-new BMW's and Porsches, driven by ungrateful teenagers, fill the parking lot of my high school. This is normal everyday life for me. The difference between my classmates and I is that I know how well I have it, and I will never take advantage of my parents. Thankfully, they help me to keep grounded in my actions. To me, school comes first, because I realize that my level of education will set me apart and allow me to succeed. Citizens in my town do not accurately represent different cultures, and Peachtree City is nothing like the real world. I am here at Grady to not only grow in my ability as a journalist, but to experience different cultures full of different opinions. I expect to experience a culture shock as I meet people from all different walks of life, but it is one I'm ready for. I knowAthens can shape my opinion of the "real world," and open my eyes to see what others are going through.