We know Walls as it is today, but students in the building now will never know what Walls was like a decade ago. However, the experiences of alumni can offer a better understanding of what Walls was like and how it shaped one woman in particular: Grace Carter, a member of the Class of 2015.

Carter is currently a third-year PhD student at the University of San Diego, studying Biomedical Science. Before pursuing her PhD, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Elon University (no association with Elon Musk, as she pointed out). Carter largely attributed her experience at Walls to opening her eyes to possibilities in science and, more broadly, her career path.

Much of what Grace reflected on about her time at Walls may still ring true for students today. For example, Grace and her friends’ favorite breakfast and lunch spot was the deli across the street. In her words, “That place probably took thousands of cumulative dollars from me.” Another similarity she mentioned was the strong music department. Grace spoke about the popularity of choir, orchestra, and stage band. She herself was one of the singers and recalled her time in it as “really fun.” She also reflected on her ensemble's success, saying, “I would like to think we were pretty good. We did win an award when I was in it at Disney World, so that was pretty cool.”

Still, much has changed in ten years. For instance, the sheer number and variety of clubs were not as prominent back then. Speaking about the club fair, she reacted to the amount of clubs now by commenting, “People had clubs, but I wouldn’t say that you would be in, like, yeah, five clubs. That would be pretty, I think, rare.”

In addition to the increase in clubs, there have been some faculty changes over the years. When asked about a favorite teacher, Carter answered, “Mrs. Blessing, who was also my crew coach, was amazing. …That class, I remember, was so awesome. She just got me really excited about [history].” Today, instead of teaching history, you might catch Mrs. Blessing teaching AP Psychology at Walls.

The difference a decade makes for a school is both significant and fleeting, but it does make one wonder—what will the Walls we know today look like ten years from now?