We were over 300 strong, coming of age in Marysville, Ohio, back when farmland was turning into new developments, and our Friday nights often centered around cheering on the Monarchs at the high school football field.

 

Life moved pretty fast—many of us were still getting used to dial-up internet in middle school, but by the time we graduated, we were texting each other nonstop. Whether we were in FFA, drama club, marching band, or on the basketball court, there was always a sense of camaraderie. We spent our days navigating homework, part-time jobs around town, and the occasional late-night hangout.

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By 2005, we were ready to take on the world—or at least head to college, the military, or straight into the workforce. Looking back, it’s amazing how tight-knit our class stayed. While many class reunions only have a small fraction of their class as attendees, not so with us. At our 5-year and 10-year reunions, so many of us showed up that it felt like a real homecoming—with many familiar faces and a lot of catching up to do.

 

Classmates are now scattered across the country, doing everything from teaching to working in corporate to running their own businesses to serving in the military, but we still share that Marysville bond. When we get together, it’s like we never left those hallways.

 

Our reunions have become known for big turnouts and a genuine closeness that started way back when we were 300-some teenagers figuring life out in small-town Ohio.