Euclid Graduate Tyra Tolton Calls Euclid Her Forever Home, Urges Support of Issue 27

Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

Now, I can’t say that I have changed the world yet, but I can say that I harbor that powerful weapon because of where my education came from. I am proud to say that I am Euclid educated and have been from pre-k up until my college send-off. I was very active and involved in many extracurricular activities and advanced academic programs. 

From marching band to concert band, to student council to debate team, to show choir to track and field (just to name a few) —  there wasn’t a boring moment. Even when I found downtime, the variety of activities to opt-in never kept me still for long. Euclid schools kept me challenged and encouraged me to push myself. With placement in honors, AP, and early college credit classes, I was able to tap into my full potential. Because of those advanced academic opportunities, I was not only accepted to every college I applied to and awarded a substantial amount of scholarships, but I was also able to go into my first year of college with almost a full semester of completed credits. 

Four years later, I return to Euclid with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Consumer Marketing from The University of Akron (GO ZIPS!). Why? Because Euclid is my forever home. I was raised here, my parents are 20+ year residents, and my younger brother still attends Euclid High School. He is enrolled in the Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) program and will be graduating this upcoming spring. 

I believe all Euclid students should be afforded the same educational opportunities as my brother and me. Therefore, it is very important to get out and vote in support of Issue 27 on March 17. 

Issue 27 is vital for Euclid City Schools to continue providing the academic, career-technical education, arts and extracurricular activities needed for us to keep moving forward. Without the passage of Issue 27, our schools will be forced to cut even more teachers, administrators, athletics, and arts. Not only is the future of our schools at stake, but our city as well. Without strong schools, we cannot have strong cities! 

The city of Euclid is seeing new investments so now it is time to invest in our students. 

So, remember to vote on or before March 17th for Issue 27!

Tyra Tolton

Euclid High School Graduate/ Class of 2015