“I moved to Oregon from the Chicago suburbs when I was 5 years old. My dad grew up in Chicago and my mom grew up in Southern California. I also have visited Chicago and Southern California many times, so I know some things about big cities. Growing up in a rural community has taught me that I do not like small towns and that when I am an adult, I hope to leave the Roseburg area and move to a large city. Growing up here has not really affected or shaped me because I crave the big city. I enjoy big cities because there are more things to do and more career opportunities than there are in a rural community. If I had grown up in a big city, I would have experienced different things, but I would still be the same person that I am now.”

Francesca Affrunti,

eighth-grader

Oregon Connections Academy,

Winston

“Well, I actually did grow up in a big city. I grew up in the suburbs of Greenville, South Carolina, (metropolitan population of over 600,000), and I moved to Roseburg only two years ago. Living in a big city is sometimes convenient and fun, but it's interesting now to contrast the two different lives I've had in two different towns. Before I moved here, I never appreciated the opportunity to slow down and take my time. Greenville was, and still is, an epicenter of new industry in the Southeast, with new ideas on the horizon everyday. However, it was so crowded and hurried that everyone seemed to need to be someplace to do something at any given time. Roseburg, on the other hand, is far more relaxed and laid back, and I don't feel pressured to be part of the big city momentum. I think I am very fortunate to have lived in both a big city and a small town because I can really appreciate being able to live my life the way I want, and not the way the world around me is living.”

Laura Gordon, senior

Roseburg High School

“In a small community like Roseburg, events like the fair are attended by a large portion of the community. There's Music on the Half Shell every week (we get to see people like Marc Cohn for free) and the Arts Festival in the summer. If I had grown up in a larger city, like Portland, there might not have been all these opportunities and events that are open to everyone in Roseburg.

We have the (Umpqua Valley) Arts Center, strong music and sports programs in our schools, a community college and good sports facilities. Having these available has allowed me to find my strengths by exploring many different opportunities. This has shaped who I am today by allowing me to get better at the things I love and hear live music I wouldn't usually listen to. It has provided opportunities that I wouldn't have searched out, but ended up enjoying.”

Erin Cline, freshman

Roseburg High School