Editor’s Note: Franklin’s Future is a regular feature spotlighting a high school senior in Franklin County and what they have planned for life after graduation.

 Tharptown senior Ashley Creasy has gone to Tharptown schools since kindergarten and she said there’s no other school she would have rather gone to.

Creasy, 17, said she has enjoyed almost every aspect of being at a smaller school and doesn’t feel like she’s lost out on anything by not being somewhere bigger.

“What I really love about Tharptown is the people – the students and the teachers,” she said. “We’ve got some really great teachers here and I think the small environment makes us all closer because everybody knows everybody and we all pretty much get along.

“I feel like going to Tharptown has taught me how to get to know people and to not be afraid to take chances on things.”

Since she’s been in high school, Creasy has been a member of Future Business Leaders of America, Students Against Destructive Decisions and Jobs for Alabama Graduates, but the extracurricular activity she has enjoyed the most is being a member of the THS cheerleading squad.

“Most of my favorite memories from high school have come from being with my friends and being a cheerleader,” she said. “We’re all like sisters and everyone takes up for each other.”

The people at Tharptown and the friends she has made over the years are really what Creasy said she will miss once she dons her cap and gown in May, but she said she’s also looking forward to going to college and seeing what all college life has to offer her.

“I really think I’ll like meeting new people and just having new experiences once I get to college,” she said.

Creasy plans to attend Northwest Shoals Community College for the first two years to get her basics before transferring to the University of North Alabama.

“I think going to Northwest first is a good decision for me because it will allow me to get the feel for college and get a little experience instead of just jumping into a four-year college.”

Once she transfers to UNA, Creasy said she plans to study nursing, which is a career she said she has always wanted to have.

“I just love the idea of being able to help people everyday,” she said. “When my grandpa was sick, I saw how the nurses helped him and took care of him and I want to be able to do that for other people.”

Once she has her nursing degree under her belt, Creasy said she plans to move back to Franklin County and hopefully find a job working in the area.

“I’ve enjoyed growing up in Franklin County and in a small community and I think it’s just a good place to raise a family,” she said. “Everyone is friendly here and they all stand behind you and push you to be your best.”

Creasy said she also wants to be close to her family, which includes her parents, Steve and Myra Creasy; her younger brother, Aaron; and her younger sister, Danielle.

To those who are just entering high school, Creasy said the important thing to remember is to give it your all.

“Just do your best while you can and make the most out of high school.”