By Clayton Muhammad cmuhammad@d131.org June 15, 2012 1:28PM

Updated: June 15, 2012 7:17PM

It was 20 years ago this summer that I was preparing to enter my senior year at East Aurora High School. As most seniors, I was anxious to get back to school, have an incredible senior year and head off to college to pursue my dreams. From Dieterich Elementary to Waldo Middle schools to my first three years at East Aurora High, I was ready and equipped to become part of the Class of 1993.

Those nostalgic memories remind me of how much things have changed fashion, technology and the world at large. I never thought that when my classmates promised each other that we would stay in touch that we would actually lose touch for more than 15 years only to be brought back together via Facebook. Imagine that!

Leading by example

As I watch students from the Class of 2013 enter their senior year with the same fervor and excitement, I know that one thing has not and will not change from 1993 to 2013 and from Aurora to Antarctica: children will be what they see! The examples of success that we provide for our children will be the examples they seek to emulate, especially when those examples are accessible and relatable.

In a recent meeting where leaders of the Class of 2013 were discussing their plans for senior year, college and life in general, they repeatedly gave examples of Tomcats who had been there and done that and how those Tomcats inspired them to do the same thing.

A few months ago, we convened a meeting of college students who graduated from East High to discuss ways that we can better prepare our students for higher learning. Many of them were the same names that came up during the Class of 2013 meeting as examples of excellence and people to emulate.

These college co-eds represented such institutions as Aurora University, Waubonsee College, Northern Illinois University, North Central College, Syracuse University and Princeton University. They shared a common love for East Aurora High School and a common respect for those fellow alumni who inspired them to pursue their ultimate dreams without hesitation. They agreed that we need a more concerted effort to connect these alumni with our current students.

We have a responsibility as alumni to give back just like those who did it for us, said Kim Harris, Class of 2005 valedictorian and graduate student at Princeton University.

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East Aurora High School invites alumni to share success stories