Before she presented this year's first day of school “get to know the teacher” presentation, math teacher Emily Colebank was nervous — she was about to introduce her female fiancé, Hailey. Back when Colebank graduated from East in 2013, she wouldn't have felt comfortable publicly coming out in the Columbia blue halls. But when the picture loaded, Colebank received no significant response from students — they treated it like coming out to a 30-person classroom is perfectly normal and acceptable. Colebank was elated. “It’s been really positive knowing that 10 years ago, this school [had] a completely different culture,” Colebank said. “Since I left and returned, it feels like a much safer place for teachers to be [part of the LGBTQ+ community], but also for kids to be living their truth.” To read more, click the link in bio. #storybyaddiemoore #photobyclarapeters #socialmediabypaigezadoo