If you were to talk to me today, you would never know that I was once the child who veered off the straight and narrow path. In those distant years of my past I was a problem child, with the notion that school was my playground. A failing grade use to mean that I was having fun in a prison with bleak white walls. When I was written up and sent to the principal’s office I knew that I would get to go home. But the cheerfulness that I felt, up until the point that my parents arrived, quickly vanished when I saw the tears in my mother’s eyes each time. This scenario lasted for the better part of my elementary school days and followed me to my new school when I moved. My mother’s tears haunted me at night, the joy I felt, when I got in …show more content…
We would form study groups and even tutor after school. I found joy in tutoring for I knew I was paying it forward for all those times someone had tried to help me. These new habits continued and I continued to excel. Before I knew it, the end of the school year had arrived and it was time for the award ceremony. As I sat there, watching all the other students receive awards, I never thought my name would be called and especially not when they were handing out that award. I remember it like it was yesterday… “Now we will be handing out the Top Ten Percent awards.” That girl next to me is chatting away but hey, it is not like I need to hear what the announcer is saying. It is not like my name will be called. “” What, was that my name they just called? It can’t be. Why is that chatty girl next to me tugging on my arm? Oh, that was my name they called. Stand up girl, move them feet. Okay, you are almost there. It is in your hands. Now thank the nice man and go sit back down. That is right, slowly. Do not trip. Oh my goodness, this has really happened. According to those big bold words you made the top ten percent of the seventh grade. You go girl. What is that I feel?... At that moment, as the feeling of accomplishment touched me to my very soul, I knew that my life had finally turned around. In seventh and eighth grade I had been content with making the top ten percent, but I had reached that goal and when ninth
When people tell you that high school would be the best time of your life, you don’t really understand the magnitude of what they’re saying until your time is coming to an end. A lot of people say that you “find yourself” in college. I, however, had the advantage of finding myself in high school. These past six years have been awesome, and I really mean it. I know it might not seem believable for a high school student to enjoy school, but I’m not lying about this stuff. I felt this way even before there was a scholarship to apply for. My mom taught me from a young age to enjoy going to school, and as much stress as it might have caused me over the years, I still loved every second of it. It’s easy to focus on the undesirable parts like sleep
It was a feeling like I had accomplished everything I have ever wanted to do and some more.
The next day, I went straight home after school like my mother had said, she made me sit at the bench perched up on those hideous stools and do my homework until dinner time. She keeps telling me to respect our culture, and how if I were in Vietnam, I'd still be at school at this hour. Hearing about Asia frustrates me, it just reminds me that I don't belong anywhere. But I didn’t have a choice, I sat there alone in front of my open books. I was almost the queen of procrastination, so I found myself questioning why I let her dictate how I spent my afternoon and why those nasty girls at school
When my mom would send me off to school, nobody ever liked the new guy. I felt so scared, and awkward.I was bullied because of the color of my skin. I tended to be a little darker not only because of my roots but because long hard hours working with my dad after school. Resulted of me having sun burns. I was called every name in the book,and it was tough for me. Having to go to school and get treated like an old rag was already enough to what I would come home everyday with. I’d just get home and right away start working with my dad just to start giving us some income. I had to get used to this type of work everyday for the rest of my life. I wasn't so sure even if I even wanted to keep going to school. I mean I was already not caring for school and working with my dad after school. I wanted to drop out. To leave everything behind. I didn't need to keep going. I was a nobody. Nobody wanted me. My classmates told me so many times. I started to believe
Being a freshman, in a new school, a new city, even a new state, frightened me going into my first day of school as a high school attendee. Chaparral High School in Phoenix, Arizona was considered to be the top high school in the state of Arizona, however it sure was not for me. There was an ample amount of kids who believed they were better than the kid next to them because of the money their parents possessed. This characteristic began to grow on me; without my own awareness. Furthermore, I began to talk back to my parents, acted as a terrible brother to both my two younger brothers who looked up to me, as well as, my friends back in El Paso, Texas did not even want to talk to me. I had become a monster in all my friend’s eyes.
Little did I know that it was a trip to a tutoring hall? I looked at her “surprise” as an offense. I was not so unfortified that I needed someone to help me, I thought. Although I was a bit naïve and put up an impressive show to shrug off going to the tutoring hall. In the long run, I came around and decided to give this aid a try. Later that day, it came to be that I was introduced to the most extraordinary people that I have ever met. Not only were they friendly, they assisted and heard my struggles, and provided actual useful techniques that I can easily get accustomed to. Within weeks, I was reading far better than I have ever been. I was writing and reading more than I usually did. The confused and jealous looks of my peers powered my desire to keep practicing my literal skills. Things carried on like this for a while throughout the year, we were given assignments, essays, book reviews, things of that sort; nothing I couldn’t handle. Around the end is where things got really interesting.
Tears stung in my eyes as I gazed down at the dreaded product of neglect, already feeling a cold weight tug at my heart. Looking at my practice log, I determined that within the twenty-four hours remaining before it was due, I needed to make up the eight hours of practicing I had been lazily putting off. After informing my mom of this impossible feat, she told me that I would not be staying up past midnight to practicing as a meager attempt to salvage my grade. The next day I turned in my log with a hint of discouragement as I awaited my grade. I didn’t fail the class, but I still had to live with the knowledge that I could have done better. I tried to justify what happened by saying I wasn’t used to Jr. High with its additional seven classes,
I clearly remember the night before your first day of kindergarten. After we had packed your snacks and lunch, laid out your outfit and tucked you like a mummy into bed, Dad and I sat on our bed talking about the school years to come. We were excited for you, of course, but I was also emotional. I started crying, telling Dad that I was afraid to let you go out into the big world by yourself, afraid that people – kids – might be mean to you and I wouldn’t be there to protect you. Dad, in his usual way, reassured
A fork in the road only appears as such when both paths are seen as viable options; yet, once one path becomes seen as the only one, the other devolves into a deviation. Where the aberration would require justification to travel down, the perceived correct course would require justification to not travel down. This is precisely how the false question of attending college was presented to me: it was a matter of when not if. Upon inheriting white looking skin, a middle class family, and a pat on the back for bringing home white sheets of papers with little red “A”s written in the top right corner, it was ascertained that I was to be a productive and successful engineer after paying for college with hard-won scholarship money. In short, there were several socio-economic factors that contributed to my eventual position in college.
In life, there are periods of transition in which individuals often face daunting challenges or obstacles. Overcoming these challenges at pivotal points of transition can impel the individual to develop essential character qualities and skills for surmounting adversity. My transition into high school was momentous. Here I knew that the decisions I made would likely have a strong impact on my future. Therefore, I had to be meticulous about the extracurricular activities I wanted to be involved in. This mindset allowed me to stay focused and determined because I wasn't fixated on going to the next party or the new music that was out. I cared solely about the legacy I left behind. That is why I decided to run for student government at the end of my sophomore year. The election
I remember the first day I walked into my kindergarten class, I clenched my mother’s hand with all my might to prevent her from letting go. The kids around me, whom I supposed were my classmates, had long let go of their mother’s had and were playing together, and even as a five year old, at that point I felt like an outsider. I pleaded my mom to not leave but my attempts failed as I found myself alone yet surrounded by complete strangers. As I stood in the center of the room while pushing back my tears and eyeing my mother make her way out the door, I heard the teacher call my name. I timidly walked towards the spot on the yellow carpet she was signaling at for me to sit on. I heard Mrs. Ross’s soothing voice but no matter how much I concentrated
Toward the last days of my high school days, I was told that I was a troubled kid that needed serious disciplinary actions. I wished someone in school had understood my situation. I wished someone had spoken up for me. But it was their words against mine and mine was silent. I was not a troubled kid. I wished someone at school, the principal, the teachers, had read this quote by Annette Breaux, “Remember: everyone in the classroom has a story that leads to misbehavior and defiance. 9 times out of 10, the story behind the misbehavior won’t make you angry. It will break your heart”. Maybe then they might have explored deeper into my situation. My entire childhood was filled with isolation, abuse, and neglect. I was born in Hong Kong, the youngest
Lynda Barry's writing demonstrates to the reader that schools are more than just institutions that provide learning spaces. Ideally, every kid in a classroom should be living a happy life outside of school. But in reality, this is seldom the case, and some kids are living a rough time at home. Family values are fundamental to a kids' development, yet every day it seems families get disoriented with disputes life troughs in their paths. Forgetting of what truly is important. The school is like a second home to some kids. Barry's essay demonstrates this by explaining the effect school had on her. As a result, she sees the janitor in which she is delighted to see and quickly sparks a smile on her face. Another example is when she sees her teacher Mrs.LeSane and goes up to her and cries. Finally, the last case is the therapeutic value of art Mrs.Lesane believed on.
When I walked up to the schoolyard, I felt tears pushing in my eyes. I walked over to the classroom door I was so familiar with, took of my shoes, and walked into the classroom. I was greeted with cheers from the students, but this only made it worse for me.
What has my journey to graduation been like for me? My journey has been a crazy, fun-filled learning adventure. I met many goals and accomplishments I set for myself but I also faced some challenges on the way. For example, I finally met my goal of graduating with a 4.6 GPA and maintaining it. Also, I accomplished completing my last four years of grade school and now I am on the way to college. My last year has been interesting and there are many goals, accomplishments and challenges I can reflect on.