Personal Narrative
Farah Ballestreros.
COMP 101.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
FINAL .
“Graduation, the hush-hush magic time of frills and gifts and congratulations and diplomas.” You weren’t lying when you said that Maya Angelou. May 19th, 2013 I had dreamt of that day for almost four years. I know I can’t be the only person who feel this way. I remember it as if it was just yesterday. So many different emotions going through my mind all at once. Happiness, Sadness, I felt relieved because it was almost over but at the same time I felt anxious and overly excited to just leave and go far away. 389 seniors were going to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas. After all, our class had the biggest percentage of graduates who were actually …show more content…
going away to universities and trade schools. That fourth Saturday of that rainy gloomy day of mid May, I was going to walk across that stage. There only one problem. I wasn’t going to receive my diploma.
FCAT, my worst enemy. Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, students need a two or higher on the 10th grade FCAT to earn a high school diploma. I know what you’re thinking, “ A two is easy, anyone can get a two”. It’s not as easy as you think. The exam went from a paper test to a computer test. Every year that reading test got harder and harder. During Mrs. Craig’s intensive reading I was always great when it came to class assignments and discussions. You would’ve thought I knew what I was doing, until you threw a test in front of me. I had test taking anxiety. I know it’s within the mind, but I could never overcome it. I always second guess myself on whether I’m prepared for something or not. I never felt like I knew everything I needed to know in order to past my tests. I spent hours studying and going over my reading passages the night before the big test. Next morning, it was time for FCAT. I was so anxious to just go into that room and take the test. 8:00 am comes and the principal makes a announcement “ All students please report to your designated classes on your green slip for the today’s session of the FCAT”. After the announcement was made, I began to walk out as my teacher wished us good look on our test. I walk with my friends and all I hear is them talking about is how they just want to pass the test and graduate. I just listened to everyone’s thoughts and kept to myself. In all reality I just couldn’t wait to see that I finally passed that torturous test. I got in the test room and chewed on my mint gum. I was told by my choir director that mint was good for the mind, it keeps you awake and energized. For those two days in that smelly computer lab for four hours I over analyzed every question, and felt pretty confident about what I did. There was no way I wasn’t going to pass that test.
Testing was over and school was over in three and a half weeks .
Now it was time to enjoy the rest of my senior year. Too bad being apart of Dimensional Harmony (the schools choir) didn’t exactly allow me to relax and have fun. I was worried about the Nationals competition. It got to one point where Mr. Frederick got agitated with the seniors because he claimed we weren’t “doing our jobs as seniors.” What he meant by that was, people missing rehearsals or coming in late, or even missing performances. The underclassmen even tried to take the leadership position from us. We were so focused about ourselves and getting into college. That we weren’t being considerate of the other members. I mean, was it wrong that we were trying to better ourselves and attempt to graduate and go off to college? So we started putting more effort into our rehearsals, we got stronger, worked harder, spent more of our free time working on our parts until we could sing it in our sleep. Finally the day comes we were ready to …show more content…
compete.
The drive up to Orlando from Boynton Beach was a quiet bus ride. Everyone had all these different emotions. The other students were eager, nervous, excited, as well as a little scared. It was a whole new group of people going to Nationals for the first time. Forty students, half which were new to the group. We were already in our tuxes and black and white dresses. I called them the penguin dresses. They were long, black and white in the middle. The girls all wore their hair in buns and we wore pearl earrings. We walked into this dark auditorium, where we saw no one but three judges sitting in the middle just patiently waiting to judge us and waiting to hear or see a mess up. Just waiting. Mr. Frederick turned his back to the judges and played the pitch to the song, he then walks over and turns to us and moved his hands to conduct a sweet sweet classical melody,
“My heart is offered still to you full now of woe and deep despairing be not to constancy untrue . . . . . . . .”
It was a classical a cappella piece by Orlandus Lassus. It focuses on the loss of a lover. I sung that song along with other thirty nine members, but I felt the emotions of the song as if I sang this song to a past lover. My best friend Rochelle stood next to me in our choir lines. I held her hand as we sang, because it was such an emotional moment for me. My last Nationals. My last trip with my family. My senior year, came to an end.
Three hours later they announced the winners. “Boynton Beach High schools Dimensional Harmony won first place in the mixed choir, as well as best overall.” I put so much into chorus that I slowly began to realize, it wasn’t going to help me graduate. My scores still hadn’t come in yet. I was so eager and persistent to see my scores.
May 10th, my last day of high school.
I got called in the guidance counselors office. I was extremely nervous because I knew why they needed to see me. I walked into the office and the first face I see is Ms. Rosas, my guidance counselor. Next to her sits Mr. Lopez, another guidance counselor. They look at me and smile just as Ms. Rosas looks at me and asks “ Did you know your FCAT scores came in?” I looked at her and nodded my head yes. My legs were shaking, my heart rate paced, I begin to bite my nails. She looked at me, and tells me my score “You got a 240 on the fcat.” I looked at her with a blank stare. “What score did I need?” I asked. She looked at me with this heartbroken look in her eyes “245”. She rubbed my back and hugged me. I didn’t know what to do or what to say, so I just began to cry. I cried my eyes out, and didn’t stop. Everything I ever worked hard for just went out the window. As I cried, the fact that I wasn’t going to get a diploma tore me to pieces. It was honestly one of the most humiliating moments ever. At the same time, it taught me something. You’re going to fail several times before
success.
So much led to this day, this gloomy Saturday of graduation day. Despite the fact that I didn’t graduate on time. I was the first in my family to graduate with a high school diploma and go to a university and I felt good knowing that. All the hard work, stress and late nights up writing essays and doing homework payed off. I may have not gotten my diploma on time but hearing my name being called as I grabbed my certificate still felt good. I still felt a sense of completion. I didn’t give up. Knowing that I was stepping into the next chapter of my life as I walked off that stage. Moving on to bigger experiences, where I’ll face new challenges and meet new people. It was honestly one of the most significant moments of my life.
COMP 101.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
FINAL .
“Graduation, the hush-hush magic time of frills and gifts and congratulations and diplomas.” You weren’t lying when you said that Maya Angelou. May 19th, 2013 I had dreamt of that day for almost four years. I know I can’t be the only person who feel this way. I remember it as if it was just yesterday. So many different emotions going through my mind all at once. Happiness, Sadness, I felt relieved because it was almost over but at the same time I felt anxious and overly excited to just leave and go far away. 389 seniors were going to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas. After all, our class had the biggest percentage of graduates who were actually …show more content…
going away to universities and trade schools. That fourth Saturday of that rainy gloomy day of mid May, I was going to walk across that stage. There only one problem. I wasn’t going to receive my diploma.
FCAT, my worst enemy. Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, students need a two or higher on the 10th grade FCAT to earn a high school diploma. I know what you’re thinking, “ A two is easy, anyone can get a two”. It’s not as easy as you think. The exam went from a paper test to a computer test. Every year that reading test got harder and harder. During Mrs. Craig’s intensive reading I was always great when it came to class assignments and discussions. You would’ve thought I knew what I was doing, until you threw a test in front of me. I had test taking anxiety. I know it’s within the mind, but I could never overcome it. I always second guess myself on whether I’m prepared for something or not. I never felt like I knew everything I needed to know in order to past my tests. I spent hours studying and going over my reading passages the night before the big test. Next morning, it was time for FCAT. I was so anxious to just go into that room and take the test. 8:00 am comes and the principal makes a announcement “ All students please report to your designated classes on your green slip for the today’s session of the FCAT”. After the announcement was made, I began to walk out as my teacher wished us good look on our test. I walk with my friends and all I hear is them talking about is how they just want to pass the test and graduate. I just listened to everyone’s thoughts and kept to myself. In all reality I just couldn’t wait to see that I finally passed that torturous test. I got in the test room and chewed on my mint gum. I was told by my choir director that mint was good for the mind, it keeps you awake and energized. For those two days in that smelly computer lab for four hours I over analyzed every question, and felt pretty confident about what I did. There was no way I wasn’t going to pass that test.
Testing was over and school was over in three and a half weeks .
Now it was time to enjoy the rest of my senior year. Too bad being apart of Dimensional Harmony (the schools choir) didn’t exactly allow me to relax and have fun. I was worried about the Nationals competition. It got to one point where Mr. Frederick got agitated with the seniors because he claimed we weren’t “doing our jobs as seniors.” What he meant by that was, people missing rehearsals or coming in late, or even missing performances. The underclassmen even tried to take the leadership position from us. We were so focused about ourselves and getting into college. That we weren’t being considerate of the other members. I mean, was it wrong that we were trying to better ourselves and attempt to graduate and go off to college? So we started putting more effort into our rehearsals, we got stronger, worked harder, spent more of our free time working on our parts until we could sing it in our sleep. Finally the day comes we were ready to …show more content…
compete.
The drive up to Orlando from Boynton Beach was a quiet bus ride. Everyone had all these different emotions. The other students were eager, nervous, excited, as well as a little scared. It was a whole new group of people going to Nationals for the first time. Forty students, half which were new to the group. We were already in our tuxes and black and white dresses. I called them the penguin dresses. They were long, black and white in the middle. The girls all wore their hair in buns and we wore pearl earrings. We walked into this dark auditorium, where we saw no one but three judges sitting in the middle just patiently waiting to judge us and waiting to hear or see a mess up. Just waiting. Mr. Frederick turned his back to the judges and played the pitch to the song, he then walks over and turns to us and moved his hands to conduct a sweet sweet classical melody,
“My heart is offered still to you full now of woe and deep despairing be not to constancy untrue . . . . . . . .”
It was a classical a cappella piece by Orlandus Lassus. It focuses on the loss of a lover. I sung that song along with other thirty nine members, but I felt the emotions of the song as if I sang this song to a past lover. My best friend Rochelle stood next to me in our choir lines. I held her hand as we sang, because it was such an emotional moment for me. My last Nationals. My last trip with my family. My senior year, came to an end.
Three hours later they announced the winners. “Boynton Beach High schools Dimensional Harmony won first place in the mixed choir, as well as best overall.” I put so much into chorus that I slowly began to realize, it wasn’t going to help me graduate. My scores still hadn’t come in yet. I was so eager and persistent to see my scores.
May 10th, my last day of high school.
I got called in the guidance counselors office. I was extremely nervous because I knew why they needed to see me. I walked into the office and the first face I see is Ms. Rosas, my guidance counselor. Next to her sits Mr. Lopez, another guidance counselor. They look at me and smile just as Ms. Rosas looks at me and asks “ Did you know your FCAT scores came in?” I looked at her and nodded my head yes. My legs were shaking, my heart rate paced, I begin to bite my nails. She looked at me, and tells me my score “You got a 240 on the fcat.” I looked at her with a blank stare. “What score did I need?” I asked. She looked at me with this heartbroken look in her eyes “245”. She rubbed my back and hugged me. I didn’t know what to do or what to say, so I just began to cry. I cried my eyes out, and didn’t stop. Everything I ever worked hard for just went out the window. As I cried, the fact that I wasn’t going to get a diploma tore me to pieces. It was honestly one of the most humiliating moments ever. At the same time, it taught me something. You’re going to fail several times before
success.
So much led to this day, this gloomy Saturday of graduation day. Despite the fact that I didn’t graduate on time. I was the first in my family to graduate with a high school diploma and go to a university and I felt good knowing that. All the hard work, stress and late nights up writing essays and doing homework payed off. I may have not gotten my diploma on time but hearing my name being called as I grabbed my certificate still felt good. I still felt a sense of completion. I didn’t give up. Knowing that I was stepping into the next chapter of my life as I walked off that stage. Moving on to bigger experiences, where I’ll face new challenges and meet new people. It was honestly one of the most significant moments of my life.