Experience is the source of knowledge whether they're bad or good. It gives us confidence, courage, and strength. It is how life teaches us to love and forgive each other. In fact, experience is the worst teacher because it gives us the test before presenting the lesson.…
When I was 13, I had to go through a transition that tested my character tremendously. Let’s rewind to my seventh grade year, which was four years ago. Talk was going around the little private school I attended in Ardmore, Oklahoma that my family was moving away. I had not heard anything about this, I had no idea what anyone was talking about, and I was definitely not happy with being the subject of everyone’s gossip. I heard stories about where and why my family was moving that you would not believe. I recall one girl who said that my family of five was moving to Australia because my dad was a Mexican immigrant who was running from the government. If you knew anything about me, you would know that story was completely bologna; my dad was not Mexican, he was the whitest white boy you could ever lay eyes upon, we were not running from the government, and we were definitely not moving to Australia. Eventually, I found out the rumors of us moving were true. We were moving to Durant, Oklahoma at the end of my seventh grade year.…
Don't be afraid to start over it's a new chance to rebuild what you want. Three changes. That's all I have for the new year. These three changes I won't want to make, but will make. One I will work harder in school to get the best grades I can. Two I will work on my attitudes towards my peers teachers and family members. Three I will focus on one thing at a time.…
College is the main thing on my friends minds. Where do I go? What do I want to be? How do I even get started? It’s all so stressful, it’s also very scary thinking about my future. The transition from high school to college is a big one, but it’s a transition I am excited to go through. Ever since I was little I always dreamed about going to college. My dream school was North Carolina, Chapel Hill; I was going to play soccer there. The person that influenced me the most for wanted to go there was Mia Hamm, I was going to follow in her footsteps by going to Chapel Hill and playing in the United States women's Olympic team.…
Fortunately, by the fifth grade my parents were able to rent an apartment nearby our school and had found jobs in multiple Brownsville restaurants. After the move, things became much easier and we were able to have a much simpler life, though we were never able to forget the hardships we experienced and the effort we put into enhancing our lives. Today, I am sure my successes as of now are gratifying my parents as I am in the top 10% of my class, the Co-Captain of the Golden Stars Dance Team, member of the National Honor Society, Piano Club, HOSA, and in TRIO UTRGV talent search program. I attend rigorous AP classes to improve my opportunity to attend a university and have the finest future I can give myself. Although my triumphs may not look like much to most, I can assertively say that the trial of going through difficulty to have a superior future has been overcome with the comfort of focus, strength, and the right set of mind to build a better tomorrow for my family and…
Millions of people decide what to do every day; however, most are passive when they make choices. I tend not to be a passive person; rather, I think about what I do. If I find myself in an unbearable situation, I stand up and seek a change. This is what happened in ninth grade, my first year of high school and first year at a private school. My parents enrolled me in a private school, and I was passive until I was bullied.…
Throughout my high school career I’ve went through some struggles. These struggles reflected in my academics. Thankfully, with my dedication I was able to overcome these personal…
The challenge began when I received the news that my dad had passed away. This moment not only brought me to my knees, but it also changed the expectations, plans, and possibilities I had envisioned in my head. The icon I had simply disappeared. He was no longer there to give a comfortable pat on the back, daily hugs, or words of encouragement. After his loss, along with the challenges teenage years usually brings, the various facets of my life slowly began to deteriorate. After numerous bad grades and disciplinary actions, I finally realized that internalizing my emotions was not the solution, but rather the source of my disappointments. It was at this point that I decided to embrace my loss, remember his words, and stand tall as a new man. A man, who is strong, determined, driven, and level-headed, just like my…
Entering into the 6th grade I was for sure that I was going to play sports in school especially football. Due to certain circumstances 6th graders weren't allowed to play any physical sports so I joined band instead. From getting chose to play euphonium, and playing my first note I knew that music was what I wanted to do and what I had a passion for. I continued to work and show my leadership skills and it eventually payed off and I became first chair and drum major throughout middle school. Going into high school I started to engage with music more. I joined my high schools show choir, gospel choir, and men's choir. I became section leader in the band my junior and senior year, and won numerous of awards. My second semester senior…
A common theme throughout my high school career has been overcoming adversity, even when it did not seem possible to myself or others. During my freshman year, I developed an illness that caused me to miss school occasionally. Though it was difficult with advanced classes, I was able to get through it and maintain a grade point average of all A's and A-'s that I was very proud of.…
Changing in High school is kind of tuff; especially when you are going to the best High school in the city. I had to mature and get on my “A game”, because there are other people trying to beat me. From football to scholar ships, I had to change really fast if I wanted to be on top.…
Today, my family and I went to the mall for Back to School shopping, and all I have to say is it went the absolute worst way possible. As soon as we stepped into a JCPenny, my mother darted for the most plain shirts you will ever see. They were all the same too! It was a tacky plaid, two-buttoned tee with a butterfly collar. She didn’t notice I didn’t like it until she looked over at my uneasy face. “What? It’s only $20!”, she said. I explained how everyone poke fun at me, and how my rep will lower in the rankings. “You’re barely a junior in high school. What rep are you talking about boy?”, she replied. For the next hour and a half, it was the same problem. My own mother picking the ugliest clothes. To add insult to injury, I asked for some nice new Adidas, but she got me Zips. Zips! Those are the most embarrassing shoes you can own. She clearly saw my disgusted face, so she came up with an idea. “Since you don’t like your shirts or your shoes, what kind of pants do you want?”, she said. At first, I presumed this was actually something wonderful, but I spoke too early. I told her I wanted some high-water jeans from American Eagle. She then said they were too expensive, so she said we would get them from WalMart! Does she want me to get bullied? “Don’t argue with me boy. You said you wanted these jeans, so don’t…
In the fall of 2014 I developed a severe case of depression and even after time in a primary care facility, I was unable to attend my senior year of high school in 2015. Instead, I moved out on my own where I wandered aimlessly without ever leaving my bed. To admit that my excursion through depression was still holding me back from reaching my potential and that I needed more help was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and also the best decision of my life.…
"It was a long, boring day in high school at Maynard Evans in Florida back in 2004, I was sitting in class staring at the green walls that surrounded me. I was feeling closed in while waiting to see if I passed the FCAT was scary, and I was feeling nervous. "All of this for a diploma?" I thought.…
I have no idea, but I did recently catch the campus equivalent of the bubonic plague and have been trapped in my cinderblock home for the past 58 hours. This flu has wrecked me despite how high my blood-OJ content is. Besides taking time to figure out just how many bugs are stuck in my lighting fixture, I’ve otherwise had about 57 hours to think. I’m a second semester senior, so that means I (erroneously) think I suddenly have tons of wisdom to share, even though I just learned that Café de Grasta even exists.…