If I went to MICA High, I would definitely try to be Stargirl’s friend. Since I have read the book from Leo’s perspective, I know more about Stargirl than anyone else in MICA High. I have read about her room, her office, and her personality, and I know that she is someone that I would like to have in my life. She constantly cheers you up and changes your life for the better. She’s simple, yet complicated, in a way that makes you feel enlightened. This is a person that I would love to befriend. However, barely anyone at MICA High appreciates Stargirl’s unique personality. I believe that they are much too hard on her She doesn't deserve all of this hate.…
One day in a place far away from south Michigan, a kid named Evan was running in a long race. It was an estimated 26 miles. It was his first race that he has ever participated in. His nerves were racing and his relatives were too. This race was televised to the whole state of Michigan. He didn't practice and is coming into this with no running experience. The only thing that pushed him to do this was that his dad was a four time Olympic gold medalist in running.…
“Slow down, future leaders of America at play,” a sign engrained in my memory as a result of the numerous volunteer trips I took to Mountain Mission School. Mountain Mission School (MMS) is a Christian boarding school and home to many children, who come from devastating backgrounds and poverty. Receiving no government funding, Mountain Mission School located in Grundy, Virginia operates solely on private donations and generous charities from churches all over America. In addition to a school, MMS played a key role in my life. Not only was MMS my home but also my church starting from second grade up until I graduated high school.…
“You’re transferring schools, Karina!”, my mother exclaimed a week before my sophomore year. Ultimately, this was the last thing I wanted to hear. I kept trying to decipher whether the news was good or bad. Moving to a Medical Magnet school smelled like defeat, and I was not fond of change. Public school was my forte. I was adapted to crowded lunch rooms, lively classes, and having classes such as art, band, up to ROTC. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but there was something hidden behind my personal chaos. Overall, this life-altering experience is what shaped me into the dedicated pupil and aspiring health care professional I am today.…
I went to St. Michael School from Kindergarten through Eighth grade, so when it came time to leave for high school, I was not excited for the change. St. Michael was especially small in regards to student population. We had just under three hundred students split between all nine grades. That left roughly twenty to thirty kids per class. I was extremely used too this small environment and not exactly looking forward to the terrors of high school towering over me nor the thought of being lost in the sea of students. Over the years I was extremely imbedded in my academics. I had straight A’s for my entire time at St. Michael. I received the academic achievement award at Eighth grade promotion for having the highest GPA in my class. Despite this, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to live up…
I was a percussionist during my high school tenure. As a school musician during my freshman year, I was in the high school band at both Northwest Christian and Dayton Christian. I went to Northwest during the first two quarters of my freshman and the high school band only had one concert, Then, I switched over to Dayton Christian during the last two quarters of my freshman year. The Dayton Christian High School Band was much larger than Northwest’s and performed two concerts, one at the Dayton Christian Cafeteria, and one out at Cedarville University. During my sophomore year at Dayton Christian, I was part of the high school band and the pep band. I was a bass drummer during pep band season; we performed at a stadium in Monroe every home football…
Williams Elementary School is located just off of interstate 75 and home of the mighty Eagles. From the outside it has the appearance of a typical school with screaming students, rushing parents, and screeching buses. It is made out of boring brown bricks and beige stucco boarding near the top of the building. The inside features a prison-like setup, only with more vibrant colors. There is a double door leading into an office with multiple faculty and staff. In order to actually enter the school, you have to be buzzed in by the round and hyper man at the main desk. Once in the building, you will see that it is shaped like a large square with hallways extending from four sides. The hallways are full of colorful painting of eagles, laminated…
Growing up my mom has always encouraged my siblings and I to continue our education to as far as college. My mother never really got the chance to attend college because her family could not afford to put all their kids in school. She had seven siblings and an extra bill for school was not something her parents were able to afford. I consider myself really lucky to be alive in a time where there are so many opportunities to be able to afford college. If it were not for scholarships and financial aid, my mother’s story would be repeated once again. Through financial aid, the door for a college career is opened for me and I’m willing to enter it. My biggest motivator to push myself academically has been my…
At a young age, I’ve always been an artsy and creative person. In art class, I’d always have something good to show. During my freshman year, I felt as if I wasn’t living up to my own potential so I had begged my dad to take me out of Willingboro High and enroll me into Burlington County Institute of Technology or, BCIT. When filling out my exploration papers, I was dead set on getting…
My rite of passage was coming to Randolph-Macon. As I arrived at Randolph-Macon College on September 1st to begin my freshman year of college, I could not do anything but shake from being so nervous. My parents kept telling me that everything would come together and I would fit right in. I had never felt so out of place. Coming from a small private school, with a graduating class of 30, I could not bear to meet a freshman class that was as bigger than my hometown or my k-12 school. It was like I was a nightmare and no matter how many times I pinched myself, I could not wake up. I was trapped here without any friends or a vehicle to escape.…
People know Vermont’s Ben & Jerry’s Ice cream and maple syrup better than they know Vermont itself. This was true for me as well: I had no idea where Vermont was before I actually stepped on this land three years ago. The town called Manchester was as rural as I could imagine, but it brought me a fresh living experience and inspired me to appreciate the beauty of nature.…
“We’re back to the Beav!” My dad would mockingly say this to embarrass me when telling family about my decision to transfer back into Beaverton School District. I had attended BSD schools my entire life; Montclair Elementary, then the International School of Beaverton for Junior High, but in the summer of 8th grade, I decided to switch to Woodrow Wilson High School. I had found an interest in Computer Programming, and felt that I wanted to pursue my passion. Wilson High has a very well-known Technology program, so I applied for a transfer and was accepted. Coming into my first day of Freshman year, I didn’t know a single person in my grade, but I wasn’t concerned about that. I quickly made friends, and settled down into place. The year was…
Ever since my first day of school, my parents have observed that I work most effectively within an environment that contains an extensive ethical and organizational framework well as many opportunities to stand out and lead if possible. That is why my parents encouraged me to apply to Chaminade High School, the nearest Catholic school.…
Going into my senior year I still had the idea of, I can make it into a Florida school, I wanted to go to a Florida school to play baseball. So my senior year starting the baseball season with a new coach, I made my mind up, I’m going to work hard to stay in Florida and change my coaches mind. Through my senior year I was by far the best pitcher my ERA was under 1, I had 27 pick- offs in just one year. Also this year I was interviewed for being the hot shot of the week, an article in the newspaper. I was nominated for picking off 7 base runners in one game. I learned my pick off move from my coach in middle school before I knew my summer league coach. So I was still working with my summer league coach every once in a while at this point, but…
Looking back on the course, I feel some sort of foundation experience or exposure at some point in my educator or career so far and that give me a feeling that I'm doing something right. That feeling of defeat, which we can often feel in public education, can be a heavy burden. Then for me, leaving a feeling that I don't know what I'm doing. As we moved through the chapters of the book, I had many moments thinking to myself "Hey, I heard of that before" or "I'm doing that." This was reassuring that I do know what I'm doing and a feeling of defeat is only temporary. I think that the class strengthened my co-teaching and skills related to applied behavior analysis. Because I co-teach all period of the school day, I was especially intrigued by…