zombie

F A. Brianna
Mrs. Winslow
English 092
4 September, 2013 Education Is Everything
For me, education is the key to success. It took me awhile to fully believe in that statement. It took years of me failing classes and getting suspended all the way up to my high points of getting honor roll and maintaining straight A’s. I am proud to say today that I am finally on the road to success. Some learned experiences that shaped me to be on this path of achievement today: moving from state to state, making the wrong kind of friends and lastly, my supportive parents who have pushed me to be the best. It all started in Rochester, New York, where I was born and raised. Life was great, surrounded by my family and childhood friends. Until one day, my dad was offered a job in California. At this time, I was only four years old and ripped from my home, and was forced to make new friends and learn in a new environment. I continued to live in California all the way up until the ninth grade of high school where I had become comfortable, happy and felt at peace. I was getting perfect attendance in elementary and honor roll in middle school. My life was at its highest until my dad yet again got another job offer in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, where I begged and pleaded to stay in California but had no choice but to move back to the East Coast. I was sad; I had to leave behind all of my friends and was afraid of not making new ones. The requirements for the high school of Stroudsburg Pennsylvania were completely different. In fact they required more credits and I was forced to start at an even lower level of math and English. This turned out to benefit me more in the long run anyways because Pennsylvania’s standards of education were higher than California’s at this time. Even though I had no friends during my sophomore year at Stroudsburg I surprisingly had excellent grades. However, I learned to be independent on myself and always be open to new challenges. A year later, I finally started making friends and being the new student; I just wanted to fit in and I was in no rush to pass up new friends. I began giving in to peer pressure of my new friends and I started to notice a dramatic drop in my test scores and skipping classes with them. I didn’t even know who I was anymore, I was once an independent leader who I had who I have now become weak- minded and relied on others for my own happiness and strength. My parents started getting phone calls home that I was skipping class, sleeping or getting suspended for several different reasons. That’s when I had my wake up call; I was at my lowest in my life and putting my education to the side. Luckily, having parents to help and guide me I have become who I am today. I learned to listen to my parents; even though they were old they were right when they warned me: “Those friends of yours are no good.” I remember my parents being worried because of their use of slang in their vocabulary. “But one thing I learned early on was that people are judge by their use of language- that how they spoke could define them as trailer trash or it could define them as being potenentially suitable for admittance to the country club.” My parents taught me so much that year, they helped me realize that real friends support your goals and want you to be your ultimate best in everything and not try and bring you down. My parents even helped pay for extra tutoring outside of school so I could catch up on the material that I missed, soon enough I made friends in my tutoring sessions and was right back on track. After getting back on track my parents didn’t want me to fall back into the same trap. After finishing junior year we moved back to the same house in Hemet, California, the city I was happiest in and most comfortable. I couldn’t be happier and grateful that my family was willing to do that for my education. I then was able to finish senior year with straight A’s and even had my old friends back. I’m glad I went through a rough spell because now I put schooling and education first, Thank you Mom and Dad. All in all, learning from your mistakes and not making them again will get you on the right path to success. Don’t let anything or anyone get in the way of your dreams and goals; you are the only thing getting in the way of your success. Moving from state to state, making the wrong type of friends and having my loving supportive parents that all have played an important part in my educational experience. I’ve learned from my years of experiences that education is everything.

Outline: Education is everything
Introduction
Thesis: Some learned experiences throughout my life that have shaped me to be who I am today.
Body Paragraph #1
Opening sentence: To me, education is everything
Detail 1; hanging with the wrong type of friends
Detail 2: moving from state to state during high school
Detail 3: supportive parents to help guide me along the way
Body Paragraph 2:
Opening sentence; I was originally born in New York
Deatil1: felt at peace in my California childhood home
Deatil2: required more credits in the new high school
Detail 3: no friends but great grades
Body paragraph 3
Opening sentence: making friends was easy for me but choosing the right ones I always seemed to fail at
Detail1: peer pressure
Detail 2: weak minded
Detail3: spiking class and getting phone calls home
Body paragraph 4
Opening sentence: luckily having parents to guide me and support me
Detail 1: listen to your parent seven though they may be old
Detail2: helped me get extra tutoring
Detail3: moving back to California
Conclusion
Learning from your mistakes and following your dreams and goals. Don’t ever give up!

Works cited page
Megan Foss. “Love Letters” Page 276 -277
“But one thing I learned early on was that people are judge by their use of language- that how they spoke could define them as trailer trash or it could define them as being potenentially suitable for admittance to the country club”