High School- Shaped Experience

               These past four years have been a whirlwind of emotions, with the highs at times being outweighed by the low moments. There were even some moments over the four-year span where I did not even think I would make it out alive. However, I seemed to pull in the positive direction and as I walk out in the following weeks; I know that I am leaving with my head held high and filled with nearly half a decade of knowledge bestowed on me. I have pushed through all obstacles placed in front of me throughout high school and I sometimes laugh to myself on how I even made it as far as I have. Each face and lesson that had made its way over to me has impacted me in some way over the years; whether I know it or not, and I am very appreciative of it all.

                Who would have thought that four years can really warp a person into the young man or woman that will go on to face the world? To me, high school did much more than teach me Calculus (despite how hard it was), it also taught me how to interact socially as well as how to study and retain information to help me later down the road.

                The fact that I had come on top of my freshman year experience where for 105 days; (including weekends and school vacations) from December 9,2009 to April 5, 2010, I was not allowed to even step foot on the school property to now graduating the on the first of June. Although that incident was single-handedly the most severe punishment I had received and one of the post painful ones to sustain; I would not change a thing. I know that may sound strange, but it is remarkably true. I know having my grade point average drop from a 4.0 that year to a 1.9 was a drastic change, but it was one that caused me to take school a little more serious. Throughout school leading up to ninth grade, I was never challenged in school and I genuinely considered it a joke; but with having to face the matter of grade recovery in order to increase my GPA, I felt a challenge. Some days were harder than others, but knowing that I was accomplishing an almost impossible feat, a strong sense of pride came over me and I knew from then on I would thrive to do better and excel at whatever was on my plate.

                As I am finishing off the last leg of high school, I know that thanks to my freshman year I have truly excelled as a student and even more as a human being. I know my transcripts may not reflect the best of grades over the past four years, but on a yearly basis I have made it onto honor roll and have maintained A’s and B’s in my classes; both advanced and regular. My GPA has risen from 1.9 in my freshman year to now a 3.0; which is almost unheard of. In the course of three and a half years, I have raised my GPA 1.1 points, which by no stretch of the imagination is an easy task, but I feel very proud in that fact and no one can take that accomplishment away from me. Although my punishment I earned at GLHS three and a half years ago, was severe and drastic; it was truly I who made the drastic change by bouncing back from that event and coming out on the other end unscathed. 

This I Believe Essay

Through Pain Comes Strength

I remember walking into the house on a normal Wednesday afternoon- at least so I had thought- with just the same old song and dance routine I had used all that week. Waiting at the door was my mother which was an immediate red flag. She was not supposed to get off work until four o’clock but today something seemed wrong and oh how I wish my instinct was wrong.

After placing my bag on the floor, I had received the crushing blow that my grandmother had passed away; the news was devastating and I almost falling out of my chair. She had been sick for a month or two with pancreatic cancer and although her struggle was long, it was a positive that her suffering was over. On the other side of the spectrum, a sense of pain and resentment for her leaving us came over me. “How could she leave? I just saw her a few weeks ago”; thoughts that echoed through my head. I knew she was in a happier place, but to me I was not and I felt pain and an overall sadness come over me.

As time passed on, the fact of her no longer being here began to sink in, but a different feeling passed over me; a sense of resiliency.

I later found that the life lessons and ideas she passed onto me were not for nothing, and after applying these characteristics to my life I felt her make her way back into my life. Knowing her, learning to push forward from this was a life lesson in its own.

My grandmother was philosophical and “deep” like that, believing always to conquer obstacles that may lie in front of goals and aspirations. Thanks to her I found that although her passing shook me to the core, it also appeared to give me the will power to come out on top.

Although her passing was unexpected, my grandmother passed down more insight to me in seventeen years of life than some people receive in a lifetime.

Thanks to her love and support, I am fully in belief that I can conquer the biggest of problems that may arise in the future.

5-This I Believe

• "Tell the Children"- Theme: Children, courage, & death

• "Monster Juice"- Theme: Children & parenthood

• "The Triumph of Kindness"- Theme: Family, goodness, & kindness

• "There is Always a Way Out"- Theme: Self-determination

• "Why Are We Here"- Theme: Science

       To me the story "There is Always a Way Out" by Morris Mchawia Mwavizo stuck out as having the most impact to me. Morris's story truly resonates with me because he describes how even though times may be rough and tasks may seem impossible to conquer; there is always a way out of it. I like how his story demonstrates Morris's resiliency and determination to be a writer, and although it took him over a decade, he finally achieved his dream profession. His determination really gives people the courage and strength to push through obstacles in their path in order to obtain their goals and aspirations, and that to me is a very admirable quality to have and transmit to others. Although some problems that people come across may not be as severe and intense as Morris had to face; however even the smallest 'hiccup' can steer a person off course and due to Morris's words, I feel that I can shrug these problems off easier and keep pushing forward. That is why, due to all the essays I read, "There is Always a Way Out" stuck with me the most; with the strongest impact left on me. 

"Sweat" Blog (Theme)

        The theme projected in the story “Sweat” Zora Neale Houston is that of an intricate one. What Zora wants the reader to pull from this story is that karma for those who wrong others can be swift and severe. Throughout the story, Delia has to put up with her abusive, unfaithful, and cruel husband for a period of fifteen years. One of the only pleasures she maintains throughout their time together is washing clothes; but to no surprise he torments and ridicules her for the act of cleaning white citizens’ clothing. In the story, it is made very evident that she puts all the work and ‘sweat’ into their relationship; as illustrated by “Mah sweat is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep on sweatin’ in it” (2). Sykes thinks of nothing but to act on her new-found courage and beat her senselessly; showing his so-called dominance. He later decides to attack her psychologically with her biggest fear: snakes, by bringing in a six-foot rattle snake. As the story moved forwards, Delia becomes resentful and develops a hatred for her husband; being accentuated by “Ah hates you tuh same degree dat Ah useter love yuh” (6). Lucky for her, it does, as Sykes’s snake prank goes badly and backfires on him with the snake biting at his throat; inevitably killing him. The fact of the story is that throughout Delia’s life she (a kind person) had dealt with more than her fair share of pain and torment, and due to the mysterious ways of karma, things were balanced in her favor.

Blog 3: This I Believe

• I believe in a strong central government because without it, our nation would implode from the inside out.

• I believe in a loving and supportive family because they are the ones at the end of the day who will comfort you and even talk you down from the ledge, when problems present themselves.

 

• I believe in maintaining a thirst for knowledge because you can never be too smart, and an increase in knowledge to the world you live in can help open your eyes to things you truly never appreciated or cared for.

Topic blog

          Funny to think how far I have come in the past three years. The fact that I have made great progress throughout my high school experience is a feeling that seems to be indescribable. To think that my freshman year I was using drugs instead of my mind gives me cold shakes. How could I have been so naive? Well in my defense I did try my best to fit in with the "cool kids"; but the actions and decisions I made are those I have moved forward from.

          On a lighter note, I have been working to better my future in my DECA class. I seemed to overcome problems that have arisen over the past six months in comprising my project and it all in all has paid off. At the competition in March at the Career Development Conference (states), I- along with my group members- placed first in the state of Ohio out of thirty teams in our Buying and Merchandising category. Our win qualified us to compete at the international competition out in Anaheim, California April 23-29. I am very pleased with the progress I have put into this class along with other courses I have taken this year.

         I feel that my new-found success was all based around me getting in trouble three years prior. Getting suspended from school truly gave me the will and the drive to push through all obstacles placed in my path. Although, I am not proud of the person I was back in 2009-2010; I count my blessings each and every day that I pushed through and am turning into the remarkable person and student I had always thrived to be.

Boston Marathon tragedy

             Low and behold another tragedy has struck America, shaking it to its core. However this time it was not a federal building targeted in an act of terror, instead the innocence and excitement of the Boston Marathon; a very popular and competitive race. The fact that a bomb went off during this event is all in all appalling thing to happen. I honestly feel that the past year throughout America has been in a tailspin, with the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, and countless other acts of violence displayed in the U.S. The irony of the Boston Marathon bombing was that it was dedicated to the 26 people (teachers and students) who were killed at the Sandy Hook shooting. The event that was honoring and mourning a tragedy in fact turned into its own tragedy. I feel the overall inhumanity and cruelty displayed in our country is at an all time high and does not seem to be slowing down. However, sorting through all the negatives of the bombing, there were some glimmers of hope with Boston residents as well as sympathetic people across the globe. People demonstrating the strong sense of America that founders hoped to be implemented; with citizens offering meals, clothing, shelter, rides and their overall help to comfort those affected by the disaster. Although a great catastrophe has struck Boston, our nation's resiliency as well as its overall courage seems to counteract the acts of terror that have been presented to us.