Overcoming Obstacles
Ever since I can remember, academics have not been my forte. I was made fun of for being a C student in my primary years. A’s did not come often. Oh, the mockery I endured at times by fellow classmates early on in my academic career, for being an average student, never being on Honor Roll or being Student of the Month. There were times when I had to go to school an hour before most of the other students arrived and I had to leave late just to keep up. I was considered a Title I student participating in Read 180, a class to help underachieving readers, for many years. It took some years of pursuing higher standards and some of the things I had to do to help myself become a better student academically included participating in morning and afternoon programs, developing perseverance through sports, and my creating strong convictions shaped by values demonstrated in my family, to land where I am now. Believing one can change one’s future with hard work and determination is the foundation for present and future success.
Just shy of my 5th birthday, I started school much younger than most of my fellow students, many of whom started well into their 5th year of life. Even my siblings had the advantage of starting school much older due to being winter babies. Reading was quite difficult, but after getting my first pair of glasses (I had a astigmatism for some time that went unchecked) helped me to become a better student, even though I still struggled for some time.
Certain life circumstances added to my mindset that aided my learning throughout the years. Having three older brothers taught me not to be afraid of life but at the same time my parents taught me to be compassionate and empathetic. As part of compassion, I learned to help those around me who are less fortunate. My heart cries at times when I view injustices and I am driven to help them out of suffering. I enjoyed doing just about everything my older brothers did such as sports,...