A Reflection On My Life

Growing up in Washington D.C. in an area with high poverty, STI and HIV rates, and low high school graduation rates, I was afforded an opportunity to attend a prestigious private school in Northern Virginia. While I was grateful to be able to receive a wonderful education in a safe environment, I always understood that many of my peers in the Black community did not have this privilege. Particularly, supportive faculty members encouraged me to pursue an accelerated math track so that I would be prepared when I pursued a STEM career. As I reached a high math level AP Calculus BC, I was one of five girls and the only black student in this course. I realized that as I pursued a career that requires high level math and science, due to educational disparities, my classroom’s racial and gender demographic will become my norm. Initially, I did not view this fact as a potential source of motivation to help bridge this gap. Instead, this observation led to loneliness, insecurity, and depression because no one else in the classroom innately related to me, not just in this math course, but for over 14 years in one school, the loneliness can become psychologically damaging. Yet, this damage was the cost of a invaluable education and the juxtaposition of emotional suffering and academic preparation allowed me to graduate top 10 in my graduating class in college.

The story illustrates the overlapping influences of women’s status and roles in Mexican culture, and the social institutions of family, religion, economics, education, and politics. In addition, issues of physical and mental/emotional health, social deviance and crime, and social and personal identity are

Students from racialized backgrounds face robust barriers to their success in high schools. While high school graduation rates are raising as a whole, students from racialized background are graduating high school less that their peers of the dominant racial group. These students have many different variables that limit their educational outcomes. “While education is the institution used in America to distribute social status and economic power, and facilitate how society functions, it has not been accepted or provided equal opportunity to all members of society.”(Boyd, Gordon, Iwamoto, Potts, Ward, 2009)

In the United States, there is a long history of unequal treatment among ethnic minority groups, particularly for African Americans. Unfortunately, this injustice also appears in education. Sociologists have affirmed the importance of education in shaping the economic and social prospects of individuals. As all communities in the United States have been diversified, it becomes crucial to recognize and properly deal with diversity within the classroom. All students should be guaranteed to have equal opportunities for quality education at school. However, racism is still prevalent in many schools today (Beswick, 4, 1990, Pennino, 2007). Racism now has different forms, like the individual instructions student can get from their teachers, and the acceptance of students among their classmates. These can have negative and lasting effects on students even when they leave school. Students must not experience any type of stereotyping, ethnic prejudice or racial violence in schools. Asante (2003) said: "Racism in education can not be overcome by the expression of goodwill, it must be constantly confronted in all conscious ways" (p.223).

Throughout the history of American education, students have faced many dilemmas that have caused interference to the community in many ways. For the past half century many of the educational reform movements (e.g., school desegregation, head start, and bilingual education) have attempted to promote racial and class equality in education. So why is it that these reform movements haven’t been successful in equalizing educational opportunities? There have been notable achievement gaps between mainstream and minority students that researchers haven’t found a solution for and my explanation for this is that once a debate has been “solved,” a new one arises. It isn’t so much that educational equity isn’t achievable, but I strongly believe that the ignorance of individuals creates a barrier between the reality of a situation and the false belief of one. This is to say that those who believe in stereotypical speculations about certain racial groups, often alienate that group; so much so that equality is farfetched.

Coming from a diverse community to a predominantly all white community has been a slow transition. I’ve experienced situations where sometimes I question my identity and who I really am. I’ve experience microaggressions within my work environment and my internship at the Boys and Girls club in Mckinleyville. Kids are extraordinary, but are a mirror image of their parents or adult figures present in the household. You can see by the way kids talk to peers or adult figures, treat one another, that there’s an unfair thinking being embedded in their cognitive development. This will affect them in how they go about their day, who they chose to interact with, what they allow to happen and the type of

As for me being a Hispanic female, there are many stereotypes and judgments are put not only on myself as a female, but as a person of the Latin descendant. In our society today, we see many forms of stereotypes, racism and discrimination all over the media and even in our everyday lives. As I can only speak on behalf of a female and a minority, I can say that there are large amounts of stereotypes and ‘images’ that we have to live up to in this society; despite my personal feelings and beliefs towards this, it is part of our country and we must live with it. However, after preparing for this assignment, my eyes were opened not only are minorities and people of color being discriminated against, but also Caucasian individuals.

salient aspect of participants’ experiences. Participants shed light on the particular discourses that populated the cultural zeitgeist and the ubiquity of negative portrayals of Latina/os in the United States. In addition, they highlighted the centrality of Latina/os in the discussion of public policy related to immigration and affirmative action. Another factor that may influence the occurrence of racial discrimination against Latina/os are geographic and demographic factors of the Southwest United States.

Now that we have covered the path that led us here, we must see how our battered past still has a lasting impression on students of the 21st century. First, and foremost, schools that have a majority-minority student population usually have fewer and/or less quality resources than those that are mostly populated by white students (Hammond). This ties in with the fact that these schools operate in the inner cities, which is inhabited by low-income, minority families who have decreased property taxes that aren’t funneled into their schools, further expanding the funding gap between school districts (Hammond). Accordingly, these urban

Beginning the writing process, I established for myself a mental roadmap. I asked myself what I was trying to say, and what the goal or intent of the writing would be. Was I attempting to persuade my readers, or to be didactic instead? I considered the "how" part of the equation later, and honed each sentence word for word. The how part of the writing process was relatively simple compared to the question of what to say, and why. I had to imbue the paper with social commentary, for there was much to say about these readings.

Life is hard. Life throws curveballs and throws a wrench in your plans from time to time. Sometimes this life on Earth can be more than we ever could imagine. And sometimes it gets the best of us. But what do we really know about our life and our purpose on Earth? How soon do we know about God, our Creator? Who is really in control of our lives? Man vs. a higher power?

Describe a topic, idea, or concept (other than gospel related) that you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more about this? (2000)

One's dream and aspirations to supersede in life must be stronger and greater than limitations set forth by others. The experience that were bestowed to me during my short life has elevated me to the woman I am today. Please walk with me as I give you the opportunity to see the world from my eyes:

breathe or function at all and would be an empty shell for one cannot operate or function without it.

On a summer afternoon in 2013, I lay in my bed staring up at the ceiling contemplating how to cut my losses while my life spiraled out of control. I felt as though there was an anchor attached to my soul pulling me deeper into an abyss of unfathomable despair. My thoughts drifted to an existence of solitude, and for a brief moment, relief washed over me. I had already become disconnected from most of my family and friends–an unforeseen casualty of a protracted hardship. In a period of uncertainty, I considered whether or not I should also cut ties with my husband, Tom, since I desired to live out the rest of my days without the expectations of another. Furthermore, Tom never asked to be my caregiver, so letting him go seemed noble to me. Why should we both have to suffer when he could escape this nightmare?