He later befriends a young kid named S.J Tuohy and later S.J.’s mother and father take in Michael as one of their own. The Tuohy’s then become Michael’s legal guardians. As time goes by Michael had picked up on football and he was now determined to go to college. He is accepted into University of Mississippi and later goes on to play in the NFL. This story is relevant to the quote because being homeless was Michael's rough point, but he later is taken in by wonderful people and gets to have a real chance at a good
Anna Quindlen strongly urges the graduates to not follow after the worldly standards and desires of being “perfect,” but rather to be whom they truly are. Quindlen points out that each graduate is different from any other person in the entire world and she calls them to live that out as opposed to following the popular opinion. She uses reasoning from past experiences to encourage the graduates to not only stop following the beaten path but to also teach their future kids the same thing in order to impact the next generation.
The Book Of Michael, by Lesley Choyce starts off with a boy named Michael getting out of prison, and talking about his false murder conviction. He was released after the real murderer confessed, her name Miranda. Through a flashback we learn that Miranda was Michaels first girlfriend. She made him do drugs. Through another flashback we learn that Michael drifts apart from Miranda and finds a girl named Lisa, who changed his life. Michael’s first girlfriend, Miranda, murdered her. Michaels is very depressed, but one day decides to go back to school, and graduates a couple of months later. As the book comes to a close, Michael decides to get back together with Miranda and live a normal and happy life with
Michael’s dad was sent to jail frequently and while Michael was in high school, his father was thrown off a bridge and murdered. Michael’s mother was a drug addict and was in and out of rehab centers. During Michael’s childhood he lived in many different foster homes. Michael was such a horrible student that he even flunked weight lifting class. Michael didn’t care about going to school, in fact in the fourth grade he didn’t show up for about fifty days of a single term. Michael’s teacher described his career as, “He was sensationally absent: forty six days of a single term of his first grade year for instance” (Lewis 46). During his middle school career, Michael was tested for his IQ to see his academic potential. The testing showed that Michael had limitations to his academic potential: The testing proved that, “The boy had measured IQ of 80, which puts him in mankind's 9th precinct tile” (Lewis 45). This showed his teachers how severely learning disabled Michael was to his teachers. Since Michael had failing grades, he was often transferred to different schools. The public school system failed him since, “In his first nine years Michael Oher was instituted in eleven different institutions and that included a whole of eighteen months” (Lewis 45). In Michael’s early life he had no family support and little education and when Michael couldn’t do something for school, he would just give up. Michael had little motivation to succeed due to his
In this summary, Mike has his eyes opened to the world, and he explains his feelings and emotions. He wants to make the point that, no matter the struggle, if people only keep pushing for what they want, they will achieve excellence. Going to school was something big for both Mike and Anthony, and both learned some very important lessons from their experiences during their enrollment. Also, there is a lesson that Mike also learned about how people are not going to use their minds, unless they try to experience the lives of others. People in everyday life are more distracted than they lead on to be. They need to open their eyes, and see what is right in front of them
For 3 ½ months Michael laid on a hospital bed recovering from his injuries. On January 15th 1940, Michael was released from the hospital and was free to go home. As Michael stood outside the hospital main entrance and looked at the destruction that had occurred while he was in the hospital recovering, he was incomplete disbelief. Nothing was like it was before the night of the air raid that startled him and his mother from their sleep. Michael knew by looking around that there was no home to go back to. As he stood there with deep sadness and a sense of hopelessness, he caught a glimpse of a women across the way; it was his mother. Even though Michael had just spent 3 ½ months in the hospital recovering from a severe gunshot wound to his leg, he suddenly felt no pain as he ran as fast as he could towards his
Michael was shocked and discouraged on his way to his next class, however when he saw his class his spirits were lifted.
I felt as if I was ,in a sense, finally measuring up to my peers. Once I sat back down, I started to enjoy the ceremony more. I observed as the number ten group received their award for having over 1,000 hours of community service, the group eleven, then group twelve and so on. Patiently, I awaited for Mr. Bravo to hold up the twenty one in order to receive my last award. When he finally did, I stood up and began to walk toward the stage’s stairs, but I noticed that I was the only one there. The times I went up before, I could hear the sound of chairs folding up and students chattering as they walk to get in line. But not this time. All you could here were the clicks of my heels. I began to feel even more nervous now. I had absolutely no clue what the award was for. Why was I the only one here. “Is it a special award? Did I read the number wrong? Was I in line for the wrong number?” My mind began to overflow with these questions. This time my principle began with “Our next award is being presented to a special student whom the counseling staff has chosen as this years Champion of Character for her extraordinary high school growth.” She then continued with “Congratulations to Ms. Leslie Ruiz.” I proceeded to walk on stage and receive my award. I was very nervous as I stood on stage alone, but I also felt very honored and ecstatic to receive such a special award. From a distance I could see my parents and my boyfriend as they
Michael oher is an American football player with a bad background. He’s from the ghetto with not much he has . He came from a home that was crumbling…He came from a neighborhood that was very violent. Michael oher was in and out of foster homes his whole young childhood. Eventually michael was picked up one night while he was living on the streets by sean tuohy and leigh tuohy when he was the age of 16. They ended up legally adopting michael they were a football family so micheals love for football was so great michael became a football star for his high school he began to become very motivated in his classes to get his grades up for football he got a at home tutor and begin to really take school and working out very seriously.
When he was in the high school, he was the first player to attend the practice and the last one leave. In his sophomore he joined the varsity team, but he was cut from the team early in the season because the coach thought that Michael would benefit more by playing jayvee ball than by sitting on the varsity bench. Michael was angry and embarrassed that he had been cut. Late in the season, the varsity team wanted to add one more player to the team. Michael was expected that they would choose him, but they didn’t. They were looking for a big man, so they call Leroy Smith who was six inches taller than Michael. It was not the last time that Michael’s talents were overlooked. Michael didn’t give up because of this attitude, he said that he promised himself from this point that will never happen again, and he started working hard more than before. Michael began cutting classes to work on his basketball skills. His parents were wired about him, so they talked to him. Michael told them that he had a goal and he had to work hard to reach my goal and he
Samantha came from a hardworking, family oriented, working class of community involved family members on her father’s side. Her paternal grandmother, Joanne Smith, pushed her four sons to be respectful, always work for what you want to receive, and always remember where you came from, therefore, Samantha’s father Brian decided to get his associates degree in architecture with a full-time job at Glenmark Construction to attain a career and pursue to be a part owner of the business. Samantha also came from an east coast, working class, intelligent, Norwegian based family on her mother’s side. Her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Bensen, worked at a bank while her grandfather, Kenneth Bensen, worked in a laboratory that manufactured mechanical circulatory support for the heart and lungs called cardiopulmonary bypass. Kenneth and Elizabeth pushed their two children to achieve a higher education, never give up, and never disbelieve in the talent that is given to you, thus, Samantha’s mother Christine went to Indiana University for undergraduate and graduate school, receiving her Doctorate in Law to pursue a career in criminal justice as a chief prosecutor in the state of
In 2010, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill was the commencement speaker for California State University, Stanislaus. This speech was addressed to the graduating class of 2010, their friends and family who were attending the ceremony, the California State University, Stanislaus faculty and staff, and people who may have not been able to attend the ceremony, but were able to watch it on a DVD recording. This speech was intended to congratulate the graduates and offer them advice as they enter into the “real world” post-graduation. However, the speech also had to address the family and friends of the graduates and the university’s faculty and staff, since they presumably made a difference in the lives of the graduates.
Graduation is often a time of celebration for not only those graduating, but for the family members and friends of those going through the ceremonial transition. The children in Stamps, Arkansas that are graduating alongside Marguerite Johnson know that they’re celebrating more than just that. Upon reading the story, Angelou reveals the initial feelings of excitement and hope for everyone’s future; Those feelings quickly overwhelm with disappointment due to human prejudices. In Maya Angelou’s, “Graduation”, Marguerite Johnson’s ultimate feeling of pride in her academic achievements and approaching graduating is confronted when the commencement speaker delivers an undermining speech that addressed his stereotypical views of African-Americans
Graduation is an exciting time in a person’s life, especially a high school graduation. When I think of family and friends gathering together to celebrate a joyous occasion, I feel I accomplished my strongest goal. It never occurred to me that graduation would be the end of my youth and the start of adulthood. Graduating from high school was an influential event that gave me an altered outlook on my existence. Life before graduation, preparing for graduation day, and commencement day overwhelmed me for reality.
Stepping upon a simple stage was the best thing I could have ever done. Overseeing the multitude that was there to witness my every word, every tremble, every emotion, and every heart beat, was then that I realized that the sentiment was real. It was essentially the end of time and I could not bear to hold back what I no intentions of doing. Cry. Tears of joy darted down my face as I walked across the stage and received my ultimate gift. With fancy inscription, my gift was entitled “Class of 2009”. I had just graduated.