Overcoming Adversity Research Paper

When I was little, I was very shy around new people. I usually only showed who I actually was around my family. I didn’t have a friend who I could be myself around, they were usually just friends who I would play with at recess. That was until everything changed, and I moved across the town of Derby.

Since I was young, there was a communication barrier that existed between me and the outside world. My shyness led me to many downfalls on my academic side. Not understanding a topic would mean that I would never be able to clarify any questions that were on my mind. Until around 6th grade, I always considered myself introverted; I had the inability to blend in with strangers, peers and teachers.

Like I said before, I was the shyest kid ever growing up, I would go out of my way just to avoid talking to people I was unfamiliar with. Many people from school rarely heard me speak, I was easy to forget about. I kept to myself and did my work. Even outside of school I stayed to myself, only ever hanging out with a few friends. Even when high school started I was quiet. I began hanging out with more people, but there were still a lot of

As a young child in elementary school, I was very shy and anxious about everything. As I continued to grow older, I started to grow out of my introverted nature with the help of my friends, teachers, and family. In fact, I started to go in the opposite direction and became more outgoing. This trend continued into middle school as I decided to try to run for student council, thinking that it would help me grow and become more popular. After I won a narrow election and began my work in the council, I realized that it would drastically change my life.

When I came to the age where it was time to go to school, I was horrified. I remember most mornings it was a struggle for my mom to drop me off. After years went by, my shyness seemed to get a little bit better, especially after moving to Texas in fifth grade. Throughout middle school I wasn't as shy but I still kept only a few close friends and would never speak to a large group of people. It wasn't until high school, where I finally broke out of my shell into the person I've always wanted to be.

When I was little, I was little shy around new people, I am still a little shy, but have become more of a people person.

Throughout my middle school years I was always shy. This stems back to my race and ethnicity; I never wanted to stand out. In high school I opened up, but I was still uncomfortable talking to those I barely knew. I sometimes forced myself to hang out with new people and experience different programs related to community service and soccer, and this helped me to find my passions, but I still felt out of place. I'm not fully Chinese or American. I fall in both categories sometimes it's easier to hide than speak out.

I used to think that I was “all that.” In elementary school and middle school I didn’t have to work hard and was able to get good grades without putting forth a lot of effort. My personal philosophy was that if I worked hard in class during the school day, then when I got home from school, my time should be my own. I had been successful following this belief system for years, and then, I enrolled in AP World History (APWH) in the tenth grade. My experiences in APWH changed my entire outlook on my role as a student and caused me to reevaluate my perspective on the things that were important to me.

When I was younger, I had a lot of trouble talking to people. I was shy, the kind of shy that brought books to bible school classes and read them underneath of desks just to avoid socializing. People were scary, I did not know to interact with them. So I turned to spending a lot of time working with and researching animals. When I was in 3rd grade my neighbor gave me a key to his dog kennel so I could play with his puppies. I remember walking up to his house every day after school for an hour or two that year. In tenth grade, I started fostering parrots.

At the age of four, I was living with my mother while she was a single parent. Back then, I was very cautious and an introverted child. I was afraid of many unknown things and I would never open myself up to anything new. This all changed once I met my stepfather, he showed me a new and more outgoing way to approach life.

I started out as a shy seventh grade student volunteering at the local ski hill. These years of volunteering have lead to extreme self discovery and change. I have opened up as a person and have gained great communication skills. I have gained the ability to talk with parents as well as reason with children. This is something that I previously would of been too shy to do.

Growing up, I had always been shy and awkward. In school, I would rather spend my time daydreaming than talking to classmates. When I was forced to socialize, whether it be by teachers or my parents, it was usually met with stammering, sweat and downturned eyes. As a result, I had trouble

Growing up I was a quiet and shy. I kept to myself a lot, and only had a handful of good friends. I had good parents who always supported me and encouraged getting out of my comfort zones. After a year of college, I was married and started life as a married woman. Even at the age of 20 with a brand-new baby I still struggled with being shy and quiet. I was happier being at home with my family than out in big groups of people. My husband and family continued to encourage me to get out and make new friends. I had a couple of people in my life that I could call friends and that was all I needed. I could not have predicted what would come next...

I used to not be shy. When I was younger, I liked to talk to everyone, I liked to have friends, but as the years went on I became more closed off. I did not have as many friends. I started to become quiet only answering when the teacher asked me a question. I talked to only a small group of friends. Now that I am older I am starting to learn and accept myself for being the way that I am. I have learned to use this as an advantage, I have become a good listener and am able to give advice. Even though I wasn’t always like this it always takes time.

Growing up, I was always been recognized as the shy child. At family events, I would be too afraid to have a conversation with my own uncle, so instead I would hide by my parents and avoid communicating with anyone at all costs. My sister is the loud one, she has always been outgoing and I loved to utilize that as an excuse to not address or express my thoughts and opinions. My dad soon realized that I sincerely hated meeting new people, having conversations, and making friends. He would constantly try his best to force me to obtain more confidence with people by making me order my own food, encouraging me ask other people questions, and continuously try to push me out of my comfort zone. This continued up through middle school, I had only