Personal Narrative: A Career In High School

When I was younger I failed myself and my family when I got held back a grade because I was not showing any progress in any of my subjects. I lost all of my friends, they began to talk bad about me because they thought I was not as Intelligent as they were. This effected me emotionally, I begged my parents not to hold me back a grade and to let me stay with my friends but my parents being tough said no, because school isn't about being close with friends, its about learning and making something of yourself. I learned a very important lesson the day I got held back a grade and that is to never give up and to strive to be the best in anything I do. I also learned that friends come and go, and that I can make more friends. I started studying every

Several times I went to math class with my work incomplete and being unprepared for my academics, at that point I didn't even care. I was not busy the night before studying test or doing extra school activities I was sitting on the couch watching tv not doing my homework. I had the time for school, and I just wasted it. It got to the point where I was always failing at least one class, and all my grades were terrible. Everyone tried to help me get back on my feet and turn my education around, but I just didn't listen or put in the effort. I honestly didn't know what to do, and I was just lost. My laziness and fear of being a failure consumed

I will give you the short version of my story. In high school I could care less about my grades. I just tried enough to pass to the next grade. I had a very low self-esteem and was an introvert. I did not have many friends and did not do well in sports. I always avoid things that I thought I could not accomplish.

It was May 25, 2018 at 7:47 in a steaming hot gymnasium when the name Anthony Joseph Sansalone was getting called from the loud speaker, the sixth to last person to receive their diploma I begun shaking the hands of all the board members and everything that I had known from the last 13 years at the same school was over and a new chapter of my life was stating to begin. A few seconds after receiving my diploma the Class President guided us to changing of our tassels from right to left then commencement was over and I was walking out with my future roommate at BGSU, Vincent Zhang, we looked at each other knowing that our high school career was descending and our college careers were lifting off together. High school was tuff for me due to the fact that I have know what I wanted to do since I was a freshman, I want to become an animator and work for an Academy Award winning company such as

Although most people would continue post-secondary after high school, I plan on going to college, most likely Langara college, first after graduating. At first, I did want to go straight to UBC or SFU after high school, however, I started thinking of what I wanted to do. Then it occurred to me of how this is going to affect my entire life. From what I heard from others, people sometimes change their decisions based on what they want to do as a career. Not only does this take a lot of time on studying something else after changing their primary focus, but also costs a lot of money. Unfortunately, I know that I won’t have enough money to pay off the financial expenses just to study for the career I want for my future. I need to make sure that

I have always been a studious school-minded person. I went to school at Miles Exploratory Learning Center aka Miles ELC from preschool to 8th grade. I was very hard working receiving all A's and B's throughout my schooling. I then moved to Tucson Magnet High School. I was top 25 out of 600+ kids in my class and got to wear an honors cord and be called up in front of everyone. I graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA something I am very proud of. I worked very hard in high school to make sure I graduated with good grades because I needed all the scholarships I could get to be able to afford college since I am white and middle class and not very many scholarships are offered to middle class families.

When I was around the age of 14 I was in 8th grade. This was around the same time my parents had told me they were going to be separating. For awhile, because of what my parents had told me, I was very confused and angry with basically everything. I didn’t care for school, I didn’t care to listen to my teachers or anyone who was there to try and help me. That would be my biggest downfall because it had caused me to fail my 8th grade year.

Once I hit fourth grade, school from then on all the way to my very last day of senior year in high school was a very difficult journey. Not only was I difficult for me but also I had made life for my parents very difficult. In school I was always more concerned with girls and my year round swim team. I was one of those student who would never do their homework, however I would get A’s on the majority of my quizzes and test. Once I graduated high school I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt like a free man. I felt like I was going to finally be in full control of my path. Once I graduated high school, I felt confident and empowered to decide what next step I wanted to take in my education. My parent were just relieved that I had graduate and were thankful that I was even entertaining the idea of going to college. I kissed a full ride swimming scholarship out the window because I couldn’t commit myself to my grades. Even though I was a nationally ranked swimmer, I essential had no future in swimming without getting into an elite college known for swimming. These ramifications taught me to take the next step more seriously, which ultimately are the main reason why I try my best to get good grades in college. If someone would have told me that I would make the Dean’s list in college when I was in high school, I would of laughed at them. The choices I made in the past and feeling the ultimate freedom has influenced me to take a different direction in my education.

At first, I didn’t think I belonged here. I wasn’t doing as well as I had hoped at the beginning of the semester, but I buckled down, got tutors and used my time wisely. After just a week, my hard work started to pay off. I realized I loved being at Salve and I could not have chosen a better school to be at. The people here have been so welcoming and have been so helpful. I am so glad that Salve was the school I chose. Not only was it my dream school, but I also figured out who I was and why I belonged here rather than at any other school. I love Salve and I could not imagine being at any other school.

Throughout my freshman year of high school, I had a difficult transition from middle school. I attended a school that offered minimal assistance to incoming freshmen, and I became unmotivated due to the environment that surrounded me. My lack of motivation was fortified by the discouragement that came from teachers as they too, did not provide a strong backbone for students to get help from. My self-esteem lowered as I thought that the difficulty experienced in my classes was something that would remain. With no one to help me, I struggled to do my homework and allowed for failure to define me. Slowly, I stopped caring and gained comfort in receiving "C's" on my report cards and believed that the effort I put in was up to my capability. I realized I was wrong when my parents decided to move so that I could attend a high school that offers as much help as needed. Now, I am constantly motivated and with the help of my peers and teachers I developed great studying skills and can reach out to them when I need them. I knew deep down freshman year, that the effort I was putting in was nothing like me, yet it took me time to realize the importance of education. I am now a student who never gives up and during times of struggle, always seems to find a way of getting through academic difficulties.

Growing up in a small town has forced me to face many challenges. Some of them being small like trying to figure out what to do on a Friday night, but some were much larger challenges like, what do I wanna do with my education, and how can I further it. These many decision haunted me throughout my four years of high school. In high school I would be considered very involved. My high school career included sports, my studies, an active Warrior sports fan, and planning events within student council. Multitasking was the greatest tool I learned during my high school career. After high school I plan to attend a four year university to gain the experience and knowledge I will need for the real world.

“Ranked sixth, Dorothy Hernandez, Texas A & M University Kingsville, Civil Engineering,” began the description at my high school graduation. I recall my decision upon selecting a school and major, which were all revolved around an anti-teaching attitude. My mother, who comes from a line of teachers in El Salvador, and a school counselor at the time of my graduation, attempted to lure me into the family profession; and as a young reckless teenager would do, I held nothing back when I declined to even consider that possibility. My mom recalls me saying, “Oh no! I don’t want to be a teacher, EVER!” when she helped me consider my career choices.

Sometimes finding time to do everything you need to do is nearly impossible. Some people push somethings to the side for later, or they just completely forget about them. That is why my ability to balance all aspects of my life throughout my high school career has made me very proud. I have always loved playing sports, so when I got to high school, I was so ready to be one of those kids on the varsity team. I played basketball for two years and softball for two years, earning All Districts and All Regions honors for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. I also knew I wanted to be involved in the school, so I joined some clubs, Art Club, Spirit Club, Volunteer Club, National Honors Society, and Student Council. I have been on the board for volunteer club

I seemed to have a pattern of waking up late, being tardy to class, sitting through lectures in a daze with my mind circling around irrelevant things, deciding, half-way through the day, to skip the rest of my classes with my peers, and going home afterwards to avoid doing anything productive. Miraculously I always had good grades but, without meaning to do so, I created an undesirable reputation for myself. Afterwards, I had to learn the hard way that it is difficult to change the way others see you when you have dug so deep into unhealthy habits. But, instead of trying to better myself, I gave up. I still graduated, luckily, but made the choice to live up to these low, derogatory expectations. I had my life on repeat. Eventually I got so far into this cycle that I didn’t know how to change it. I would make the same choices time and time again and expect

It was January 2013. I suppose I had known this would come. After Dad had started coming home later each night, more exhausted and drained than usual, I began to realize that our current residence might not be as permanent as I had wanted. We had relocated here, to the outskirts of Humboldt, Tennessee, four and a half short years before, to have enough acreage for our horse Clyde to stay at home. Our previous location in the city had not allowed for that, and stable boarding expenses were piling up. In the country, we could go riding any time we wanted, without having to make a long drive to the stables. We began to like this, and fell into a routine. Dad had now had his job for eight years, and I expected everything to stay the same as it had been. I was in for a surprise.