Personal Narrative: A Step-Parent's Suicide

Do you ever ponder how your life would be if an event didn’t happen? Or yearn to go back in the past? If I had a ticket in my hand that gave me the opportunity to go to any place I desired, I would travel back in time and meet the one person my mind always wonders about, my grandpa.

Consequently, Moving schools halfway through my sophomore year was a daunting situation. However, after many years of my mother making sacrifices for our family, it was our turn to make a sacrifice for her. As I entered this new environment, I persevered, quickly going from an outsider to a leader. I revised my schedule and registered for 5 AP classes before being picked to be the science department’s Student of the Month.Furthermore, I pursued leadership when I received admittance into the school ambassador and National Honor Society programs. Finally, at the end of my junior year, I stood in front of 200 National Honor Society members and explained that I was the best choice for their next

Later that month, I received a letter in the mail that had the official stamp of the Robinson Scholar Program on it. I remember the letter being perfect. A blue wax seal was placed on the back and my name was so elegantly written on the front. For a good amount of time, I just stood there looking at it. I was too scared to read what I already presumed was an, “We’re sorry letter.” Finally I opened the letter and read that I had been expected. Tears began to roll down my cheeks, I just couldn’t believe it. A small town girl with little money, no experience, or not any guidance just got an acceptance

From 9th grade to 10th grade, I attended a small, public choice school called Federal Way Public Academy. They accepted students on a lottery basis, and had a total student population of approximately 300 students, grades 6-10. It is a school that is very well known for it’s college-level academics, lack of music and physical education classes, and intense homework load. Regardless, I wanted to attend that school since I was in 5th grade, but wasn’t accepted until 9th. When 9th grade finally came, I met the group of people I would soon call family.

Then one day, my mom gave me a pallid, clear-cut envelope addressed to me signed by the Department of Education. My body froze – I could hardly breathe. I imagined the moments after opening the letter; a surge of excitement would rush through my fingers as I’d text all my friends that I would unite with them in the fall of 2013 at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing

Today is the day that the winners are supposed to receive their letter of acceptance and the unfortunate ones receive their letter of rejection. I have been sitting on the porch all day waiting for the mail to be delivered with that last piece of hope riding in the wind. I can’t get this situation off my head. It is all over the news, it’s all over the school's gossip. You can’t go anywhere without protestors talking about unethical practices or satan’s work.

As you reflect on your past college year, explain how your faith has impacted your life. Think of decisions that you made and / or actions that you chose to take.

Life is like a rollercoaster; full of ups and downs, successes and failures -- even at the green age of 16 I understand this concept pretty well, and realize I will experience my share of both in life. I realize this is not a failure. All the events and activities I have participated in have been due to sheer love and enjoyment, and my knowledge gained from such experiences will aid me always, whether I attend to other schools or not. Still, St.Paul lingers in my mind, and I must exhaust all enrollment opportunities to be fully content with the application

Kit Bauer still remembered his father’s words from last night. Kit, he had said in his cold, angry-but-attempting-to-be-patient voice. The work ethic that you have been showing lately is not acceptable. His mother just stood by and watched with hard eyes, as if silently scolding him while she let her husband do the dirty work. Ever since Kit was young, he had been bombarded by extracurriculars, unnecessary academic classes, and school student councils. Kit, his mother had said when he was 7. Taking that class for gifted and talented children will look fantastic on your Harvard application!

With every suitable class completely filled during the Summer School Semester of 1965, Mom regretfully informed us that our enrollment application was rejected.

My mom was spending lots of her time over at a friends house in 2013, because one of her best friends Jenyi, was diagnosed with cancer. This was tough for me. Not being able to see my mom as much and knowing that Jenyi was struggling. This helped me grow spiritually and emotionally. I learned to put my trust in God, and as a family we spent many nights in prayer, hoping God would heal her. He didn’t. Instead, he chose to take her home to heaven. We didn’t understand, we had lots of grief and pain. I miss Jenyi, but I learned that everything was going to be okay. That good things came from bad, and that God can use these things to change people. After Jenyi died, we had to continue life, so we did. Not much later, in Des Moines for Labor day, we went boating with my mom's side of the family.

I’m just glad I got involved in the program when I did. If I would have been deferred from it as I was in elementary school, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be as aspiring, goal oriented, and I wouldn’t be writing this essay. I was luckily put into the program in my school, but what about the student who was denied to chance to learn at the level they deserved so I could have that chance. That is why more resources need to be applied to higher ability programs so no student gets denied an education that both challenges them and expands their

Amazing! This school must have been designed for me in heaven. Why hadn’t someone told me there were schools like this? I began to rethink my college aspirations.

In order for a family to unite in grief for the deceased, communication and empathy is required, but as the client lives in a different country and her family have distanced themselves, this process has not occurred and her already fractured relationship with her mother has intensified (Carr, 2012). However, her faith has served her well and provided comfort (Walsh & McGoldrick, 2013). I was concerned the impact of her father’s unexpected death could cause her to regress to alcohol and so I focused her attention back to our contract of keeping herself safe by attending therapy, AA meetings and consulting with her sponsor.

The summer after I completed the 6th grade, my parents decided to pull me out of my Baptist, private school and homeschool me. I, like most kids, was not thrilled with the decision, but being only 11 years old, I had no say in the matter. Despite my initial reservations, being homeschooled was a great experience for me, but I began to get bored. I missed seeing people every day. It was just me and my family. I was ready for a new experience, something big, and college was exactly what I was looking for. It was Sunday night, and there was a high probability that class would be cancelled. I prayed that that wouldn’t happen, however, it did. The