Personal Narrative Analysis

Kevin and I stepped into a whole new world in the fall of 2009. We began our degree program at Emmanuel School of Religion, which is now called Emmanuel Christian Seminary. We were working on our Masters of Arts and Religion. I was excited and nervous about going back to college. Our first day was terrifying. Kevin and I attended orientation the week prior to classes starting. There was a definite realization this academic program was going to be a challenge. However, I wanted a challenge. On the first day of class, we started with Greek. Our professor was Dr. Marwede. He opened the class with a test. He came over to my chair first and handed me a paper with a list of Greek words on it. My immediate reaction was shock, which Dr. Marwede realized I was overwhelmed by the look on my face. He told the class we could take it home as homework. Many of the students in the Greek class had previous experience with Greek; however, Kevin and I had no knowledge at all. We were overwhelmed. We were assigned five chapters and told to return the next day for a quiz with our homework.

I lost a job and did not find another one for several months. Once I did and tried to come back I was in 2 different car wrecks with the injuries and pain I was in there was no way I would have been able to complete successfully any of my classes or have them done in a timely fashion the concussion I suffered prevented me from remembering a lot of the time as well as the pain medications in which I was placed on. I tried again once I felt fine enough to go back and then I had health issues which required me to go in for surgery not once but twice. During that time I was not able to complete the classes as well in a timely fashion not only could I not lift my arms above my head but I needed help to assist me to be able to move about and therapy

There was no one and nothing in sight. The plethora of joyful ducks that were here before were nowhere to be found. There weren’t even any people walking the trail like before. The trees that were once so distinguishable in daylight were now shaded in black and were only recognizable by the shape and size from a far. It seems as if when darkness falls on Higginbotham’s Walking Trail, wildlife seems to scatter and the area becomes desolate.

Ever since I was young, I’ve had a fear of falling. Maybe it was because as a three year old I rode my bicycle off of the porch and my subconscious remembers it or perhaps my fear is for no reason. But for whatever reason, I’m terrified of falling. So I’ve always been cautious, careful. And that was how it was when I rode horses. I always rode with the reins tighter than necessary, leaning forward. My mom always says that I used to tell her that I did not want to fall off a horse. And to a short little seven-year old without any previous experience on a horse, falling is a very real and terrifying possibility. Especially when the back of the horse is so far from the ground.

My journey to being fully natural has been a long, depressing, expensive and self-loving one. I’ve always had long, thick, glossy, off black hair that touched my shoulder blades until I let my cousin Erin and auntie Jeanette convince me to go natural in 2015.

Northwestern has already played a massive role in my development as a learner. Starting in fifth grade I took an Astronomy summer class with the Center for Talent Development program. I was hooked! I continued to take CTD courses throughout middle school. Having a group of likeminded classmates fostered a passion for science that catapulted me into AP courses in High School. Northwestern attracts a student community that I want to be a part of.

I vividly remember trying to sleep when the air was heavy and musty, so much so that I was felt like there was a natural order preventing me from breathing enough air to sustain my body for another seven hours. I laid in bed, quietly terrified – wondering if this is the life that I am destined to follow, living in unfinished basements where it floods when it rains too much and bugs crawl along the walls and dressers. It would not be the worst fate but it would not be preferable by any means. Finally, willing myself to step out of bed (again), I grab my half-finished green tea and watch a documentary in the “upstairs” portion (separated by three steps) to forget my worries until the next night. Close to drinking the honey and tea mixture, I see an abnormal shape at the bottom of my mug – a house centipede that was enticed by the sweet honey but unfortunately was unable to escape its viscous grasp and drowned in my lukewarm tea. I didn’t scream, I didn’t cry; all I was capable of thinking

I moved here when I was three and I quickly found friends. With my spare time, I enjoy hanging out with my friends, playing on my trumpet, playing my piano and reading. I’m currently reading Harry Potter for the sixth time and watching all of the movies with my dad for the second.

One may not always know her purpose until her only option is to monopolize in what she truly excels at. She is growing wearing of hearing the word “no” time and time again, so she turns to and cultivates monopolizes in her own talent which others cannot possibly subdue. Then Beyond the crowd of criticism and rejection, Freshman year the right people recognized my talent and I found my stage.”

If you had told me a few years ago that I would get on my bike and ride to a different state, and all for a soda and some fries from McDonalds, I would have told you that was ludicrous. No-one would ever commute that far for something so trivial. And yet just last year, I would do exactly that.

My parents got together in May of 1983, they were both 18 years old. My dad, Mark, was your all-American guy who loved muscle cars, dogs, and racing. My mom, Kathy, was the fiery neighbor girl who wouldn't take anything from anyone. After a short six months of dating, they got engaged, however, the engagement lasted nine years. Two years later, my brother Matt came along on June 29, 1994. Matt was the apple of my fathers eye, they did everything together. Illegally, my dad got my brother into racing early by forging his birth certificate to say he was older. Matt raced dirt bikes, go carts, quads, and three wheelers until he was twelve years old.

I had not realized I was like my mom until I moved in with my boyfriend. In my house the reasons for discussion with my mom were because my dad and I left everything messy. I did not understand my mother until I lived with my partner. I thought she exacted everything, but not, she was right. It really bothers me like her, when people leave everything disorganized in their path. Another thing that I did and now it bothers me is that they do not wash the dishes they used, it only takes two minutes to clean them. My boyfriend says that I fight a lot and for everything. I justify myself by saying that I carry it in my genes, I inherit it from my mother. I have found myself in situations in which I fought for nothing and almost everything, and in

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Not paying attention to life will change it, but pay attention to who cares and loves you in the world. If you don’t go out in the world you are wasting your life away. At times it's a good thing that you do not pay attention as things will change like someone new is coming into your life that will love you for whatever you do to them if its good or bad. If Andy didn't pay attention to where she was going. Chris wouldn’t be mad at Andy; “I really don't remember how it happened, I just remember standing there with an empty glass staring into the clearest, greenest, angriest eyes I have ever seen. Than I reali[z]ed why he was so angry.” (page 6)

It was the end of 6th grade, one of the most anticipating times of one’s childhood that marked the beginning of what my older sister referred to as, “junior high - the worst years of every poor kid’s life.” I knew I had to pick a school, as my parents had told me about GCA and how it would offer me a greater challenge than South Valley made it’s way to my elementary school, and that’s when I decided I had to get my hands on it and just enroll to the school that would prepare me the most. The more I looked into it I had realized that this school was really all about challenging yourself and pushing yourself to do more. But in all honesty, I wasn't sure if I wanted to put in all that extra effort.