Personal Narrative: NAS Willow Grove

Now that I was officially an Airmen, I was able to go reunite with my parents. This experience was a flood of emotions as I now could hug and talk to my mom and dad. My parents being there to watch me gain my greatest success thus far in life meant everything and I could not have done it without their love and support. Being able to be a part of something so important to our country is so humbling and the day I graduated from Air Force Basic Training is a day of success that I will carry with me for the rest of my

Every summer I look forward to sitting on a large, warm cabana under the Texas sun. My feet buried in the sand as I welcome the lukewarm waves against my legs. Being a beach bum in South Padre Island, Texas is a great way to bring on the summer. This island isn’t short of attractions, from the beautiful ocean, to tasty restaurants, to fireworks over the ocean you will never get bored on your vacation! Last summer I was joined by a few of my closest friends. We made so many memories as we all went parasailing for the first time. Our relationship grew stronger as we were able to share a new experience together. Spending a few weeks in South Padre Island with family and close friends is a great way to make memories that will last a lifetime.

Green, black and white, the colors we represented from kindergarten on. The pride we had for Southlake Carroll was indescribable. Our Friday nights consisted of the lights of the stadium and families who eat, sleep and breathe “The Tradition”. We were raised to become the Dragons or in my case the endless hours of training to become an Emerald Belle wasn’t an option, it was a lifestyle. Although Southlake is known for great academics the favoritism was very noticeable. I was spoiled with the leniency of the teachers who felt sympathy for my fourteen hour days. I got free passes and green lights, not gonna lie, it was pretty great. When I got hurt and my training to become the highly idolized Emerald Belle came to an end, so did the free passes.

I knew one thing for certain: Tennessee was a very stupid state filled with stupid people and I would never drink their stupid sweet tea. Thus was my twelve year old opinion.

Church, temple, sanctuary, or the Lords’s house, these are just a few names that your average person might call the place you come to worship God, I have always called it home. The Church I have been attending, Memorial Baptist Church, which is also where I attend high school, I have been attending since I was the age of three years old. Moving to the area that my family lives in now, I do not believe is any accident. At the age of two years old, my father was stationed in Tennessee for the military. After passing away from brain cancer, my Mother moved my two older sisters and me to Killeen Texas, to be closer to her family. Memorial Baptist Church was the only church we have ever been members of since moving to Texas, it has always felt like

All throughout my life until my memory can reach, I had always been told I had to go to college, and for a long time, I agreed, not knowing truly why. Well the time had come, I was a junior in high school and ready to start my senior year, and the big question came up, are you going to college? I had not put too much thought into it, mostly because I was in a special circumstance than what other people were in. I could not go to college at that moment because no school or institution would have accepted me, just because I was not a citizen. So, my options for going to college were none. I had always been told I needed to go to college, and when it came down to it, I could not even go.

On 1/16/17 at 0225 hours my partner, Officer Thebeau #8402, and I were working patrol assigned to unit 3A11. We responded to a radio call of “shots fired” in the area of 814 N. Garfield Ave. The comments of the call stated, a 19 year old female was shot in the hand.

I am one of the following students who had the chance to obtain the South Bay Promise Scholarship. I didn't know about the South Bay Promise, nor the First Year Experience. I am thankful for having such an amazing statistic’s teacher, Mr. Espinoza from Hawthorne High School. When he told the whole class about the opportunities here in El Camino College, I knew I had to apply because it would make different. If it wasn’t for him, a teacher so passionate on seeing his students not just graduate but to motivate them to go to an university or a college after, I would never be in the place that I am.

I witnessed my cousins boyfriend corpse lying on my neighbors lawn. It was a humid summer night around 3:30 when I peeked through my window and saw my devastated cousin sobbing uncontrollably on my decaying porch. Being from East chicago, Indiana has transformed me into the person I am today.

There’s one decision that I’ve made that I’m still carrying out; meaning, I’m still not certain whether it was a good one or not. My decision was to come to Squaw Valley Academy. I did not want to go to my local high school as the education system wasn’t the best a couple years ago. It still isn’t but occasionally I wonder if I made the right choice. By going through with this decision I have changed a great deal. I have been at this school for almost two years now, and I’m definitely not the same person that arrived here. Going back home I realized how different I was from my old friends, and how much more mature I had become.

It was a beautiful summer day at church. I was just 12 years old when I heard his voice. I heard him before I saw his face. This was the day that I met someone who has changed my life.

My Father is an Air Traffic Controller in the military and he had been given word that he had been given orders to move from Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska to Eglin AFB in Niceville, Florida in two months. I remember when my parents told me that we were moving. I was sitting in the living room with my sister when my Dad and Mom came and joined us to break the news. Once they sat down I could tell something was wrong, I could feel my heart racing and the temperature rising. Once they said the words, “we are moving to Florida” I could feel my heart sink because that meant going to a new school, new friends and no more spending time with my family. Alaska was my home and I never thought we would leave. I was scared for what the future held, but I had no idea that it would make such an impact on my life and shape me into the person I am today.

Today, we reached The Dalles. Nate told us we have two choices. Either we can float down the river, or we can go around Mt. Hood. We talked it over, and almost everyone agrees we should go around. I'm certain everybody remembers Ezekiel and the river, and none of us want to go through that again. So we start on Barlow Road, which will take us around the mountain, tomorrow. Things aren't getting much better here. We are all so tired. I think that once we get to Oregon, I will just sleep through winter.

I wanted to attend college as soon as I graduated from high school. Now the decision of where I wanted to go was the tough part. At first I thought I wanted to go to a four year university, but I then thought of some of the things that I may not like about going to a four year university. While I was in high school, I applied for many colleges throughout New York. While some I got accepted into, then there was some where I got denied from. I got accepted into The College of Saint Rose, University of Hartford, Suny Plattsburg, and a couple of others. I wanted to attend Saint Rose and Plattsburg, but I didn’t think I was ready to leave and be sort of off on my own. I am very close to my family, they are all my best friends. There were events in my high school time that made me believe that I am not ready for college, and I had to be right emotionally first. I thought the first day being in the dorm I would call my mom up and tell her that I want

My transition to Oak Knoll was excellent but arduous. I loved the spiritual community and the close knit class. But, I had a harder time adjusting academically. The rigorous academic classes at Oak Knoll resulted in a drop in my GPA. These grades don’t reflect my work ethic and I enjoy the challenge of a more difficult school. These were enhanced expectations that I couldn’t meet at the time. My lowered GPA resulted from a sickness that extended through my sophomore years. Once I was better, I was able to do better in school, which shows in my previous year grades. These year’s show my true academic potential. I am confident that I will be successful at the college I plan on