Personal Narrative: When I Was In High School

When i was younger, just starting to become a teenager and go to high school, that’s when it all changed.

My event I wanted to focus on the most is when I failed my freshmen year of high school. I didn’t try as much as I should have but I figured that I was going to pull a last minute try and do all my work when the end of the school year came but I was horribly wrong and I had to suffer the consequences of not being in my correct classes and being behind in credits.

Ever felt that your best wasn’t good enough? That's exactly what I felt during my years in middle and high school. Growing up enjoying animated shows and doodling in my notebook, I had a breakthrough. Though it came to me in my first year of middle school, or at least as far back as I can remember, I wanted to grow up as an artist. As the years went by I narrowed my dream-job to be an animator, then finally to what I’m studying now (graphic design). As I grew and learned, I eventually succumbed to self pity and doubt. That went on till my last year in high school where I learned better. These days, I’m bettering myself by doing more and practicing more often with my art. I also grasped the idea of not letting the negative thoughts stop me from

After graduation, I was an au pair in Nancy, France for a year before returning in the early fall of 2017. I am continuing my gap period to reapply for school while working full time for Hampton by Hilton.

In the fourth grade, having transferred to my second school after a stay at a shelter, I was asked to introduce myself to the class and tell them a fact about myself. I looked nervously into the sea of new faces and said, “Hi, I’m Aleigh Crowder and I’m nomadic.” This introduction was met shortly with laughter that my new teacher quickly ceased.

It was - and still is - more of a painfully slow transformation than an instantaneous alteration. The shift from “too crave to even talk to the teacher” to “can interject across the room sometimes” marked the start of my growth to becoming a full fledge adult.

Growing up, I was always known by my middle school teachers as that “scatter brained” girl with the low B/C average. After being tested for ADHD by multiple doctors, they all came to the conclusion that I just wasn’t trying hard enough. Entering my freshman year of high school, my determination to succeed in school was higher than ever. I stayed up late every night, went after school for help, and yet I still ended up with a low B average. After all of my hard work, I was still a failure through my and my parents eyes. Throughout sophomore year, my self-esteem in school was lower than ever, but my determination was still pushing me. The end of sophomore year, I hit rock bottom. Again after all of my hard work, I ended with a B average, and

During my high school experience I’ve experienced many challenges and hardships. The things that have helped me the most is knowing that I am not alone and how my past experiences have strengthened me to be able to overcome these new challenges that I am faced with.

High school was hell. I went to a small school, very conservative and very athletics based. If you weren’t playing sports you were seen as less than the other students. Since I wasn’t on any teams I didn’t have many friends. The ones I’d had before high school had moved away or moved on from me. It didn’t help that the year before I started my freshman year I’d gotten diagnosed with major depression. Wanting to die every morning and school do not mix well. My freshman year seemed dire.

Before high school, I was quite sheltered in a small middle school with limited technological advancements. Going into high school, I was exposed to a great amount of resources that I never had before. For example, each freshman student was given a chromebook to use for the rest of our high school career. The opportunities provided to me by my high school helped me understand to never overlook experiences and resources that will be beneficial to myself and others. Choir has also been a major part of my high school experience. Without choir, I would not have been exposed to performing or the dedication it takes to fit a performing arts into my schedule. Performing is an artform that I love and plan to continue during college. I am very interesting

Whilst walking down the hallway, I recalled the substitute teacher from Ms. Johnson’s Homeroom. Staring at the board I proceeded to enter the classroom, get my folder, and complete the Do Now. Glancing towards the clock I noticed that it was 12:15 and the entire class was getting ready for lunch. As we were walking out of the door the intercom suddenly goes off Beep! This is an intruder drill. I immediately seized the red bag from the closet, handed it to the substitute.

Freshman year for me was like a baby carrying a boulder. 9th grade was definitely difficult, but it was an exciting ride. I have learned so much, especially from my teachers, some were tough to handle, but they taught me so much. In my freshman class we all were free and independent and we thought we can do anything but in reality it wasn't so easy. Days of listening to lectures from my teachers were really helpful. It was hard to handle some of my teachers, but at the end of the year each one taught me something. The things I was taught about this year was to not slack off, to care about my education, how I can balance my social life with my education, stress, time management, and so much more . This year I actually started caring about my future and my goals, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to accomplish them; getting into a good university, receive an education, follow my goals. Not only did school teach me about my education, but it taught me about my life and my future.

Have you ever worried what’s going to happen in future? I had this experience in 8th grade. This experience thought great life lesson. In life it’s important to trust and believe that everything will be fine and it will work out the you want it.

If you were to ask me if I liked my high school life here in the U.S. three years ago, I would give you a definite, one worded answer, “No.” It was my fourth year since I had moved from China to New York, I had thought that I had gotten used to the life here, until the first day of high school that screwed everything up. Everything in Midwood was totally different from what I had expected, or, from what I had experienced. Everything was new to me; I had never been used to move from class to class in between periods, and meet different people every time in a new class. As a timid person myself, everything in high school was making me uncomfortable. I felt as if I would never make any friends or even survive in this big school.

The most difficult decision I have had to make over the past two years is deciding whether or not to continue running Cross Country my senior year of high school. I have been running cross country ever since 7th grade. Initially I decided to run cross country because my dad encouraged me to run with him when I was younger. My feelings for cross country have changed through the years and that is what brought me to the point where I had to decide if this sport was for me.