Reflection Paper

There are multiple reasons I am where I am today and why I’m going where I’m going. I have struggled in school ever since I can remember but without the people that I have had in my life I wouldn’t where I am today. But as I will talk about the teacher have played a huge role in the reason I am able to be where I am today.

My character coming into freshman year from eighth grade was poor, I cared for very little, I was lazy, and I did not want to help anyone but myself. However I have grown stronger, into the well rounded individual that is will help anyone who needs it. Throughout my whole life many of my teachers, friends and even people I’ve worked for have said I am a good kid or a good friend. I believe this is their way of saying I have grown into a wonderful individual with outstanding character.

On September 6, 2017, I were documented for an incident that involved a University Housing policy violation. I was charged with violating the University Housing Alcohol 1.2 policy. With my violation, came consequences. I met with The Residence Conduct Coordinator to discuss my actions and came to the conclusion that I would have to schedule a meeting with The Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center (CADEC) and with that, a reflection paper.

When comparing my life and personality as a freshman to my current life, there are many differences. As a freshman, I was unmotivated and immature. Going into highschool, I wasn’t prepared or used to doing a lot of homework. In elementary and middle school I had been one of the smartest kids in my class, and school was easy. Then when I started 9th grade, I realized I actually had to put effort in my work, so I didn’t. Freshman year I was mean and rude to those around me, including my friends and teachers. I remember myself as loud and obnoxious, and I didn’t really care about other people’s feelings or how my actions would affect others. When I reflect on what I was like, I see myself as the few kids in my PGC group who don’t pay attention

I started treating others with respect and learned why behaving is important. As I got older I started assistant teaching for Fantasy acting classes, where I had the opportunity to teach younger difficult children about controlling themselves. When I started working with these children, I discovered that I wanted to become a teacher so I could help hundreds of difficult children like me realize that they can overcome their flaws and become disciplined children. While I may not have time for Fantasy anymore, I will always have time to recall how Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theatre turned my life

From the first day I entered my new middle school, I knew that my life was about to change forever. The countless modifications, some good and some bad, were about to mold me into what I would become at the end of 8th grade. Getting more involved with my community, becoming more athletic, and being kinder are just a few of the things that I think that I have improved upon. I have also gained some not-so-good qualities, which include biting my nails, not being as smart, and lying to myself about many things. Overall though, I think that I have made tremendous progress and have blossomed into a great student who is ready for high school.

My life has endured many changes at a personal level. As a young boy with a loving family and a solid formation, any person who knew me was aware of the type of respectful and mature boy i was. In contrast to the type of person i am, my academic maturity at that time proved otherwise. Throughout my life i have been known to be very open minded and respectful, but at the same time hard-headed. After many years of doing things with no specific purpose or goal, my father taught me my most important lesson that will never escape my thoughts. After a rough argument over my report card, he used the word mediocre to explain the type of person he thought I was becoming. At only 13 years of age I felt utter disappointment in myself and knew it was time for a change.

For my service learning project I worked in Mrs. Evelyn Costa's first grade class at Meadowlane Elementary. Meadowlane is located at 4280 W 8th Avenue in Hialeah, Florida and was constructed in 1957. There are one thousand one hundred and seventy seven students enrolled at Meadowlane Elementary school. Meadowlane has fifty three classrooms and fourteen portables and there are one hundred and seventy nine students per grade level. The school was built on nine acres of land. The student population of meadowlane Elementary is comprised of 97% Hispanic, 2% White, and 1% Asian.

Over the course of the semester, there has been numerous amount of areas where I believe I have improved in comparison to high school. What has helped me in my writing is the writing class and the in-class writing workshop. The writing class that is located in the Kremen education building has helped me with my writing greatly because in the writing center the person in charge teach us lenses and we apply those lenses to the writing, draft, or reading that someone brings in. The in-class writing workshop has helped me because other students get to read my writing. This is helpful because I get feedback from many students and they let me know what needs to be fixed. A new tool I have been using is They Say I Say. The book is very helpful because of the information and examples it provides such as the templates. I have been applying the templates into my essays and I have seen a significant difference.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (New International Version, Matt. 6.33-34). If I was told these verses when I was younger, they would contain no special meaning behind them, but after retiring from the military and the trials my family went through to get to where we are today, these verses stand out to me every time I read them. Until we go through our own personal trials we tend to be unaware of how strong our faith and trust needs to be in God. There were moments, when I was younger, where I relied on the Lord, but nothing that could have prepared me for the trust required to give to God during a time where my life completely changed. My family and I were a military family stationed in Hawaii where I lived for most of my life; Hawaii was all I knew. So when my father was ready to retire from his job in the Navy, it meant leaving my “safe zone” that I called home. Living in Hawaii was not an option after retirement for a large family of eight, for it was too expensive to afford. With that said, we went to stay with my grandfather in New York while my father searched for a new job.

A brief overview and background: I went on a mission trip with my church Youth group to a deaf village in Jamaica. While we were there, we built dorm rooms and classrooms for the children living there. The impact that trip had on my life was amazing. It made me realize just how good we have it in the United States of America.When I am hungry or upset and I didn't get the newest trend clothing, I always think back to the children down in Jamaica. They literally have nothing. At the deaf village, all the children are foster kids. Their parents gave them away because they did not want to deal with their disabilities. I have never taken my parents for granted again, because of what we have and the relationships we have in the U.S.are very precious, We are a very blessed nation.

New beginnings don’t have to start January 1. The time for a new beginning is always right now; and what better time to embrace the motto “no more excuses.”

Writing is a tool that will be used throughout my lifetime. It is a tool that is worth taking the time to perfect because it will only be beneficial in the long run. On my writing assignments, I earn A’s, but I still have areas that I need to work on. The areas that I struggle the most would be with simple grammar errors such as the use of commas, writing with an active voice, and writing short,simple sentences. First of all, I often do not know where to place commas in my sentence. I struggle with this because I tend to add commas in the wrong place, so I have become confused with the proper use of commas. This is a small grammar error that I can easily correct by learning where and when commas are needed. I have also found and been told that I write in a passive voice when I should be using an active voice. This is a technique that I have to work on by practicing it and noticing the difference while I am writing and reading. Finally, I often write run on sentences or sentences that include unnecessary information. This makes my writing unclear and difficult for the reader to understand. I could improve by writing shorter and simpler sentences that include only the essential information to get my point across. I have noticed these mistakes in my writing and it has also been brought up by others, so I am currently working on improving it.

Since the beginning of the semester, my writing has changed and evolved to accommodate and sustain longer essays. With longer essays, there is more room for in-depth analysis. Further analyzing a topic has led me to findings that I did not know existed. As I continue to write, I uncover addition and superior methods to approach my writing to the benefit of me and therefore, my audience. Throughout the semester, I have incorporated techniques to further my narrative throughout my writing.

We are all strong. Some people never realize this, but everybody has an inner warrior. While it’s true that not everyone has great physical power, but mentally and emotionally everybody has some kind of strength. For me, I am not physically as robust or as athletic as some, but mentally I am strong. There are times when I bring myself down, but I know that my strong mind will soon return to its normal balance and pick me back up. There are times when I am down and I feel I may never be the same, but no matter what my mental strength lends a hand, and returns me to my ordinary routine. The perfect example of my strong mind is my relationship with swimming. My beloved sport, swimming, is meant for someone with a strong mental mind. Therefore, feel like I was born to swim.