The Importance Of My Experience In High School

When I initially began High School I thought internally, this is it, this is the point at which my life changes, this is where school work gets harder, classes get harder, the sports become more advanced, and my evaluations in High School are going to reflect my employment, and universities later on, and everything in my life has finally become a hectic roller coaster. But I know that High School is like a stream because along the way you'll find some trash, go over some harsh spots, discover a whirlpool or two, stagnate for a bit, lastly get to the end of the adventure and acknowledge you have had an awesome ride. I know this without a doubt in light of the reality that back in middle school/ junior high I got awful grades I kept saying to myself every time, that I have to stay focused and get my grades up because my grades in my previous years would follow me through high school. In middle school it was hard for me to remain centered and complete my work, and get decent grades. I had to keep my mind like a sponge and absorb all the details I could in every class.

It’s stunning how in one school year you have made an impact on my life. I look back on my time at this school and reflect on how much you helped me all I can do is thank you. One thing I learned during my time in high school is that if you have the time to show appreciation, you should probably use it. I was a new student who was overwhelmed with coming to a new school to start over. I want you to know that I genuinely appreciate the kindness and support you gave me at times when I needed it. Looking back at the small things you did like allowing me to come to talk about problems I had, our helping me academically like: allowing me to borrow a laptop or stay in your classroom to do extra classwork. I knew you were an amazing person, but looking

When thinking about my senior year of high school I start to think about a tradition that happened every year with the senior class. It seems wired but the senior class always seemed to be up to something every week. I remember thinking my Jr year the my senior class was gonna change how people viewed us. I was so right.

I almost didn’t make it here. The whole idea of applying to colleges and typing admission essays for them never even crossed my mind a few years ago. Yes, I have already completed two years of college, however, there was a time in my life when I didn’t even want to finish my Freshman year of high school, let alone graduate. This isn’t a sob story, but just an overview of the little obstacles that I had to overcome to get to this point. I’m the product of two military parents and that alone had its pros, but it also had many cons. The main one being my schooling. I jumped from school to school regularly with the many deployments and everything and that meant lots of transcripts, lost of friends, and decreasing levels of motivation. My mother, who stayed in the military a little longer than my dad did, deployed to Germany, North Carolina, back to Germany, and ended her military career in Texas. That’s four high schools I attended in a time span of 3 years. At that point, I just started to give up on myself. What was the point of trying in school when the academic advisors have no records that you passed your grade the year before, so you’re classified as a Freshman “for now” when in all actuality you’re a Junior? Also, what was the point of trying when you knew that the friends you were thinking about making, you were going to have to forget about in the months to come? This was my thought process for a very long time until my school counselor, Ms. York, made me realize that I

It was my senior year of high school, I remember being excited and nervous at the same time. Being that it was my last year in high school, I wanted to make the best of everything and have fun with friends I’d probably never see again. My excitement immediately switched to panic mode as soon as I found out from my guidance counselor that I was on the verge of not graduating due to lack of credits. My heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach, I felt the tears burning in the back of my eyes; forcing them to not come down but they were uncontrollable and came pouring out onto my shirt. My guidance counselor reassured me that I had plenty of time to catch up on my credits if I make sure I do all my assignments and to not give up. It was my own fault that I got so far behind in my credits because during my freshman and sophomore year I didn’t take everything seriously as I should’ve, I was having fun with friends not worrying about what classes to take to graduate, and at the same time my grades were slipping. The start of my credit retrieval began soon after I got my new schedule to attend my new classes for the semester.

My educational past is complicated to say the least. Starting in the fourth grade, my mother pulled me out of traditional schooling to homeschool me, while she ran a home daycare; however, while the idea of being homeschool sounded great in the mind of a fourth grader my mind of a 20-year old knows this wasn’t the best idea for my educational experience. Until about the 8th grade my mother, an alcoholic, rather than teaching me used me to work in her daycare while she grew more and more incapable due to her growing addiction. Starting in the 8th grade I began to attend a co-op funded by the Tahoma school district, (Russell Ridge Center). Once I began making connections with both peers and teachers, I began to realize how much I had missed out on both social and educational standards that were met by a typical 8th grader. With the help of free tutoring from a select few teachers I confronted about wanting to gain academic knowledge, I slowly caught up to the standard educational goals, then pushed myself to succeed further. I became captain of our high school programs debate team, earned the lead role in three musicals, and became stage manager of our local high-schools theater stage. My Junior year, I began to attend Green River Community College as part of the Running Start program, earning a 3.5 GPA by the end of my first year. The next year I continued but ran into some obstacles. As time went on my mothers addiction grew ten-fold. It came to the point of physical abuse,

On that hot day, the high school students were laughing and they lay stretched-out—near the walls. Some of them were aggressively touching one another.

I was 7 years old when I first started wearing a uniform at my school in Meridian, India. My morning routine was quite simple. It started off with me putting on my navy blue skirt, white button down blouse and a dark blue tie. I’d run I ran down the stairs to put on my jet black shoes with white socks as my mom braided my hair. Then we'd have a leisurely breakfast where she'd make me my favorite chocolate chips pancakes and I would head to school. At school, I would see my friends and classmates wearing the exact same white button down shirt paired with a navy blue skirt and a navy blue tie, and black shoes; We all looked the same. Nobody made fun of each other, we didn’t compare ourselves and no one picked on someone else because of their appearance. I didn't care what I was wearing or how I looked at all my friends would also be wearing the same clothes as I did.

When I was a in middle school, I was on the quiz bowl team. The tournaments were nonchalant, the questions were manageable, and the teams all competed to have a good time, not just to advance. Because the experience was enjoyable in middle school, I decided that I would also brave the unknown murky waters of high school scholars bowl; I was under the assumption that it would be the same for the most part. This assumption was severely misguided.

All the way until my senior year in high school, I never bothered reading a book if it was not required or put effort into writing a good paper. I always wrote minimum effort papers and read what I needed to get by. I found it a waste of time and would rather focus my studies in subjects I found more interesting. I never had a teacher who was passionate about teaching English or was willing to push their students to challenge them to become better readers or writers. This changed in my senior year of high school because of my teacher, Mrs. Gordon.

My high school graduation was potentially one of the most eventfully tragic events in my school life. The months prior to my graduation were not at all uneventful, to say the least, but on one chaotic stormy night in May of 2017, my high school life ended, unlike any way I could’ve ever imagined it to be.

Throughout my time as a high school student at Augusta High School, I have experienced numerous new opportunities. A big opportunity I have taken advantage of is the Butler Academy program offered through the high school. By the time I graduate, I will have a great amount of college credit allowing me to finish off this school year as a high school graduate as well as earning an Associates degree in Science and Engineering Technology. In high school, I have been involved in soccer, football, bowling, track and field, National Honors Society, and Friends of Freshman. I have also recently started to help First Baptist Church with their AWANA club program. I grew up living little ways outside of town, and currently, live out on a farm Southwest of Augusta. Living on a farm has taught me many useful skills. I have also gotten the chance to work for my neighbor and help around his property as well. After high school, I plan on entering the workforce and finding a job that not only pays well but one I can use my college degree and interest in.

When I was in middle school, I was on the quiz bowl team. The tournaments were nonchalant, the questions were manageable, and the teams all competed to have a good time, not just to advance. Due to the enjoyable nature of my middle school experience, I decided that I would brave the unknown murky waters of high school scholars bowl. I was under the assumption that it would be the same for the most part; however, this assumption was severely misguided.

Most people would describe their undergraduate years as the best four years of their life. It’s a time for optimism, growth, and success. Unfortunately for me, my undergraduate experience featured a slew of opposing feelings. My father had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer that effects the bone marrow, during my freshman year. This was a rare form of cancer that ultimately took his life during my sophomore year. His illness and his death set the tone for my undergraduate career. Watching his health deteriorate took an emotional toll on me that only one whose endured this could fathom. My grades during this time were not at all what I knew they could be. I felt defeated, like nothing I accomplished really mattered now that my

High School was one of the most interesting journeys I have ever taken. It is a time in which most people grow and develop to find out who they truly are. For me I felt as if I already grew up, I hung out mostly with older people, because of my older brother friends would always hang out at our place so I would try and fit in. Since, I did this I just never really connected with my classmates on their level of maturity. However, I did grow and change in my own way rather than just maturing. My High School made me discover the challenges that life can give you and how to overcome them. Now I know that whoever is reading this must be laughing at the thought of a high schooler saying they have experienced the hardships of life, but my journey