The education system is failing, but I don’t want to point fingers in this post. Rather, I’d like to discuss the large jump I’ve taken in my timeline ever since I was basically declared mentally challenged in the 2nd grade.
I was really slow in my earlier years, failing to grasp even the simplest concepts on pace with my classmates. Because of this, I was always behind on assignments and could never enjoy recess time. I was locked up inside the classroom instead of employing my energy on the playground with the others. However, my teachers never made any effort to help me understand what I didn’t understand. They left me there to struggle with the material each and every day. You can feel embarrassed even as a second grader, and I knew exactly what that felt like because I felt like the dumbest kid in America, doomed to dig ditches until my everlasting dirt nap.
My teachers were so frustrated with my lack of progress that they told my parents that they thought I had a learning disability/disorder. Nothing was ever done about this because my parents acknowledged my potential. This may sound cliche, but they believed in me. They felt it was unnecessary to have some PhD character determine that I was academically incompetent. I was never held back and thankfully continued on track with the rest of my peers.
I’m now almost 22 years-old and on the verge of graduating from college. I’ve maintained a 3.9 G.P.A. and will soon be applying to graduate schools for clinical and social psychology. I’ve gotten into conducting research with a faculty member who sees the potential in me as my parents did and still do. I’m not trying to gloat about scholastic achievement; I’m just proud for what I’ve been able to accomplish ever since my 2nd grade teachers gave up on me and instead thought of me as an academically disabled individual.
I didn’t suddenly become a genius because I’m not. The cliche moral of this story is that I worked hard and persevered through the negativity that was hindering the learning process. I studied and asked for help when I needed it. When I had my own questions, I went in search of the answer either with assistance or by myself. Learning is not only an individual process; through my experience I’ve discovered that it is more so a collective process where teachers, parents, and peers assist in your learning. Be engaged with learning and your quest for knowledge.
Even if I don’t get into graduate school, I will still walk into my elementary school with my bachelor’s degree and proudly show it to my second grade teachers who thought I wouldn’t amount to anything because I struggled with simple concepts. Their clear frustration in my slow pace only encouraged me to go above and beyond their and my own expectations.
Please don’t let anybody hinder you from achieving your goals. It’s up to you to overcome their perceptions, but not to prove them wrong, just to prove to yourself that you can do it. You needn’t to impress anybody, only yourself knowing that you’ve worked hard.
My Seven Devils 