Capitan Mark Kelly Ever since I was a young girl I have always had great dreams and high expectations for myself. Anytime I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would quickly reply” a lawyer” As the years went by I still had that goal in mind, but I began to realize that I was not exactly Ivy League material. Though I did work really hard in my classes, I was still at best average. During my junior year I took my SAT’s, and cried when I got my scores back. For many years I was scared to go to college because I thought I wasn’t college material.
It took me twice the time to read an assignment or to do homework than my classmates took. Everything was a new start to me. Thanks to my diverse background, I received the honor of the diversity scholarship. My parents cried on the day that I was awarded the scholarship because I was the first child go to college. It was a really big surprise for me and my family.
My ninth grade was pretty cool until the last week of school I let my mouth get the best of me and said some things that I really should’ve not said and because I did I earned the next semester at the alternative school. When school started back I was very sad because I had to go to the “bad” school with all the “bad” kids and I was very nervous. Once I got there it was pretty cool and I really enjoyed it because the classes were smaller and you got more one on one help. My grades went up and my mom decided that I should spend the rest of the year there, which really messed me up because they did not offer any elective classes only the basics . My eleventh grade year was also a disaster because of the struggle of passing my biology state test and I was really distracted and just wanted to go back to the alternative school but my mom and the principle would not send me back.
All my life, I've been great in school; I've always been a leader, almost always the first in my class...until now. I don't know what got into me. I'm so angry at myself; I knew I should have studied harder. Ever since I was a little girl, I've dreamt of delivering my Valedictorian speech at Graduation...just like Mom, just like you, just like most of my cousins...now, my shot at being Valedictorian is pretty much over. I feel awful; I feel like I've disappointed everyone, including myself...Why didn't I try harder, I should have paid more attention to my grades.
For months, we enthusiastically planned out the details to go to Kenny Chesney’s concert, even to what we were going to wear. Kate seemed eager, until two days before the concert, when she told me she couldn’t go anymore. Her excuses were the usual ones “I have a bunch of homework,” “I have chores to do,” and “I’m too tired.” I was heartbroken. Although she tried to gain back my trust by assuring me that she would go some other time, I could never believe her. Her perspective had been different from mine.
She said that she had enjoyed being at high school, because she loved learning, and she got to hang out with her friends a lot. I followed up on this question and asked whether she thought high school was challenging or not for her. Instead of answering quickly like she had before, she hung back and sat pondering the question. Her face had become abnormally tight and drawn, as if
The effects of NCLB affected everyone, whether you were at the top of your class or toward the bottom. To those of us who experienced the affects if NCLB first hand, it seemed like the students who put in the least amount of effort got rewarded the same things that the students putting in hours of work got. I asked my good friend Casey Collins, who attends University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, if she felt that NCLB was affective she said, “In all seriousness it was passed to help those who were behind get back on their feet, but it never took into account why all of these students were doing poorly in the first place. It's not effective in the fact that these kids are now moving forward but still don’t have the knowledge to do so. It also holds back the kids who work hard to succeed.” Many of the people I asked agreed in some way with Casey.
Michelle’s Memoir This is my life through school; I went to public school all the way through seventh grade I then left North Augusta middle because I didn’t like the people there, After a few days of looking for schools my mother found the perfect school for me Victory Baptist Private School! I went to Victory for a few years all the way leading to 9th grade and it was amazing but my friend talked me into coming to North Augusta High School. At first I loved it I met the love of my life there and enjoyed every day but after two years there I decided public school was not for me I just missed to many days and so the change of schools began again! I looked forever hoping to find another school like Victory; I would have even went back there.
Unfortunately, as life would have it after she graduated high school with a 4.0 gpa she quickly learned that it was all in vain, she was not able to attend a university because of her citizen status. My mother was forced to play the hand that god gave her. As life pummeled her with obstacles she continue to be carried on by her ambition. She now has earned a real estate license and a cosmetology license, all earned while working 2 jobs and raising 2 children. My mother raised me with the same mentality.
He decided that he would just become friends with this young lady and show her that she had a friend in him. The two began to hang out a lot. The young lady was hardly home because she finally had a friend that she could hang out with instead of being home with her abusive alcoholic father. The two continued to be friends until their senior year of high school. The two had become so close that they decided to apply to the same colleges, so that they could stick together.