The scorching heat and blazing sun signified the first day of summer break in 2015. I had just completed my seventh-grade year and my report card finally arrived in the mail.
After years of struggling in school, education finally clicked and became a value for me. I understood that hard work did pay off, and that 4.0 proved it.
As I held the envelope in my hand, I gazed at it with anticipation. I gripped the paper until my fingers went numb. My breathing was audible.
“This is it,” I thought, my body temperature excelling. With all of the courage I could muster, I tore open the envelope and cautiously lifted the paper. I looked at the sheet for a mere second and began to jump for joy at what I saw: a 4.0 GPA.
After years of struggling in school, education finally clicked and became a value for me. I understood that hard work did pay off, and that 4.0 proved it. My perspective on education shifted when I began to attend an online school.
Prior to seventh grade, I slacked off in school and didn’t apply myself, but I didn’t have anyone to motivate me to do otherwise. My parents didn’t value education as much as they should’ve because they were never taught its importance. They were immigrants from Somalia to a new country, and prioritizing education was new to them so they never instilled those morals in me or my siblings. But by the time I entered junior high, my mother had learned more about the importance of education and decided to take some action when she noticed me struggling.
When I started my new school, it was difficult. I took advanced English, world history, pre-algebra, biology and art. I didn’t have a teacher to assist me, which became a challenge. But after a while, my work became less complicated. I began to devote myself and care about my grades. I even worked ahead during the school year until I completed my seventh-grade year two months early. My mother had never been prouder in her life.
When I commenced my freshman year, after spending two years in an online classroom, the transition was a little hard, but I kicked off high school on a good note. I took the experience and lessons I learned during seventh grade and incorporated them into my ninth grade year. I began to realize that I was smart and I am capable of achieving success.
For the first time in my life, I started to contemplate college. I began to develop a vision of what I want to study and what my future career might be: journalism. As a child, I always had a burning passion for writing. I would indulge myself in it as a pastime. I used to fill up notebook after notebook with stories and prompts just for fun. My love for writing strengthened as I began to excel in my English classes.
I believe that I now have a strong foundation for myself so that I can succeed in high school, college and many other endeavors to come. I now see what I can do with an education, and I have grown to love it and learn its importance in my life. What I once despised has now turned into my success story.
