I have always been a hard working person when it comes to my education. I strive for success and get good grades in all of my classes. However, when I was younger during elementary school in 5th grade, it wasn’t so simple.
When I was in 5th grade, during 2001-2002, it was one of the most difficult school years I ever experience. It all started when I was placed in a bilingual class. Most of my classmates didn’t know how to read and write English very fluently. I was disappointed at the fact that my parents tried their best to get me out of that class, but the school department didn’t allow it. I don’t remember much why, but I was very furious. So I had no other choice but to remain in that classroom.
Everything just went downhill. My grades were very poorly. I failed both of my English & Math exams. Both exams were in Spanish in which I wasn’t too comfortable of taking it. Since I failed both exams, I had to go to summer school. In summer school, I took both exams again and it was no different from the first time I took it. It was in Spanish all over again.
The last day of summer school arrived and I was looking forward to the results. When I get the results, I witness that I failed the exams. I was always afraid of being left back and this time my nightmares came true. I remember crying throughout the whole day. I was devastated, crushed, angry and stunned. The worst feeling was to see my friends moving on to Junior High School. At the time, I felt like the whole world was moving on forward except me.
Being so depressed over failing, I missed the first two days of the 2002-2003 school year which was Thursday and Friday. I didn’t want to go back and I wasn’t ready to go back.
Ms. Rodriguez, my new 5th grade teacher, she knew that I was devastated over failing 5th grade. She was very nice, loving and funny teacher. I’ll never forget when she told me these words “Don’t worry I’m going to do everything in my power to help you succeed and everything in this class will be only English language”.
Those words inspired me. She pushed me and challenged me to become a better student. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know how I would’ve made it through that year. I raised my grades up, won an award for academic excellence and I pass both English and Math exams. After all the triumphs and challenges met, I finally rising to the occasion and graduated.
This was the turning point of my life. I became a student who succeeded at the highest level and nothing stopped me ever since I graduated on June 19th, 2003 from PS.132.