My earliest memories of school are not being able to speak, read, or write english. “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” said the great scientist Albert Einstein. I learned that I am capable of pushing myself and accomplishing anything I need or want thanks to my academic endeavors and also thanks to martial arts. I have accomplished a first degree black belt in tae kwon do and have reached other ranks in other martial arts. Another great quote is from the bible, “God will never put me through what he cannot help me through.” I believe every challenge we face is doable because I believe in a higher power that created this universe (or maybe the universe itself). So, although we as humans have many obstacles and adverse situations to overcome we Thank God that we are here, alive and experiencing. I was eventually placed in a bilingual class. Later on I was able to develop both english and spanish. In junior high school I even received a 90 in the Italian regents, so a weakness became a strength. As a child I could barely speak two languages and by High School I basically spoke three. Two teachers stand out in my mind (Ms.Teora an Italian teacher in junior high school and Mr. Azzara my guitar teacher in high school). These two teachers touched my heart with their passion for the subjects in which they were teaching, their humor, and their down-to-earthness.
I remember feeling lost in the beginning of my childhood education career. I didn’t have any friends nor was I able to make any. I was scared and felt strange. A feeling that didn’t necessarily fleet but that I can now thrive on. I associate my first experiences with racism to school. And the images of many people of all colors come to mind in a bland edifice. I can also remember the smell of school lunch. I didn’t really start making friends until the fourth grade and eventually I pushed myself to become an honors student in fifth grade. I remember a certain peer who became my friend and is now getting his doctor’s degree in california in ethnic studies. I also remember another friend I made in junior high school who was a positive influence to me. I consider my martial arts training another form of education. I educated myself to handle negativity from other peers by the outlet of expressing anger through martial arts. I learned about eating healthy and exercising and this helped my grades back then. Although, I must say I think i need to re-learn a lot of these habits. I haven’t been in school for a while, so I am acclimating myself to college. I also haven’t been to a gym or martial arts training for a while so i don’t quite feel the same as I did when I was doing well in school.
School has always been an inspiring yet challenging place for me. Although I’m not always enthusiastic about going to class or completing an assignment but i know that i cannot give up on my academic studies because in the long run i believe i will lead a happier and more fulfilling life. The teachers who have taught me the most in life so far though are my parents. The most important thing I have learned from them is that being a realist is also as important as being an idealist because first the dreams are born in your mind and then action manifests dreams into reality. I want to become the best version of me possible.