Stages into Reality: Narrative Corrections

Shannon Estrin

Joel Murphy
English 51
12 Oct. 2013

Stages into Reality

         For most individual high school students, their dream is to graduate from the high school they started at. For me however, this was not an option. During the four years of my teenage life, I attended four different high schools: The Wilson Academy, North Atlanta, Shiloh, and Desert Chapel. Moving from school to school made graduating high school a difficult challenge to overcome. Challenges are obstacles people go through on a daily basis. Going to four different high schools was, however, a huge challenge I had to overcome.      

Compared to the three different high schools I attended, Georgia’s educational curriculum was the easiest. The first high school I attended was a family owned private school called The Wilson Academy. The headmaster was named Mr. Wilson. He was a 6’7” tall black former Ohio State Buckeye Collegiate basketball player who was a decent teacher. However, I always felt like I was his friend. Nothing seemed serious, that is what I get for going to a small private school with 60 kids and four teachers. So this shows how much one-on-one time I received, the first math I was exposed to was Pre-Algebra. I excelled so quickly that the teacher decided to have me tutor other students. Heading towards the second semester of that year, I was told I was going to move to a public school. I was kind of prepared and ready for something new, but little did I know “I was a little fish in a big pond."  It wasn’t easy. I started doing Algebra 1 and excelled in that quickly as well, but as soon as I got over that hump, came a slap in the face named Algebra 2. I struggled a lot at first, this one seemed simple because the first two weeks of school was approaching, but once school came around I needed extra tutoring because linear equations, exponents, and variables in the same problems made my brain feel dysfunctional. In addition to getting extra help, tutoring didn't really make a big difference that my teacher was a short grumpy, old lady mad at the world because her son didn't make the Varsity Football team. She once said, “You will not make it in my class if my son doesn’t make it into college for football." She didn't like me because my stepfather was the Varsity Head Coach that gave her another reason to fail me. Towards the end of the year I motivated myself with all the negativity going around and passed her class barely with a low C. Besides struggling with math, science is not my best subject, but I’m decent at it and I always did well in chemistry, mixing the chemicals, doing all the labs as well as the projects. Then I got introduced to physics. My teacher was a wrestling coach, a bald guy who was so dull and boring. He made physics and learning about radiation and energy so difficult to pass, but once again with the motivation of me being told I can't make it, I passed. Finally, the move from Georgia back to California was exciting and I was successful in my math and did not have to take anymore science classes. I was in the top of my class and established an A+ in each class.

I have always kept to myself, but once I became adopted into the public school life I felt I needed the popularity, friends, and girls; it was like a drug. I really didn't care for the large crowd, but I also felt disappointed when the friends I had stopped keeping in contact with me once I moved schools. As soon as I got comfortable at one school it was time to pack up and start fresh at a new location. I can always make new friends, nevertheless keeping in contact with them was a challenge in my life. As a result of being the “solo kid everywhere he goes,” I lost some of my self-confidence and just starting hanging out by myself. This is why I had relationship issues with girls. I moved to so many schools it was hard to stay focused on one relationship and not all of them. For example, there was a young lady I was dating; she was 5’4” light skin, and had brown hair. She had a gorgeous smile, could hold a good conversation, I felt she was going to be my high school sweetheart, but she learned how to love things and use people. She would always say, “Shannon if you don’t want to take me shopping, and treat me right, then I will go find a new man, and in my mind I was like chick then just leave”! “Of course I would ruin my reputation if broke up with her.” She love shopping and use me to buy her stuff all the time, I became so naïve. I was sucked into the trap and started to lose track of classes.

    High school athletics was always a dream of mine to participate in at the same school for all four years, but unfortunately life doesn't work that way. Things happen for a reason and me not playing sports competitively until my senior year was my challenge that I had to go through. I wanted to be that person who everyone in the town knew and looked up too, I believe if I would have participated in athletics not only would I have graduated joyful, I would be at a four year college, but once again life works different for others. My life was seeing playing sports every chance I got and it helped me develop a sense of urgency, patience, hardworking ethics, and responsibility which are all aspects that should be shown in a man’s character. My teammates are like my family they will critique me when I am doing good and bad on and off the field. My teammates are all here for one thing just like I am:  to make it to the top and be successful. In addition to accomplishing a certain goal, it helps men and women establish self-respect for themselves and others around them. If I participated in athletics throughout my high school career, I would have been able to attend a four year university.

Participating on the Roadrunners football at College of the Desert has shown me a lot about man hood, maturity, responsibility on the field and in the classroom. My new challenge that I will overcome is staying focused on school and football and transferring to a four year university. Challenges are like a mountain; we all have to climb to the top and we all fall to the bottom. It is up to us if we want to overcome that challenge. In the last four years of attending different high schools such as Wilson, Shiloh, North Atlanta, Desert Chapel, I struggled graduating, but I am here now and have overcome one challenge in my life. I will face many more down the road, but it is up to me if I want to take the challenge on full speed and get to the next Stage into Reality or let it run me over.