My first time going to school in the United States was in the 2nd grade. Before then, I lived in Germany, so their school system was all I knew. I soon found out that they’re extremely different in both teaching styles and daily schedules. I had a very hard time adjusting. At first, my teachers had no hope in me. I overheard plenty of parent-teacher conferences where they thought I wouldn’t even make it past high school.
So then, I had to put in two times the work that other students did. Instead of going out to movie nights, I chose to stay home to help further my literacy. I wouldn’t go to the cafeteria for lunch. I would sit in the library and rewrite my notes to make sure I had them right. Even with all my hard work, I still had plenty of doubts about my success.
When I went to middle school, my teachers finally recognized my hard-working mentality and helped me continue to thrive. My science teacher would stay with me in her classroom and give me extra work and assignment to help me in the class. My English teacher would help me revise any of my papers I had to do. By the end of my middle school career, I was a straight A student and it didn’t stop in high school.
A few weeks ago, I went to visit some of my old schools to see some of my teachers. Some of them did not even recognize me, because that is how much I have changed. If it were not for those teachers who had doubts about me, I may not have worked as hard as I did to be where I am now. I am thankful for every doubt that was ever brought to my attention because I grew from it.