For as long as I can remember, I have always loved going to school. I wasn’t sure exactly what drew me to loving school at first. I thought maybe I just liked being around my friends and socializing with others, indicating that the knowledge I was receiving was merely a consequence of getting to hang out with my friends every day; however, as I continued my education I found that this was far from the reality.
When I was in the 6th grade, I had the opportunity to finally hone my creative writing skills. I vividly remember being intimidated by the new curriculum, the new classroom, and most of all, the new expectations that I felt were looming over my head. This school year began like any other: I had to learn new rules for a new teacher, and fall into a new routine that said goodbye to the 5th grade and hello to the new and improved 6th grade me. I was originally taken aback by what I thought was a rigorous English curriculum because of what turned out to be the start of my passion for writing. This is when I realized that school wasn’t only a social scene for me to be a social butterfly and chat, but rather, I was becoming cognizant of the opportunity I was being given to grow in knowledge and experience.
Image source: Trent Erwin
I look back at this year, which was so early in my education, that really helped foster my desire to learn more and to continue wanting to learn. Growing up in an environment where I had role models who promoted the importance of learning, I was able to develop a passion that I am currently pursuing.