Corona is located in the north central part of Queens county. Corona is visited often by New Yorkers and tourists due to some attractions, one includes, Citifield, home of the New York Mets, USTA National Tennis Center, where the U.S. Open is held every year, and the New York Hall of Science. Though Corona is frequently visited, it continues to have a high crime rate and it not necessarily a safe neighborhood. Growing up in Corona, I saw and encountered many things that a girl my age probably shouldn’t have experienced; from drug abuse, to gang violence, robberies, etc. Nonetheless, these experiences have helped shaped me into the person I have become today. Crime and substance abuse is not only an issue in Corona but in a lot of neighborhoods in New York City. My biggest concern in my neighborhood is education. I’ve noticed that there is very little room for advancement or growth. Only 25% of the population graduates from high school and only 7% of the population earns a Bachelor’s degree, these statistics show ineffective schooling, students are not motivated enough in school therefore students do not strive to be successful instead their main concern is when will they be old enough to drop out of school. I strongly believe that neighborhoods that show more than 50% of their population are minorities, should have the best teachers placed in their schools, teachers that want to see their students’ progress. One way I would try to better the schools in my neighborhood is by having less students in each classroom, so there can be more individualized attention. Elementary schooling should be looked at more intensively because if a student successfully completes grade school feeling accomplished, this will motivate him or her to do just as great in middle school, and if they do just as great in middle school it will motivate them for high school and so on. If there is one thing I would like to address in my neighborhood, it is the need for more effective schooling.
