I remember the day so perfectly, March 15, 1:50 pm. I was at the chiropractor, days after my car accident and I was waiting for my college acceptance letters via email. My first choice was John Jay College of Criminal Justice. This has been my dream college since I was in 5th grade because my mom was a graduate. After seven words I’ve already noticed that they didn’t accept me. Sorrow crept over me and words couldn’t form. This was a major setback for me. I never saw myself at any other school, I was crushed. As I left the chiropractor all I can think about is how will I tell my mom the news. When I told my mother there wasn’t any sign of disappointment on her face. Yet for me, I felt like my world was crashing down, but she told me this was just a setback and how it is their loss that they didn’t accept me. She explained to me that no matter where I go I will be great. Whether it’s an Ivy League school, CUNY, or SUNY as long as I remember the purpose of why I applied for college I will be great. Getting that letter and having that conversation with my mother changed my point of view that day. I realized it doesn’t matter what college I go to, what matters is how much I apply myself to my work, and my passion for becoming a lawyer. 

Over the years I’ve been discouraged a lot, I can name countless times where I’ve felt like the world was on my shoulders. A memorable moment that will always be with me forever is the time I had eye surgery in the 7th grade. When I was 12,  I had eye surgery. It wasn’t my first time having surgery, but I hoped it would be the last time. My eyesight started getting bad again, but I didn’t even tell my mom because I knew what it was.  A detached retina. Not treated properly or quickly you can lose your entire eyesight. The floaters kept getting bigger and my mom took me back to the doctors where I was told I needed my 4th surgery. When I recovered from my surgery, I had a new outlook on life. I realized that I didn’t have time to waste. I had a new perspective on life, new goals, and a new attitude. The surgery showed a different side of me, and that side took over. I felt like changing everything, but this time for the better. When I came back to school I was behind in all my classes, some of my teachers didn’t even know if I was going to pass the seventh grade. Even my friends didn’t believe me. I didn’t want to prove a point to them that I could pass, I wanted to prove a point to myself that I could accomplish anything I set my mind too. I stayed up late at night completing homework that I missed, skipped lunch to work on assignments that were due, missed the gym for extra credit.  When the time came for my report card my teachers realized that I had the highest average in my class, that’s when I was recommended for Honors eighth grade class. I feel like the surgery changed me and made me grow out of my childhood stage. It showed me life isn’t a joke and neither is school. Before my surgery the choices I made were horrible. I realized that, so I decided to change that. The experience of having surgery changed everything about me. No one couldn’t save me from my downfall but me, and I’m glad I did. I didn’t just make my mom proud I made myself proud, and that is all that matters most. We all go through a time in our life where we feel stuck or lost including when it comes to an academic occurrence. The most important thing is to never let it discourage you and don’t let it get you to a place where you feel unmotivated.