“You’ll never graduate at this rate.”
Those were the words that echoed in my mind from a teacher who saw my struggles as evidence that I wouldn’t succeed. For a while, I believed them too. The weight of those words was heavy, and I started to question whether I was capable of reaching the same milestones as my peers. But something inside me refused to accept that my potential could be defined by someone elseâs expectations.
Instead of giving up, I pushed myself harder than I ever had. I studied relentlessly, determined to prove that I was more than the sum of my setbacks. When it came time for the Regents exams, I didn’t just pass. I scored among the highest in my class.
That success was my way of saying, âYou were wrong.â It wasnât just about the grades, it was about reclaiming belief in myself when others didnât. Those painful words drove me succeed, and in the end, I not only graduated but did so in a way that surprised everyone who had doubted me.
This is wonderful little piece of a story!
Now could it be the seed of a bigger more complete essay? If you wanted to expand this HW —
WHO said this to you? Where did this conversation happen? Was it your senior year? WHAT was the context — HOW were you performing in this class? WHAT was the class? You need CSD concrete specific details to recreate this as a scene of a transformative moment when Mr. TEACHERNAME issued what turned out to be a challenge that turned you around in your high school life.
THEN what was the next event in this story? SHOW me yourself studying in the library, checking out books, or studying late into the night in your bedroom, turning down invitations to hang with your friends on Friday night.
The last event might be graduation day.
I dont’ know the events that would SHOW me this story enfolding but YOU DO.
RLW and study how our writers SHOW with concrete specific details so we as readers can SEE the events happening.