Outline & Opening – Jonathan Kayumov

1. I will use the Mentor Quote prompt. I might also use Between Two Worlds.
2. The main idea of my education narrative will show my personal struggles growing up without a father and how my uncle stepped in, helped raise me, and ensured that he instilled integrity and success within my life.
3. OUTLINE:

I. Intro: Mentor quote from my uncle telling me the three rules to follow in life.

II. Event 1. Middle school turning point where I got into a fight.

III. Event 2: I met my uncle in his car where he reprehended me for my actions.

IV. Event 3: My uncle passed along my wisdom, sparking my ambition.

V. Conclusion: Carving my own path and my life after my uncle’s advice.

VI. Overall message: Despite me growing up without a father, my uncle took that responsibility and instilled me with integrity and success.

4. Opening for my essay (TWO paragraphs):

“Remember, Johnny, there are three rules in life. The first one is to never learn from your own mistakes.  The second one is to always surround yourself with people you eventually want to become. Finally, and this is most important, there is no definitive path in life. The only thing that matters is how you carve it and how you let your tools work for you.”

– Michael Kayumov, My uncle

This quote from my Uncle Michael is framed and currently hangs on my bedroom wall.

My life underwent a profound transformation during my middle school years, a pivotal moment etched vividly in my memory. It was a pleasant April morning, I had walked into the cafeteria after listening to my insufferable English teacher go on, and on about some character in some book that I didn’t care about. The teal and white brick walls, adorned with gated windows, gave the place an unsettling air and made me feel as if I were in a clinic in an insane asylum. I almost felt that waiting on line for 10 minutes for processed slop was a nice change of pace from my stress filled day. However, this small solace shattered when I realized that Jay, one of the relentless bullies who had tormented me throughout middle school, stood behind me in the lunch queue. Jay, a Hispanic kid who fancied himself tough due to his older brother’s gang affiliations, began provoking me by pushing and prodding, hoping to instigate a confrontation. I was not in the mood so I decided to ignore him. He seemed a little annoyed by this and blurted out “Hey fat-ass, look at me. I’m right here, not like your druggie da-” before he could finish his sentence, his nose was met by the shattering force of my elbow. She stumbled back with a bloody nose and looked at me with a shocked expression, he looked like he was about to cry. The shock turned into anger and he charged toward me and we began swinging at each other like animals. At one point, I began to choke him and before the fight could escalate further, school safety came in and pinned us both to the wall. We were immediately taken to the dean’s office and despite my side of the story with witnesses, I was further reprimanded for “putting another student’s life at risk by choking them.” I was suspended from school for a week and had to call a parent to come pick me up. I decided to call my uncle and when I explained the situation to him, he just grumbled “OK, ill be there in 30 minutes, don’t make me wait.”

Awaiting my uncle’s arrival in the dean’s office, a mix of curiosity and anxiety enveloped me, crawling up my spine like a centipede. I got a message on my phone that said “I’m here, come out”. I was escorted out by the dean and lead to the sidewalk. I saw the black Mercedes Benz waiting patiently on the corner, in it was my uncle Michael. He was a bald yet young looking man with a thick beard and wore his signature Yankees cap. I opened the door and entered the car, my body met the warm heated leather and my hand brushed upon the high quality wooden door frame. I had grown accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle my uncle had provided me, in this car I felt safe. I looked toward my uncle and he looked as if he hadn’t even noticed my presence yet. He was on the phone, talking to one of his employees about a new store he had plans for. When we made eye contact, he said “Yo Aaron, ill give you a call back. Get back to work” and he hung up. Without saying a word, he shifted his body to reach the car’s terminal and turned on the ac and began to play 50 cent’s album “Get rich or die tryin” at a low, ambient volume. 50 cent was his favorite artist, as me and Michael grew up in Jamaica queens which is where the rapper grew up as well. After a brief squinted gaze, he addressed me, “So Johnny, I heard you got in trouble doing stupid shit in school. Wanna tell me why you took me away from work to pick you up?” I muttered “I got into a fight, somebody pissed me off and I hit him.” After he let me finish, he slapped me in the back of the head and began to scream at me. I tuned out, so his screaming sounded like white noise. After what felt like 2 minutes of screaming, he calmed down and collected himself. He let out a loud sigh and began to recline his seat back. He looked at me and said “Yo Johnny, I’m sorry if I went a little hard on you.” “I-It’s OK, I know I did something stupid, I messed up.” He said “Good, at least you know. Listen bro, I know it can be hard at times, but if you want to be powerful, If you want to make it out, you have to carry yourself better. Remember, Johnny, there are three rules in life, and you got to follow them. You cant go starting stupid fights with stupid people, it makes you look stupid.” He took out a notebook from the glovebox and began to write as he explained to me “The first one is to never learn from your own mistakes, learn from the mistakes of others around you. You have to be observant and can never afford to make mistakes in the first place. The second one is to always surround yourself with people you eventually want to become. Make powerful friends because you’ll be grateful to have them when you need them. Finally, and this is most important, there is no definitive path in life. The only thing that matters is how you carve it and how you let your tools work for you. Don’t ever let others tell you how to live or what you can or can’t do. The only one responsible for your own mistakes and achievements is you and you alone. Take my advice, and I know you’ll be a great man one day.” He handed me the notebook and said “I want you to read what I wrote down and by tomorrow I’m going to quiz you.” I’ve never forgotten those words, it became engrained into me like a mantra.