The National Honor Society

When it came time in February to apply for Honor Society sophomore year, my parents tried time and time again to convince me to apply. I was always skeptical about the National Honor Society because I believed that I was not intelligent enough and that the process would only be a waste of my time. My dad told me "whats the hurt in applying, it will look good on a resume." I still refused and my parents and I argued about it for a while and told them that I didn't want to apply and ended up missing the deadline and that was that.

The next year came around and another February with the same discussion. Naturally because I had no interest I didn't tell my parents about the application deadline. That only lasted so long until my parents got an email about the application and the same discussion occurred. We talked about it and eventually I gave in to their pleading for me to apply. I filled out the application as best I could and found my references. After that I turned it in to Mr. Cornell, the school's chapter head, and went about my business greatly believing that I wouldn't be accepted. 

It was not until a couple weeks later that I was in class when I got called down to the front office. I what unsure what it was about and why I got called out of class along with several other students. We were all given envelops and inside them was a letter from Mrs. Evans. The letter was my formal acceptance into the National Honor Society. I was over come with joy when I found out. For so long my learning difference had me believing that I wasn't good enough or smart enough. Because of this I realized that I was smarter and more intelligent than I gave myself credit for. 

The Shelton School (Worst School Ever)

One of my most traumatic experiences was at the Shelton School. My parents were looking at schools that would be a good fit for me. going into the first grade. I was at a summer program at the school and remember being nervous about the experience. I missed my mother and was looking for someone to give me a comporting response. No teacher or member of the staff was sympathetic towards me or comforting. I especially recall getting yelled at by one of the teachers solely because I sad and just wanted a hug. That teacher showed no concern pertaining to how I felt. How I felt was never taken into consideration at Shelton.

I remember coming home that afternoon and telling my parents what had happened. Thankfully they were concerned when I told them what happened and they looked into what had occurred. After that I never returned to Shelton and obviously dislike the school to this day. I was 5 at the time and it still shocks me that they treated me how they did with no compassion what so ever. What is the worst part about it all in my opinion has to be how a specialized school for children with learning differences could be so unaccommodating and cold. Children with learning disabilities need extra care and consideration but that school obviously had none.  

This is besides the point but the school didn't feel like a school. The campus was big and intimidating with long, wide hallways. For starter the outside looks like a basketball coliseum with simple yellow brick, no to mention I'm not sure if the main building even had any windows. It sounds weird but because the campus was so big it almost made me believe that learning there would be more complicated and complex. It felt more like the Galleria Mall than it did a school.  

Introduction to Life Learned Differently

This is the story of my life with learning differences. It encapsulates the last 13 years of my life and will show you what my journey has looked like. My life has been made up of many struggles with a great majority of them stemming from my learning disabilities. Over these several stories I will describe to you the good times, when things where looking up and going right, but also when times where tough and I felt quitting was the best option. Hopefully I can share to you what it has been like being raised and living with learning differences in the next couple of stories I will share.

I greatly hope that you will really be able to put yourself in the drivers seat and get a first person perspective of what a learning difference can do to a person. That being said it can also be a gift in many ways. My friends and I who have grown up have had many struggles that is true. That being said, a learning difference is a gift, it is what makes me creative and unique. Because I learn differently I also think differently; this means thinking creatively or "outside of the box." Despite all of the difficulties I have overcome and am better because of it.