Alicia Santiago TLC-I Cultural Autobiography Being born in Camden New Jersey has had an extremely large impact

on me as a person as well as my decisions. My grandmother decided she would step up and raise me since my mother was a teenage parent and did not want the responsibility of a child. My mother has rarely been in my life. When she has come back to try and take part it has been at the most random times. Growing up all my teachers loved me, even now when I see them, they think back to how my grandmother instilled in me how important education would be in my life. I can vividly remember when I was in the sixth grade; a teacher made me his main helper and often let me run errands to the office. A girl who I barely knew looked at me and said something along the lines of you think youre so special, you dont even belong in Camden, and youre stuck up. I remember I did not even respond to her comment. Actually now as I am thinking back on it, I did not know how to respond. I did not think to live in Camden you had to act a certain way, even at that age. This is why I am the way I am. I will tell anyone where I am from proudly because I know I am setting an example as well as breaking that stereotype. The girl who said that comment to me has been my best friend ever since. She has given birth to my god-daughter. I asked her why she would say such things to me and she told me it was because she judged me without knowing me. In the seventh grade a producer from ABC contacted my school asking for a positive student to feature in a story. My principal recommended that I be that student since she knew what struggles I was facing. I was featured on Diane Sawyers Waiting on the World to

Change documentary. This documentary featured a few kids form Camden and was meant to show that there is positivity in Camden. We also met kids from Moorestown and we realized that we werent different at all. We were both kids of course and we all had the same goals. Ms. Anna, the producer, has become a huge addition to my life. She has become like a close relative. We still keep in touch and visit each other often. She does anything she can to make sure I am still staying strong and positive. Senior year at Creative Arts was absolutely life changing. I have always been in choir as well as involved in acting. My senior year the opportunity arose for our choir to compete in a choral competition in Czech Republic. I will not lie, I was so discouraged. Now me being a senior, I already had senior dues to pay for things like graduation, prom and other activities. On top of that I needed about $140 for my passport, $500 for our trip to Prague, and senior dues were about $700. I did not know how I was going to pay for all of this alone since my mother did not contribute to anything financial wise all my life. I also did not want to burden my grandparents because I knew we were behind on some bills. I decided towards to end of the summer I would get another job. I was now attending school, working at an after school program and working at McDonalds while still attending choir practice and I was casted as Scout in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird. Talk about time management, I was pulling myself in a million different directions. I would go to school from 8:00 until 3:00 depending on the day I would have choir practice, drama club or work tutoring until 5:00. Right at 5:00 I would immediately go to work at McDonalds on most days and work until10:00 or sometimes even 11:00. I would also have to find time for studying and homework. After sophomore year in high school, I had lost touch with Ms. Anna. My choir director however, noticed me struggling and somehow contacted Ms. Anna. W=hen I heard her voice I broke down immediately and

explained to her how hard things were for me and that I did not think I could go to Prague with my peers. If it honestly was not for Ms. Anna, I do not think I could have done it. She donated $300 for me to go to Prague and it made such a difference since no one would buy anything from me when I was fund raising. There were so many times where I felt so alone and would cry because I had so much on my plate. Did I also mention that my grandma was very sick and I take care of her? Senior year I was a complete wreck. Fast forwarding time a bit, Prague was such a different experience. This was my first time on a plane and my first time being away from my family for a week and not being able to call my grandmother whenever I wanted too. I had so many mixed emotions starting with fear, doubt, excitement and the list could go on for days. My choir won second place and the first place winner was a college choir. Everyone that doubted us we proved wrong! We were proud of our accomplishments. I actually am so glad that I was assigned this essay. Writing about my last experience, I began crying. I know I belong teaching because of my motivation and dedication. It is so empowering, the positivity that lives in my soul and runs through my veins. I want to be the one to help those children in need of a caring individual to show them the positive path. Not all children have access to a person who has not only lived through what each of them is living through but has also come out successful. A teacher is not only an educator but is a parent, a doctor, a leader, a friend, and many more things. I have a little of each of those qualities possessed by all those individuals. My compassion cannot even begin to be described. I know that being an educator is inside of me.