Madison OSullivan

UWRT 1101-009
September 1, 2014
Literacy Narrative
This I Believe
It was the first day of my senior year of high school, and first day of freshman year for
my younger sister. My mother had just called us downstairs. It was approaching seven oclock,
the time we were supposed to be leaving for school, but I cant remember us ever being on time
for anything. The first day and we are both already running late and dragging ourselves down
the stairs rubbing our eyes thinking this might wake us up, hunched over carrying our overly
heavy backpacks. This surely is an odd sight, joked my sister, Paige, shocked at what she was
seeing. I dont think I have ever seen something that you have cooked before not be burnt to a
crisp. I stopped rubbing my eyes to see something that I hadnt seen in years; my mother had
prepared a whole breakfast for us. Buttery pancakes, crispy bacon, link sausage, and fresh cut
strawberries and bananas covered the island in our kitchen.
I was starting to question whether my mother had really made all of this, or if she hired
someone to do it for her. Good morning and thank you would have been nice, said my mother
sarcastically. Ive been up since five oclock cooking breakfast for you two, the least that you
could do is thank me. I turned and rolled my eyes. Thank you for finally making us a meal,
replied my sister. I walked over to the cabinet and grabbed a plate for my sister and I. I loaded
my plate with the fruit, hesitant to try the food that my mother actually had to prepare. Once
when I was younger, it took her three burnt meals in one night to finally give up and just order us
a pizza. It often wonder how I didnt starve to death. I finally decided to try one of each and
joined my mother at the kitchen table. She was reading the comic section of the newspaper; she
really is a kid at heart.
My mother waited for my sister to finally join us at the table. Put your phones away,
lets actually have a conversation this morning, said my mother. What classes do you have

Madison OSullivan
UWRT 1101-009
September 1, 2014
Literacy Narrative
this year, she asked me. My schedule actually wasnt very difficult all together, but I wasnt
looking forward to having AP English again this year. I have AP English, Advanced Studies,
Anatomy and Physiology, and AP Government, I replied. AP English will definitely be my
hardest. I have never been good with grammar and punctuation; basically everything that has to
do with English was never something that I was fortunate enough to understand. Of course I
have AP English, my least favorite class, first thing in the morning, I complained to my mother
as she sighed. Youll be fine, just dont be afraid to ask your teacher questions when you dont
understand, she said. My mother always attempts to have wise words of wisdom to give us
before we leave for school every morning.
We finished up the rest of our breakfast in silence, my sister and I playing on our phones
as usual, and my mother actually reading the news section of the newspaper. My sister broke the
silence, Its 7:15, were going to be late! she exclaimed. We grabbed our backpacks from the
kitchen floor and rushed out of the front door. Slamming the door of the car behind me, I see my
mother run out onto the front porch, blonde hair still in her face, big t-shirt and pajama pants,
Have a good first day! she yelled. My sister and I giggled, pulling out of the driveway and
blaring the radio.
Although most high school kids dont have the nicest cars, mine was one of the worst. I
pulled into the school in my silver Honda accord, paint chipping away, and my handicap license
plate. My grandfather owned the car and since he used to drive it, we still had his disabled
veteran license plate on the back. I didnt mind always getting a front parking spot, considering I
was never on time anywhere, but it was completely embarrassing for a high school student.
My sister and I sprinted out of the car and high tailed it to the front entrance of the
school. Our parking lot was quite a ways away from front entrance of the school. We finally got

Madison OSullivan
UWRT 1101-009
September 1, 2014
Literacy Narrative
to the doors, out of breath from walking so quickly to make it on time. You better still walk me
to class, my sister said, you promised you would! I was already running late so I didnt see
what a few more minutes would hurt to help my sister find her first class. We finally got to her
classroom, which was, of course, on the other side of the school from mine. Have a good first
day of high school, I yelled back as I quickly started on my way to find my class. I heard my
teacher was strict so I prepared myself to be yelled at for being late, even though it was the first
day back. I took a deep breath, let it out, and slowly opened the door to the classroom.
Welcome to AP English, you must be Ms. OSullivan, said a younger woman, tall and
skinny with blonde hair that was straight as a board that just barely touched her shoulders, from
the front of the classroom. I was surprised to see that it was not the teacher that I had been
expecting. Where is Mrs. Iwanski? I asked her. She wont be teaching here anymore, she has
decided to retire. Im Ms. Sandy, the new AP English teacher for seniors. Please take a seat. I
will not mark you tardy today since it is the first day back, but from here on out you need to be
here before I take attendance in order to be marked present.
I found a seat next to one of my best friends, Kylie. Im just happy to see that it was
someone other than Mrs. Iwanski at the front of that classroom when I walked in, I whispered to
Kylie as I sat down. Ms. Sandy walked over to her computer that was sitting on a desk in the
front of the room. It was plugged into the projector and I was already enjoying this sight. She
was about to play us a video in class. Perfect time for a nap, laughed Kylie. All of the boys
were sitting together in the front of the room. It was obvious that they were enjoying the view
for other reasons. While the video was loading, Ms. Sandy explained to us the importance of it.
Pay close attention to this video, she said. Your first assignment with be based off of this

Madison OSullivan
UWRT 1101-009
September 1, 2014
Literacy Narrative
video so I recommend that you try to stay awake. Kylie sighed while lifting her head from her
desk.

The video started and we all struggled to stay awake. The words, THIS I BELIEVE
flashed up on the projector screen. A man sitting in a chair and began to speak, very slowly and
softly. He had to be in his mid to late twenties. At this point, all eyes were glued to the front of
the classroom. He began to speak about how he lost feeling in both of his legs after a car
accident and how the doctors told him that he would never walk again. They told me that I
would be in a wheel chair for the rest of my life, and wouldnt be able to feel anything from my
waist down, he said. Its been a little over a year since the accident and Im already back on
my feet. The man slowly started to rise from his chair. This was the first time that we had seen
his legs in this video. He stood up straight and continued to tell us about how everyone truly
believed that he wouldnt ever walk again in his entire life and how he worked as hard as he
could every single day for a year to prove everyone wrong. I knew that this accident wasnt it
for me. I knew that if I tried hard enough, and worked my ass off every single day, I could prove
them all wrong, and I did, he said. This I believe in myself.
The screen cut off and the room was in complete silence. Chills spread all over my body.
Ms. Sandy cut the lights on and walked up to the front of the classroom once again. What did
you think of the video, she asked. The room remained silent, not because we didnt like the
video, but because at that moment all of us were thinking of how grateful we were to be healthy,
and to have the privilege to be in that classroom. In that ten-minute video, our attitudes towards
being in AP English that morning turned completely around. Knocking us out of the awkward

Madison OSullivan
UWRT 1101-009
September 1, 2014
Literacy Narrative
silence that remained after her question, Ms. Sandy began to tell us about our assignment that
was to be completed next Monday, exactly one week from today.
I would like for all of you to close your eyes, she said, think about something that you
truly believe in, the first thing to come to your mind. Now remember what you just thought of
and I would like for you to write about this. It does not have to be a specific length, have correct
punctuation or grammar or anything, I just want for you to write about something that you truly
believe in. It was something that I had never heard an English teacher ever say before. You
didnt hear any of the usual sighs from the class that you usually heard when a teacher assigned
an essay. Silence hovered throughout the room as she gave us the rest of the class to think about
what we were going to write about. The first thing that came to my mind was This I Believe in
the Ability to Overcome Adversity; the soon to be title to the best essay that I had ever written.