Matthew Guadron 12th Grade Foshay Learning Center

Student Personal Statement

It was a normal day of school for me, I’m sitting in English class listening to how Romeo
and Juliet’s love is forbidden by their families. All of a sudden the class phone goes off
which is located across the room so as my teacher, Ms. Jones, walks across the room
as I anxiously waited because I already knew what was coming, “Matthew Guadron can
you please go to the attendance office” Ms jones says. Everyone’s attention in class
shifts to me, everyone’s small but beady eyes stare at me wondering why am I leaving
class again, everyone knows that at least once a month or so the attendance office calls
me but for what, why am I leaving class once again, what is he doing there, what is the
reason?
I had to go to the attendance office because of my monthly speech therapy sessions.
It's always been an embarrassment for me, there's certain words that I cannot say any
word that contains the letter R is very hard for me to say, and when I would try it made
me self conscious of myself because my friends and other kids would poke fun at it,
turning me into a shy kid who usually kept to himself. I would attend these speech
therapy sessions since I was in elementary school all the way up to highschool. This
really did affect me, in presentations I would try my best to avoid words with the letter R
and it was difficult to do that, it added more to my nervousness for presenting.
That day was the last session, my very last speech therapy session and I remember
going back to class I didn't tell anyone, I was still in embarrassment, but I was happy on
the inside. I told my mom about it and she is happy for me, she knew how much this
really meant to me. After that final session, I had this essence of confident in me now, I
noticed myself being more outgoing, I was more open and talkative. There were still
times where i would mispronounce words and people would still point that out but it
didn't bother me as much, this new confidence made me not care about the way I talk, it
makes my life easier not having to worry about the way I talk and worrying about what
people say about me because if I do mess up then what will happen, nothing, there's no
worries about it and I completely fine with it.