Personal Narrative

Being the first person going to college in your family is a daunting task, however, I feel
as though going to college has been my plan ever since I was just a little kid. Although neither of
my parents attended college, everything they have done for me has prepared me for this
challenge. Even though my parents have never explicitly said that college was the end goal for
me, I somehow always knew that it was.
My father is an electrician, and just like every little boy, I wanted to do what my dad did.
However, he has done everything in his power to try to keep me away from that path after high
school and because of that, it is safe to say that I am going to stray away from the path that he
chose. As for my other parent, my mom has been a “stay at home mom” for almost the entirety
of my life. She also has been guiding me on the path towards academic success and higher
education since I was a child, helping me with any decision related to my educational career and
always trying to challenge me in every aspect of life.
I have been on the path towards higher education since as early as elementary school,
without even knowing. It began with something as simple as my aunt teaching me my
multiplication tables in second grade, years before we learned them in class. This education path
continued into middle school when I tested into an accelerated math, science, and technology
program within the Warren Consolidated School District, in addition to traditional middle school
classes. Towards the end of eighth grade, I then took a test in an attempt to get into a selective
and advanced math, science, and technology program for high school that accepts only 84
students from around Macomb County. The high school program is much more exclusive than
the middle school counterpart, due to the small number of students that get accepted into the
program, and because it is open to any student in Macomb County. After applying, I received a
letter that placed me on the waiting list. About 6 months passed when it came time for high
school registration. I received my schedule for Cousino High School and had still not heard
from my application. Going into ninth grade, I was excited to be a “normal” high school student
and be with all of my friends all day. However, days after registration, I received a call from my
academic counselor saying that I was offered a spot in the advanced program that I tested to get
into months prior.
I was torn between living the normal “high school life” that I thought I was going to live
and the challenge of putting myself through a program notorious for the rigor of the coursework
and projects. After multiple days of thinking about the decision, I told my family that I would try
it out for the first semester and then decide if I wanted to stay for the remainder of my high
school career. Within the first month of the program, I fell in love with it and the community of
people that were all as driven and determined as me. Additionally, I appreciated how well the
teachers taught and how much they enjoyed coming into work every day and inspiring us.
Although I was reluctant to attend at first, these past three years of the program—the
number of sleepless nights, countless never-ending study sessions, and missed school events
because of projects—have all been worth it in the end. I believe attending this program was the
best decision that I have made at this point in my life. It has led me to be successful in high
school and has also put me on track to be even more successful in college and the rest of my life.