Author: Angelica Opulencia

Course: N/A
Instructor: Donna Marsh
Researcher: Vanane Alikhanyan
Summary: Angelica Opulencia recounts how she transformed from a
senior high school student struggling to decide what she wanted to do
with her life to a more confident and positive person with a sense of
purpose. Her narrative opens with the concern she felt at the end of her
last year in high school; comparing herself to her friends, she did not see
herself as a good potential college student but still felt she should pursue
a college education. Her lack of passion and direction made her feel
alienated from her friends and worsened her academic anxiety. The
incident that caused this to change was Angelica meeting Mr. Henries, a
teacher she liked and looked up to. She did well in his class and took on
new responsibilities as a teacher aide, which led to a friendship forming
between them. The second key incident is when Marsh was asked to
babysit Mr. Henries’ daughter, who had cystic fibrosis and was deaf. At
first, Marsh was concerned she would be unable to take care of or
communicate with Cindy, but the barrier between them was quickly
overcome and a strong friendship formed. Her time with Cindy helped
Marsh find a new appreciation for life since, despite her disability, Cindy
was a very positive girl that valued being calm and secure over needless
worrying. Beyond companionship, she also offered Marsh a sense of
direction; as a CSUN student she now majors in Communication
Disorders and Sciences, with an emphasis on deaf education.

Codes:
Anxiety: academic uncertainty (L1-L5) - Identity: lack of interest or
direction (L3-L5) - Social Comparison: feelings of inadequacy (L5-L10)
- Identity: alienation from friends (L9-L18) - Desire for Assimilation
(L13-L18) - Religious Experience: seeking help (L19-L20) - New
Experience: emotional attachment (L21-L28) - Response: confusion
(L27-L28) - Critical Incident: support from a teacher (L29-L32) - New
Responsibility (L33-L40) - Critical Incident: meeting a disabled deaf
person (L41-L48) - Response: anxiety over language barrier (L45-L48) -
Overcoming Language Barrier (L53-L61) - Response: emotional
bonding (L58-L62) - Self-reflection: learning to overcome anxieties
(L64-L69) - Finding Academic Direction (L66-L69) - Self-reflection:
importance of friendships and support (L70-L74)