Being Ones Own Advocate by Caleb

Being Ones Own Advocate by Caleb - July 2021 Scholarship Essay

Middle school was a rough time in my life: my mother was just recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis(MS), and my father was just recently laid off from his job. The school board also put me into remedial classes and wouldn't allow me the chance to leave them even with me achieving high marks. Finally, after fighting and begging, they let me the opportunity to take one honors-level course. I chose math, which was my favorite class at the time, and even saw myself going into a field that involved mathematics. The first day of the 7th-grade year started, and my homeroom teacher started to hand out schedules, and as soon as I got mine, I grew a huge smile on my face because right there in the 4th period spot was Honors 7th grade mathematics.
The year started OK until our first test came around, and I scored a C on it. To my teacher, this was not allowed and needed immediate repercussions. She immediately went to the principal to bump me back down to remedial math. This took me by surprise after just a month, and they immediately tried to take away my chances at having more for myself. I was disgusted and utterly annoyed by how the school board was treating me. The saddest part was I couldn't even ask my parents for help because I knew they were already struggling, just trying to pay the bills each month. This was an awakening moment for me, I was able to discuss with the teacher, and she happily accepted my agreement to keep me in the class as long as I stayed above a B the whole year. The funny part was I did her one better and was able to keep above an A for the entire year. From that moment, I realized that the only advocate you can ever truly rely on is yourself.