What has formed me to be what I am today. by Dymaris

What has formed me to be what I am today. by Dymaris - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

Sometimes as individuals we go through life altering events that change our outlook on life. After a long exhausting day in the fourth grade of learning long division and memorizing our multiplications’ table, it was the better of the two: dismissal! My teacher tapped my shoulder and told me it was time to go and pointed out my uncle and grandmother standing in the corner. Silence came over my friends as they stared intensely towards the same corner my uncle and grandmother stood. I didn’t take interest in what they were thinking other than, “Yay, I get to go home!”

A couple of days went by before a friend asked me, “What’s wrong with your uncle?” At that moment I remember feeling insulted. I didn’t understand what she meant, because to me there was nothing wrong with him from then on I was curious about what she considered ‘different’ about him. What did she see that I didn’t?

As I got older, I realized my uncle, Hector, looked different from everyone else in my family. He has tiny eyes that are round around the edges, tiny ears, and a tiny mouth. He always clenches his hands together whenever he gets really excited. I remember seeing him throw tantrums when he didn’t get what he wanted. I became even more curious when my uncle was in his late thirties and came home from his school with ABC letter drawings.

Later on, my mom decided that it was time to inform me that he had Down syndrome. Even after I learned more about it, my view on him did not change. We’ve always been very close. Hector is and has always been very capable despite his disability; he’s always known how to make his own coffee and breakfast.
While I was in my second year of high school I noticed that not everyone in my family thought the same way I did. There were some members in my family that never really wanted to go out with him; they always came up with an excuse to avoid being put in that situation. It hurt to realize that people that are supposed to love you unconditionally are capable of being ashamed of you. It hurt even more to think that people that are supposed to love you can still pass judgment on you as if the rest of the world hasn’t done that.

Hector, has humbled me because I know what it’s like to not want someone I love being judged. I can’t change the world but I’m advocate for people with disabilities that are looked at differently. I acquire a gift that not everyone has and that’s how caring and outspoken I am when I feel passionate about something. I volunteer to spread the word of how lovable these kids are and how they should be appreciated just like anyone else. My goal is to open up extracurricular activities in schools that can really expand these kids imagination; activities such as musical interests, art, movies, and try to go as far as teaching them a new sport.