The Challenges That Has Made me Proud by Kwadwo

The Challenges That Has Made me Proud by Kwadwo - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

Over the past 4 years of high school, I have faced many challenges which has shaped me to become the person I am today. I am happy to say that though, due to my identity of being an African, I have come to understand the hardship and challenges of a man. Moreover, I see myself as a boy with different race and good education in the society. Growing up was a tough battle for me due to my inability to talk properly. During the beginning of my childhood days in Africa as a boy, I was a quiet person due to my inability to speak properly. Being born as a boy with stammer was hard for me to talk in people, I found myself nervous each time I come across lot of people in a group and I am not able to speak properly.
Also, education was something that I had always thought of attending to become a great person in the future. This was when I first arrived in Joliet West, I was happy to be in English class than in ESL class which I had when I when I was in Bolingbrook. The struggle of my speaking began when I had a presentation in English class. I was so nervous to the extent that I was not able to express myself to the class. I felt disgraced that I was not able to present in front of the class. For me to increase my reading and speaking level, I decided to get books from the library every weekend.
Furthermore, I have experience the discrimination between the white and black people. Many blacks were not allowed to have equal rights with whites. Also, I have learnt that during the 1848 to 1920 in United States women didn't have the right to vote but men could vote. The discrimination brought a great damage to the citizens of America but all those discrimination were over by the help of Susan Anthony.
As an African boy, there has been a discrimination among people from many countries that undergo the struggle of slavery and humiliation and I found myself identifying with the race roles and expectations when I learned from “U.S History” about how Martin Luther King brought to bring peace between the whites and blacks. The 1964 discrimination brought a great humiliation and suffering between the blacks and whites. King had an idea of bringing peace with the whites and blacks. His dream speech which he spoke of “I HAVE A DREAM” brought unity to all Americans. Although, he was able to accomplish his role as the leader of the Negro by the help of President Kennedy. President Kennedy felt that the discrimination between the two races must be stopped and everyone must live in unity and make peace with each other despise the color of their skin.
In addition, being a man who was raised as a boy has influenced me to believe that in life a man must face challenges and those challenges will be a blessing in his life, this was why in The Kite Runner I understood why Amir didn’t want Baba to leave him to be in the world alone. I learned that in life, a man must grow by which occurred in loss or victory. I was able to move from failure to success when I had an F on English 2 first semester and I had to come for summer classes. I understood the difficulty of my problem and was able to pass with a C from summer classes. During my junior year, my English speaking moved from a different level than before where I increased my reading skills and writing. Going to the library every weekend helped me to increase my reading and speaking.
Again, as a man I learned that children from African countries are likely to drop out of school and are been sent into slavery. That was why in the book, “They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky” I could understand the struggling of Benson Deng where he had to run from home with his brothers when military army attacked their village in Sudan.
Throughout my years at Joliet West High School, I have been able to overcome my challenges as an African boy and I have learnt the failure and success of my struggle. I have come to understand the race, gender, and education which an African boy like me with an accent move to a different world. Although, according to my experience and challenges, it has given me the opportunity to further my education and speaking in the future more than ever before.