The Elective that Changed Me by Misael

The Elective that Changed Me by Misael - September 2017 Scholarship Essay

Education for me has changed drastically in my educational upcoming. Elementary and middle school were simple. I took effortless classes and I had little knowledge on what the future would hold. There were no worries, no stressing, and life was good. Entering high school this naive mindset came to a crashing halt. I was thrown with many questions on what my plans were after graduation. On hoping to be a first generation college student, I had no knowledge on what requirements I had to take. I didn’t know what colleges wanted, how I’d pay and where I’d go. I was terrified, all I really knew was that college would be really expensive. How would I possibly plan on going when my parents struggle to pay rent? One day I remember talking to one of my classmates, she told me about her electives and on what she was planning on hopefully majoring. This hit me hard, how could she possibly already know what her plans were after graduation. I was still only thinking about today and not about what tomorrow would hold. After this small talk, she mentioned an elective called Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID).
To my prior knowledge, I only knew bits and pieces about this class, that was so beneficial to students. Being a bit curious, I did a little research on the elective, and to my surprise, it was a college prep elective. The solution to all my problems, the guidance I’d so vigorously searched for. On August 24, 2015, I joined Avid. From this day on, my confusion and fear would be relieved. This class was different, it taught us about the real world and what to expect from it. In the beginning, we were assigned certain assignments that I believed were pointless. Doing certain weekly notes, presenting, and doing discussions. I asked myself if this elective was worth taking, a class that many talked so greatly about. As time passed I genuinely started to see the value of Avid.
The educational barrier I faced could be overcome. My teachers pushed me and motivated me. Coming from parents without any high school education and not knowing English, I lacked the help I desperately needed. Avid solved this problem, If I was struggling in a certain subject I could ask a tutor for help. My sophomore year my Gpa averaged only 3.3 compared to a 4.1 my junior year. Avid did this for me, I was determined to do better and It paid off. My senior year has begun and I can officially say I’m not terrified. I’m not scared of college applications, my FAFSA and what college I’ll be attending. Avid has prepared me for the good and the bad, all I know is that I can and I will be successful. This elective I discovered just by talking to one of my classmates changed me. Avid caused a shift in my educational upcoming, the savior of my grades and my motivator. This elective has impacted me physically and mentally. I’m truly grateful to be a part of Avid.