Every face I encountered that day had matching expressions etched onto them. Every face had born equal hopeless resignation—the manifestation of a life spent working long arduous hours, only to earn a pittance. This was the result of a life without alternatives or opportunities. This was the life that most people led here. This was my dad’s hometown...
As I pushed open the heavy green doors of the middle school, I wondered who would be waiting for me. My heart dropped. Nobody was there. So, I continued to the music room and stood there for what seemed like eons, almost dreading who would walk through those doors. Then, I saw her, a petite girl with blonde frizzy hair. She had a contagious smile, yet she still seemed just as anxious as I was. Her name was Rosie, and I was her new mentor. That terrified me. I had never taught anybody anything before...
Sometimes I question my decision. Did I act out of shame? Or laziness? Am I a quitter? But let me start at the beginning.Speed gives me a rush. This love of speed drives my passion for running. I abhor walking - why walk when you could run? You may as well watch water evaporate or a sloth do anything. Soccer allowed me to run forever. To say I lacked subtlety or smoothness on the pitch would be an understatement...
Maturity is presented to me as a specter in an opaque environment, a specter who I cannot tell if I’m approaching or moving further from. However, on a stumbling chance, I shift my perspective and see a glimpse of the specter’s direction. One of those chances came in the form of the Chicago Teacher’s Union strike...
In my high school, self-sufficiency and independence are expected. The very idea of asking for help can be daunting and can, at times, be seen as self-deprecating.One day, my sophomore year, my health teacher started class by announcing he would blindfold us. It was strange, yes, but health was a tedious subject and all of us were just tickled at the thought of change. We complied...
Sophomore year, our school offered optional EKG screenings for all of its students. I was one of the few students in our school of 4,300 that was flagged. I have ventricular tachycardia, meaning that my heart is sometimes ‘lax’ in duty. Sometimes it goes too fast and other times it skips beats all together. As an athletic student who loved cardio and team sports, the eventual diagnosis came as a shock...
I moved to Illinois when I was eleven, however, I spent the majority of my life in Madison, having been born there. A substantial portion of that time was spent within Engineering Hall sitting in class with my mother who was an engineering student. My mother got her Bachelors, Masters, and PhD in Industrial & Systems Engineering at UW Madison, so as a child I also spent many hours in her various labs and offices. I have fond memories of walking around Engineering Drive and experiencing life around campus...
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