Claissa Frias

                                                                       The Struggle

            School is a struggle this year. Elementary, Middle school, and High school were easy. But coming into college was the difficult part. School has been a struggle for me I was always the slow learner. No matter what I was always the one being picked on at school.  Aside from that in high school was a long journey. Freshmen year I was just excited that I was in high school which was a big change from middle school.  As I was as saying freshman year I really didn’t focus on school I was so into trying to find where I fit in. Sophomore year I joined the drill team sort of like a dance team. That’s when I was focusing on my grades because to on the team I had to have good grades. Sophomore year I was on fire never missed a day maybe just one because I was sick but aside from that was always present at school. I was also making the A & B honor roll every 6 weeks I would get my certificate.  Junior year came around and I was out of the dance team I was doing volleyball. With volleyball it was leaner yea my grades had to be passing but not as high as when I was in the dance team. But even in volleyball I tried my best to keep my high grades as possible. I wouldn’t get A & B honor rolls like when I was in the dance team but I still got one or two around there. Senior year I was just focused graduating and getting out of high school couldn’t handle it anymore. I was just focused on just getting out I forgot to pay more attention on college and seeing how to feather my education. Yes I graduated from high school my family says it’s a miracle, but I was determine to show and prove to them that I can graduate high school. Now till this day I still ask myself how I got college and still standing here. Have to say college has broken me down but I try to get myself back up. I just have to tell myself to keep moving forward and never give up. School for me will always be a struggle but somehow I will get through it.

Clarissa Frias

                                           Defining Excellence in my Point of View

 

David Books in his essay “It’s Not About You” defines excellence as “It’s the things they did to court unhappiness”. My mom’s excellence is defined as her attending St. Edward’s University, being head president of AAIP Association, and also being the best at her job. My mom attending St. Edward’s University exhibits excellence to me which though she did not finish she did two years of university. Not only was she going to school but she had two full time jobs. Aside from that my grandma was sick so she has to take care of her and the household. My mom is also head president of the AAIP Association. She stared off with just attending the meetings with her excellence building they voted her president. She is the first Latina president from that association. The people from the association didn’t believed in her but she proved them wrong that anything is possible. Aside from being president from the association she is one of the top person from her job. My mom is property and causality underwriter. Till this day she is still taking classes and with those classes come testing. She does it to further her job major. With all the excellence that she has done and is doing I am able to attend college myself. My mom’s excellence pushes me to do the best and never give up. With seeing her I learned that you start from the bottom but you can always rise up no matter how low you start from. The way David Brooks defines excellence is a different way I define excellence. The way I define excellence is seeing my mom succeed. As Davis Brooks said is his article “ It’s excellence, not happiness, that we admire the most”. Those are the three ways I see excellence in my mom.