As a child, I didn’t understand how important learning was. I felt there was nothing at school worth caring for. My family always told me how blessed and privileged I was to live in a time with so many advantages and opportunities. Even as I was told all these facts, I didn’t take in all of this information. I loved my family dearly, I just didn’t understand the importance of school.

In elementary school, I despised the thought of going to school every day. I felt that all school did was stress me out. My parents taught me that other kids my age in different countries would love to be able to learn. I just couldn’t accept the fact that I was forced to go. I was focused on not liking my teachers for yelling without realizing that my fellow students and I were causing the teacher’s reaction. It wasn’t until fifth grade that I realized how much the teachers went through to educate me. Ms. Ellington, my science teacher, took extra time to talk to me and made sure I understood the classwork. Through her caring and reaching out to me, I developed a love of science and began to care more about school.

However, in the beginning of middle school, I didn’t completely grasp that I would need to try hard to be successful in school. I hadn’t cared about what career I would pursue in the future and felt that any job would be alright. I ended the school year with low grades and my parents were very disappointed. I knew college was important. I wanted to go, but it was just another school year to me.

In seventh grade I moved to WSCS. This was a small school with caring teachers who put great effort into educating their students. The teachers also put in time to understand their students individually which is something my other schools didn’t attempt. Unlike the other schools I had been to, I actually made friends at WSCS. I liked the teachers at the school and the way they taught me. It was the first school that made me want to come back. I think back to Ms. Nguyen, my science teacher, and think about the care she showed to me. She met with my mom and I after school to make sure that I was completing my assignments.

The longer I worked with my teachers, the more I began to care about school. I was more motivated and I began to work to keep my grades up. I made more friends and I gained knowledge in multiple subjects. I developed a deeper interest in science and started enjoying writing. I even decided to make getting into college my main goal. I’ve made major improvements academically and socially. During my time at WSCS, I’ve learned to appreciate my opportunities. I’ve learned to be grateful for being able to come to school and learn each day. Now I have to leave the school that helped me care about my education. I’m sad to be leaving but there is a lesson that the school taught me about caring. Caring is necessary to move forward in life. My school cared about me and taught me to care as well.