Overtime changes have become the new norm for me. I always seem to have to adapt to new situations. My life has always been slightly different from others. Living with parents who do not reflect your best interest leads to a bunch of other problems, I'm sure you can imagine. Or maybe you can’t, maybe you really don't understand what I'm trying to say. Maybe you really don’t understand how it is to grow up in a broken home or struggle to make ends meet. The disconnect between people who grow up well and those that have to struggle for even the bare minimum is real. And this disconnect leaves those who have to struggle no choice but to adapt to new situations and environments.

Going to a new school in 5th grade was very different for me because I did not only change schools but my family situation had just changed as well. Living with my aunt and uncle was not a norm for me and it was difficult living without all my siblings. Growing up with 5 siblings means waking up to a loud house. Growing up with 5 siblings means waking up to them having a petty argument that somehow gets you involved. But most importantly growing up with 5 siblings means unconditional love and protection. See the thing is I already lost some of you guys there, because I guarantee there are students with no siblings and that already creates some type of division. Anyways, I was surprised to have transferred to Woodland Hills in the 5th grade because that school year I was enrolled in December, which means I missed a quarter of the school year. Regardless, my intelligence had started to be questioned. I recall getting bored in my classes because they were far too simple for me. Oftentimes I’d watch the time on the clock pass by and imagine that the minute and hour hand turned into limbs and the clock would run away, taking all my patience away from me. I saw children struggling on problems I could have done in less than a minute. This was the first disconnect I felt between me and my peers, but I didn't realize the biggest disconnect was yet to come. It wasn’t even that I thought I was “smarter” than others, it was really that I had a crazy work ethic. Since I had already experienced so much loss, school was the only consistent thing I knew I had and in order to keep it like that, I had to succeed. I had to be not the best, but better than before. Better than what I was determined to be by society. Determined to be better to break the stereotype for children who grew up underprivileged and/or in the system. To break the cycle.

As honor and AP courses became available, I knew they were what I had to do. What I'm saying is that in order to make sure I get into a good college and get good scholarships I knew I had to choose these classes. It was really at this point where I felt the furthest from the peers. The way we grew up just was not the same and in no way is that a problem, but it's different for me as I'm sure it is also different for them. It is just that I often can not relate to the inconveniences my classmates face. Their worries seem to be less detrimental than mine. In NO WAY am I saying my life is harder or easier than anyones, It's just simply that I can't relate to lots of what goes on around me everyday. 

In many ways I am overly grateful for the predicaments I beat. In many ways I am overly grateful to be in classes with people that may not have grown up like me, but have the same intentions as me ; to pass our classes and finally move on to further education.