Obtaining Goals through Self-Advocacy - Página 2

In the seventh grade, I entered a rigorous and demanding middle school, and quickly found myself overwhelmed with over four hours of homework a night. In combination with extracurricular activities, it made for a grueling schedule, and I was perpetually stressed and tired. It was then that we added the support of outside tutoring, which I've continued throughout high school. More importantly though, my parents and I had meetings with my teachers to discuss ways to minimize the stress I was experiencing, and to brainstorm strategies that would help me succeed. My teachers appreciated the hard work and dedication I showed and were committed to helping me succeed. For example, my math teacher made an extra effort to explain math concepts using different methods if I didn't understand one approach. When I saw one idea used in several different problems and explained with different examples, I almost gained a genuine understanding of what I was learning (i.e., not just memorizing facts) and learned to take ownership of my own learning and knowledge. My humanities teacher had me draft and redraft and gave me extra time to complete projects. It was a difficult but ultimately rewarding two years.

From there I moved to a large (1900+ students) public high school, Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School. Because I had an IEP (Individualized Education Program) I took an Academic Strategies class that met four times a week. I learned some good organizational techniques, but mostly the class was geared toward students with disabilities that were language based (like dyslexia) which is very different than mine. Seeing the challenges of others, however, led me to an even greater understanding of the many ways in which we learn and the ways we compensate (or react) when we don't. We all face challenges and I learned a great deal from my two years in special education classes. I found that I had to find my own ways of compensating for my learning weakness, and my teachers encouraged me to learn more about my challenges and to be an advocate for myself.

My life goal has always been to go to an elite academic college where I can also play for a competitive college ice hockey program. I understood that achieving this goal might require an additional year at a rigorous and challenging school, which would also allow me to compete at a higher level of hockey than what I was playing at Rindge. This led me to Thayer Academy, an independent high school outside of Boston where I repeated my junior year. Attending Thayer has meant that I have to travel up to two hours per day and that I no longer can rely on the nearby presence of my family. It was a great step toward independence but it has not been easy. At Thayer, I've had to truly learn to be a self-advocate and to develop additional strategies to work with my learning disability. Thayer places a much higher emphasis on testing than Rindge did, and I received disappointing grades on my first several tests. As a new student, I often felt timid in class and refrained from asking the amount of questions I normally did, a strategy that works for me. In my pre-calculus class, I sat at the back of the room, and rarely spoke up because I felt overwhelmed by what the rest of the class seemed to understand with ease. But because the tests hold students accountable for a vast amount of information, I realized that I needed to hold myself accountable on a daily basis by asking teachers to clarify any problem I didn't understand. Furthermore, if I couldn't get my questions answered in class, I would have to take advantage of free periods in my schedule (which I never had at public school) and meet with my teachers for extra help. The strategy has been extremely effective for me, has allowed me to build strong relationships with my teachers, and has given them insight into ways to best present material to me. My pre-calculus teacher was impressed with the commitment I made to doing well despite my learning challenges, and began to take a special interest in students with learning disabilities and the best ways to help them succeed. For example, she reorganized tests so that there was only one problem on a page. This was very effective for me because it prevented me from confusing numbers and concepts from different problems with one another, a challenge I commonly experience. I've also consistently met twice a week with a tutor outside of school, which has helped me to organize my work and spend additional time on concepts that I struggle with.

I just found out that I was accepted to Hamilton College, where I will play for a very competitive college hockey team. I believe that my acceptance to Hamilton is a testament to the tremendous work ethic I have shown in school and on the ice, and my refusal to be defeated by challenges I have encountered as a result of my learning disability. I chose Hamilton because it plays to my academic strengths in emphasizing speaking and writing. Students can also design their own curriculum and majors. Thus, I can design my college experience to enhance my strengths and shore up my weaknesses. I will also play the sport I love for a coach who cares first and foremost about the academic achievement of his players.