Slacking to succeeding

By Simone Fuller of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School

When I was in middle school I struggled with academics a lot. I was usually always at the bottom of all of my classes. I was below the normal reading level and also below the expected math level.

I always received the grades to get by and pass, but I never went beyond what was expected of me. Most of my friends’ knowledge came naturally and some didn’t care about what was taught in the class at all. Some did.

Because the not wanting to learn occurred with most of my friends, I didn’t really seem to care very much either. I was always considered the class clown while in school and that was enough for me.

In the middle of sixth grade, my teacher made me apply to a summer program called LearningWorks. LearningWorks is a summer and school-year program at The Blake School for middle school students who want to learn.

In this program I met students from different public middle schools. All of my teachers were college students who always had the time to help me when I needed it. This program brought me new knowledge and brought me up more levels and actually made me want to try.

The teachers gave me high school material to get me prepared. They also taught me how to see from different point of views, which involved me standing in front of a classroom by teaching a class.

LearningWorks made me want to succeed and become a person bigger than who I was. This program made me think about the future, it also taught me how to become a leader. And now I am a leader to my peers and also a role model.

Because I was dedicating all of my time to the program, I didn’t have all of the time in the world to hang out with my old friends, nor slack and play around during classes. LearningWorks made me enjoy and want to learn. It made me want to strive to do better and exceed beyond my own expectations.

None of my friends liked the fact that I was doing something new and different. During the summer, a lot of my friends didn’t like that I gave up my plans with them to go to a summer program. But the point was I did it for me, just because friends may have not liked what I was into doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do it.

I should do things that I enjoy and not be attached to a certain group of people, because at LearningWorks I made a lot more friends, which I would not have made if I didn’t apply. Also, I opened up more opportunities for myself by participating in the program.