I feel that some schools teach students the bare minimum, which in my case reflected poorly on my future. I never learned about plagiarism before transferring. Therefore, after being assigned a writing project, I was oblivious to the effect it had on my writing and the consequences that followfollowed. I remember my new teacher attempting to explainingexplain that plagiarism was inappropriate and could result in legal consequences. I felt different compared to my peers as if I was not as smart because I had gone a long way before I finally learned such an important lesson. Things started to improve after transferring schools; both my mother and I began to recognize improvement in my school work.

I also was never taught how to write in cursive, something many of my friends know about now. I am a senior now and continue to face the barrier of not knowing how to improve my penmanship; however, I am teaching myself these essential skills. I have learned that I can do anything I put my mind to. I did not learn the same things as children my age, which made many things difficult. If only teachers were enforced more to teach the same topics as other teachers, regardless of the school district.

Over the years, change is something that has played a vital role in my life. I have obtained new knowledge related to literacy, which makes my everyday life more efficient. Since my educational breakthrough, I have reflected more on my childhood, the struggles I experienced in school, and the evolution of my intelligence. Learning new things is not easy, but I'mI am proud of the perseverance I have exhibited throughout the entire journey.