Nathan Kea
Ms. Hallerman word count: 969
English 110
9/12/21
How I became a student I am today
My journey into how I became the student I am today was a long hard path to success. Coming for a student that could not read very well, or write, and even get the grades that would push me further in my career I came a long way. I remember having to attend certain classes to enhance my reading and writing skills and I always dreaded them. I always thought those classes were a waste of time, but I didn’t know that in the long run would make me a great student. To this I never regret going to those classes to improve my skill set in becoming a better student. My reading and writing skills carried me all the way to a 4 year school.
Today as a writer, reader, and student wise I think there could be more work done as those things. I believe I can improve my skill level in becoming a better writer, reader and student. I believe as a student I can achieve higher goals or better grades like having all A’s instead of A’s and B’s. Being an A and B student was a very high achievement for me. I never, ever saw all A’s and B’s until my high school year.
Unfortunately, all throughout elementary school and middle school I have never received only A’s and B’s. I always struggle with reaching A’s and B’s. In elementary school I got nowhere near ever having a B. I would always have a D or lower. I was very lucky to pass some classes with a D or a little higher, but I would always think football was more important than school so I spent less time on my school work then on the football field. Then my parents stop me from playing football to spend more time in school to bolt my grades. My parents were always disappointed in the grades I got in elementary school. They were saying I wasn’t working hard and I need to focus on getting better and achieving higher to get the results I need to be a successful student.
My parents saying that to me and also seeing how much I need to focus on school really motivated me into becoming a better student. I remember it was in 2008 when I got my report card. I got D’s, C’s, and F’s , the report card was just a horrible mess. I didn’t want to show my Mom but she saw it anyway. Soon as I walked in the car she already saw my grades and she was crying to me saying,[”] “Why Nathan, why. Me and your father work so hard to provide you with everything and this is how you repay and think of us by getting these kinds of grades. Why Nathan Kea, do you want to be anything in life?[.]” I told myself at 10 years of age I will never get those grades ever again, I never want to see my mother cry over what I’m not doing ever again.
I started to get a slight increase in my grades. I started at C’s, and never got lower in any of my classes. My parents said, “ ok job you are just passing the classes not showing hard work. They want me to make higher than just C’s. Especially my father, he wanted me to not get any C’s. He wanted at least a B on my report cards. He absolutely had C’s every time he saw one he would punish me until I could change. Well it never changed all through elementary school I had straight C’s. I was a little disappointed in myself but at that time I was young and I thought I was doing pretty good for where I started from.
In middle school I had the urge to want to work hard on everything to impress my parents. I signed up for a reading and writing class to help me. Then I walked into middle school thinking it was going to be easy. Nope it was ten times harder than elementary because it was a private school. I had to work even harder to get the grades desired from me. As I started off in middle school, the word load killed me. I didn’t stop keeping going because I made my parents promise I would not fail anything and I would get good grades. Then I started to get A’s, B’s, and C’s in my classes. Then my mom got proud of me but still pushed me harder to get higher grades on my report.
By my last middle school year I ended up only getting A’s, B’s, and C’s in my classes. My Dad was pissed. He told me, “ I said nom C’s I’m disappointed in you son.” I was disappointed in myself as well, saying I could have worked harder to make him proud. He told me,” it’s good that you want to give us good grades but you have to give your good grades because we all have masters we already went through school. You have to go school and work hard for yourself, not me and your mother. We can’t live your life for you. Everything you’re doing for school is setting your future.”
Therefore, the speech that my father said motivated me to work even harder in highschool. My freshman year I had almost all A’s and then I carried it all the way through my highschool year. I had a gpa of 3.71 even though I was playing sports. I came a long way from making failing grades to scholarship winning grades. That helped me tremendously into becoming a remarkable student.