Life is a journey everyone must take and go through, but it is always up to the person to make the journey adventurous or to make the journey miserable. The journey that I call life started when I was in third grade. I say this because when I was in third grade my family had split. As a middle child of two brothers, when the divorce in my family occurred I not only lost my father but I also lost my older brother.
Through the divorce and the loss of my father and older brother, I had to grow up quickly as I needed to take care of my younger brother and make sure to help my mom in every way I possibly could. I have seen many years of my mom weeping, struggling to feed us or pay for rent, and always worry for her firstborn as she never knew of his whereabouts. Unfortunately, during middle school, my grades started to take a leap towards oblivion because I lost my motivation to maintain excellent grades, I had friends around me who were a bad influence to my life, and my mom was forcing us to move as she could no longer afford the home I once lived in and the neighborhood I grew up in for most of my life. However, at the time I saw the move as something unnecessary but now I see it has a blessing in disguise.
From elementary to middle school I have been only in public school. During the middle year for eighth grade is when I went to La Progresiva Presbyterian, a private school that promotes Christianity, and a person who has only ever been in public schools going to a private school was a big jump for me. The school was cramped compared to the sizable public schools I have known.
Furthermore, La Progresiva Presbyterian was distinctive from public schools because the teachers at the school like to connect one on one with the students and every teacher I had at that school, even if I did not enjoy the subject of the class, always enjoyed teaching the students as they always taught every student with a passion that showed they loved their job and everything about it. In public schools, this was something very uncommon as I had teachers that taught only to receive their paycheck and I have received teachers that just handed out packets and told us to work on them.
Being a student at La Progresiva has not only showed me that I can have a career of my choice, but I was able to meet one of the best people there that have become my longest-lasting friendships and people I care most about. Although I hated La Progresiva in the beginning because it was such a drastic change, I did not want to happen, but it was a change that I desperately needed. I also had the amazing chance to start dual enrollment. Switching from a public school to a private school was one of the best things my mom could have done for my younger brother and I and it is something I will always be grateful to her about.
Choice has made life easier for my mother as she no longer needs to work two jobs every day to afford the school my younger brother and I go to. I am not sure where I would be if I continued the path I was going down.
After I graduate with my high school diploma I plan to continue going to Miami-Dade college to receive my Associate in Arts Degree and further my education to become an official orthodontist. Nonetheless, I still plan to have work experience while going to college because it is obliged in the world as jobs favor someone who is more experienced than someone who is not. The future is something I am looking forward too and I plan to keep the career of being an orthodontist and further my education to succeed in my dream.
School Choice made a difference in my life. School Choice is dedicated to helping students all over the United States further their education and provide funds so they can continue to do so. It has provided a scholarship to both my younger brother and I so we can continue going to La Progresiva because without the funds to help us we would not be able to be in La Progresiva in the first place.
Choice has made life easier for my mother as she no longer needs to work two jobs every day to afford the school my younger brother and I go to. I am not sure where I would be if I continued the path I was going down.
To have the opportunity to see my mother become less stressed throughout the years because she no longer needs to worry about paying full tuition for a private school is what makes me the happiest and is simply a dream come true. My mother was able to put two children into a private school to better their education and better their future with the help of the Choice program and I am forever grateful
