It was the weekly Wednesday afternoon assembly at Mt. Washington Elementary School. The fourth graders had been preparing for weeks for the dramatic reading contest. I heard the vice principal call my name, " Kelly Macko, Mrs. Argentine’s fourth grade class."
I walked up the stairs to the stage, wearing my corduroy pants and floral turtleneck. I reached for the tall microphone, pulled it down to the correct height and recited Shel Silverstein’s "Sick". "I cannot go to school today," Said little Peggy Ann McKay. "I have the measles and the mumps, A gash, a rash and purple bumps."
I was not nervous, I was a natural performer. The crowd and my fellow classmates applauded and by the end of the assembly I had won second place in the contest.
Like Peggy Ann McKay I have always had a love hate relationship with school. As an extrovert, I love being around people, I love the opportunities and experiences that school has provided, however, there are aspects of school that I hate such as waking up early, math classes and deadlines.
I have always had difficulty understanding math. After a long day at elementary school, my mother would pick me up and take me my tutor’s house to for my hour math session. I could not grasp the concept of long division. This obstacle with math continued in my middle school and high school years.
Summer before my junior year in high School I spent August mornings in math prep classes for the Standardized Assessment Tests. My battle with math has continued through middle school, high school and now in college, as I have left my only math class, statistics, for my last semester of senior year.
I have procrastinated in taking Statistics, and procrastination has been a steady theme throughout my school years. My procrastination of schoolwork has lead to high levels of stress and emotional break downs aspects of school that I despise. I remember my senior year of high school; the senior term paper was due the same week as college applications.
At around 2:30 a.m. my mind was starting to become mush. The fifteen page critical analysis of F. Scott Fitzgerald was due that morning. I took a quick break with a friend to grab some mountain dew, and with a little refreshment was able to complete the paper by 6 a.m. that morning. There have been similar incidents in college, when you are up so late at night that your stomach starts to feel nauseous. Math and procrastination have both lead to increased stress in my life, and have been the reasons for my aversion of school.
However, there are other aspects of school, which have led to me furthering my education including my love of knowledge, interaction with people, and extracurricular experiences.
Without attending school, I would never have been able to meet my wonderful friends and teachers. Throughout my education, I have been able to create and sustain a variety of friendships, some that I will have forever. I met my best friend in Orientation for middle school, and we have been friends ever since. Through these relationships I have learned and grown to become the person that I am today.
My love of the spotlight continued from elementary and middle school into high school. My outgoing personality, friendly disposition, and creativity helped me to be elected as one of the senior officials of the Student Government Association. My role in the association was to increase spirit in the school. I loved organizing events such as wacky dance assemblies or crazy hair contests. Through this position I was able to become more involved in my school community. I gained valuable public speaking and leadership skills, which prepared me for college.
My creativity has also been a constant theme throughout my school years. Through a friend at Villa Julie, I was able to interview with Baltimore Magazine. I was hired as an intern and then part time employee for the marketing department. I assisted in the production of special events including the Best of Baltimore Party held at Power Plant Live and the Hottest Singles Party at the Walters Art Gallery.
My knowledge from school helped to prepare me for my internship. This extracurricular experience allowed me to examine possible career paths, and learn about the business world. These creative opportunities were all possible through my education.
Throughout my school years, I have loved getting to know people and participating in various activities. Most importantly, I have been able to prepare myself for the future including graduating from college. Even though I appreciate school and the experiences that I have had, I still have inkling to get out of school soon as possible. Sometimes even making excuses like Peggy Ann McKay in Shel Silverstein’s, "Sick".