To show myself I can do this

When I was a freshman in high school, I hung out with the wrong crowd. I spent time with people who were a bad influence on me which caused me to fail half of my classes. Then one day, one of my teachers approached me and asked, “how were you in first and second period, but not in my class?” From the moment he asked, I could tell he knew I was purposefully skipping not only his class but some of my other classes as well. It was such a simple question, but it struck a nerve. I asked myself why. I asked myself whether or not what I was doing was worth it.

The answer was no.

Because of that teacher, because of that question, I am here today. I am here, blessed to be at Seattle Pacific University. I am the only person in my family to actually go to a university and actually want to spend time going to school, all because I want a better future. And I am here to show my family, and more importantly, myself, that I can do this.