College Personal statement

              Up until the third or fourth grade I had extreme difficulty in reading, writing and math. I was always tired and could never concentrate very well. So I was put into special education called the I.E.P. (individualized education program), in which I would go to a separate room to learn math, reading and writing. In these classes I learned at my own pace, starting over at a first grade level and getting the special tutoring and mentoring I needed. Later we found that the main cause of this was the sleeping disorder called Apnea. My family and I didn’t know I had Apnea until I was thirteen. In time with hard work and patience, I no longer had to go to separate classrooms for reading and writing.  However, it was not until fifth grade that I discovered the mystical world of Harry Potter, I could read! I discovered the wonderful world of books.
                    After Harry Potter I could not wait for more; I was reading all the time. I found that I started knowing more and more words. My interest and experience in books kept increasing astronomically. The books became more complicated, intricate and detailed and with better plots. Finally I started reading books like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and the Wheel of Time series in which the depth and interweaving plots and characters made me aspire to become a writer. This would allow me to create magical and complex new worlds growing within my imagination; and a desire began blossoming in me to go to college.
                  So in the 10th grade, when I completely ended all of my I.E.P. accommodations, I went to my high school career center and asked about college. I met and talked with an Avid teacher. Avid is a program to help kids get on the right track to go to college. I found out that I was not going to be able to get into college with my current schedule so I changed my schedule in order to fit in Avid and the classes I would need to get a scholastic diploma.  Consequently I found myself in a class that taught me how to take the A.C.T. and S.A.T., apply for scholarships and how to study and take notes. I was also advised to make sure I was doing community service and encouraged to take college level classes.
Even though I am still lacking in some of these areas, I am a lot better off than I used to be. I am now in my junior year and taking an AA English class in which we are reading Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead and comparing the tone of poems. This class also prepares us for an AP English (college level) class next year. Math was the last I.E.P class that I graduated from and now I am in the 504 plan. This program only lets me do one thing: use a calculator on all assignments tests and quizzes. I feel very successful in not only achieving my grade level but exceeding those levels and now aggressively attaining my goal of a higher education. When I look back and see how far I have come, I wonder where my life would have gone if I had not read that first book.