As one progresses in life, valuable knowledge and skills are acquired. Besides school, some areas I saw a blatant acquirement of skill were in my participation is sports, being nominated for Homecoming Court, and working alongside my mother. My attendance in sports did not commence until my sophomore year of high school. Reflecting back on my late decision to do sports is something I dearly regret. However, my experience drastically impacted me. Being on the team does not mean simply wearing the jersey; it goes far beyond that. One must learn to interact with their team, irregardless whether they know them or not. The key aspect to a successful team is communication. I personally find it difficult to talk to people I do not know. Throughout…show more content… Although this is an aspect of school, it does not fall into the academic category. Each year, ten girls – seniors – are nominated to compete for the Homecoming Queen title. I was unknowingly nominated. The week leading up to the Homecoming game is the week where the most drama and commotion arises. Posters, pastries, candy; these are few of the things the finalists bring to bribe the student body into voting for them. It is a week of hypocrisy. Personally, I am not much of a fan of attention and competing for titles and positions is not my thing. This, however, was my first time doing so. Throughout that week, I learned that one must learn to ignore what people have to say. I will admit, I am very sensitive and respond emotionally to any negative comment said about me. Sometimes I feel it is because of my low-self esteem. I realized that people will always have something to say no matter the circumstances. Sometimes, they even do it with the intention of bringing one down. How one deals with varies from person to person. That Friday, September 18, 2015, I was crowned the 2015 Homecoming Queen. It was an experience I will never forget. Not only that, but I was later informed that I was the first Latina to attain the Homecoming Queen title at Batesburg-Leesville High School. In all sincerity, I did not believe I was going to win. Upon knowing my thoughts, friends…show more content… Because we receive Social Security Benefits, my mother says if I were to acquire a job, the monthly benefits I receive will cease. As a result, I do not work and have no work experience. However, typically on the weekends when a major even was held at the Colonial Life Arena, eager workers – all Hispanics – would arrive to help clean the arena at the event’s termination. Because they did not require the presentation of any personal information, I accompanied my mom, excited to finally work and earn money for myself. We were paid $8 per hour and usually commenced working around 9:00 p.m. It sounded so easy but I later learned otherwise. It was long, strenuous work. All the mess – pure filth – that was required for us to clean was unimaginable. The time working there felt eternal. When I felt that we covered a long period of work, I was proved otherwise upon checking the time. Already 3 hours – only $24 made – and all that tiring work. The longest I ever worked was from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. It is unbelievable that I only earned $72. That is when I realized that hardships of not attaining a well-paying job. That realization made me take education even more seriously. I do not want to live off of a job that I do not like – like that one, for example – for the rest of my life. Attaining a job like that, however, is not a full blame on not obtaining an education.
