Personal Narrative: My First Day Of Thomas Jefferson High School

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“Get the hell out of my car,” mom urged playfully.
Wearing an unnecessarily large backpack and reveling in the significance of the moment, I caught my reflection in the window: a young, slender man with “black” skin from my father, “almond shaped” eyes from my mother, and a big braced smile all my own. My walk turned into a stride with swagger, pleased with what I see. Before I entered my first day of Thomas Jefferson High School (TJ), I looked back at mom one last time for reassurance.
Typically summer school is punishment for underachieving students; however, TJ is a little different. Instead of wasting summer away hanging out with friends or being active in any way whatsoever; TJ students choose to take eight hours of classes a day to get ahead of their peers. Fully embracing TJ culture, I …show more content…
I grew up eating Korean barbecue drizzled with cherry Kool-Aid. I was aware of TJ’s lack of diversity before I applied; however, I didn't think that it would be an issue for me because I’m half Asian right? TJ appealed to me because at my old school I was always seen as too Asian to fit in with the Black crowd. But judging by my first day at TJ, I would also be too Black to be smart.
Notorious for its high freshman dropout rate, my first year was humbling. And no matter how many hours I put in or results I achieved, I was constantly reminded, “you only got in because you’re black.” Although I made friends on TJ’s Korean Culture, Aerospace, and Investment clubs; I found my sense of belonging on the track team, where my work ethic and results matter most: If my teammates exercise for an hour, I go for two. Study for four hours? I’ll go for five. We are family. We push and care for each other.
The first day at TJ was only a snapshot in time, a lie trying to persuade me that my enrollment was a fluke. However, now I see the big picture: I’m competing against the best students and athletes in
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