Chris Gilbert
Period 1
December 11, 2011
Persuing Goals
Step One: The ordinary world
Young or old everyone has a dream. My dream happened to be the most difficult to accomplish, and was even harder in my living conditions. I didn’t grow up as an average person; I lived in a government-subsidized house in a neighborhood known as the “projects.” Neither of my parents were great role models, so I had to do the modeling for myself. My mom didn’t work and my dad, lacking substantial education, had made just enough money for us to live and to supply him self with cigarettes. Outsiders of my neighborhood just judged; didn’t think anything more of us than dust. I was the one person determined to get out of that stereotype and live in better conditions. I lived in Cabrini-Green, Chicago, with three other siblings. I was the oldest, but my brother, Johny, was only one year younger. I was born on December 21, 1981. Ten years later my second brother was welcomed to the family and shortly after that Angel, my sister, was born. My parents were not very smart to have more kids when they could barely support the first one.
I don’t see my dad very often and when I do it’s late at night. My mom was mostly in our house with my baby brother and when she wasn’t home it was a mystery where she would be. My brother Johny was the naughty one in our family. When we were kids we played with each other everyday, but as we grew older, we grew apart. His interests were the opposite of mine. I worked as the local paperboy when I was nine for about three dollars a day. Then, when I was thirteen I stopped and didn’t work again until I was fifteen. I worked at the local bike shop, after school for about four hours and only made about six dollars. I never allowed myself to keep the money, because it could go to a better use than keeping my siblings provided with food, and clothing. Although, I once earned a bike for being employee of the year. My bike was my prized possession, it meant I didn’t have to walk or ride the bus anymore.
The Essay on I Have Lived A Thousand Years
The book I chose to do for my final book evaluation was I Have Lived A Thousand Years by Livia Britton Jackson. I thought that this book was very interesting, yet I have to say that it was not as enjoyable as the other books I have read. It was a very depressing book about the Holocaust. The main reason why I found this book so interesting was because it was a great, yet very sad story amongst an ...
I didn’t have the money to go to preschool so I was sent straight to Wagner Public Elementary School, and then to Millard Public Middle School. I tried to choice into a different high school that had better learning curricula, but I was denied. Therefore I went to William H. Wells High School. At Wagner Elementary School I met James and Lucas. Then, when I went to Millard Middle School along came Tyler. These three were my best friends until I left for college. I saw them more often than my family. I was always with them. Their minds were set differently from mine, because they weren’t even sure if they would go to high school. I knew without a doubt that, even if I wasn’t living in a house, I would find some way to get an education.
Lucas, the wildest of my friends, situation at home was never good. His parents fought a lot and he never liked seeing them, so he stayed with me, Tyler, and James most of the time. He was one of seven kids, which caused his parents to forget about him most of the time. Tyler didn’t have to worry about much, everything just came naturally for him: he was intelligent, creative, and most of the time a good kid. James came from a very catholic family. He was a good kid with two older brothers and a mother. His father had died of cancer when he was two years old.
The learning system had many flaws as I grew up. I was in 4th grade before I was a fluent reader, for most people that was in 2nd grade. Math was my weakness, English was my strength, and in Science and History I was average. Freshman year of high school I new that in order to accomplish my goal I would have to work my hardest. But I also wanted to fit in socially. To receive a scholarship for college not only did I have to get all A’s, I needed to be recognized for doing an extraordinary job. In the first semester of school I received an A in every class except for Math, it was no surprise to me. The second semester went just as well, except I was able to broaden the horizon of classes I took. School started at 7:30 am and ended at 3:30 pm. Depending on the weather, I would either bike if it was good, or take the buss if it wasn’t. To get P.E. credits I ran track everyday for about and hour and a half, and had meets about once or twice every week. After track I would go to work for a couple hours depending on the amount of homework I had to do. Weekdays I got home around 6 o’clock or 7, with a few hours to do homework. As long as I kept my grades high and participated in school activities, I would graduate and be noticed by other schools. But to get a scholarship you can’t just be noticed; you have to have great expectations and prove that you are the best option for the scholarship.
The Homework on Advantages Of Changing The High School Start Time
Advantages of changing the high school start time. Education is very important part of our life, so no wonder that our government focuses great attention on both: education process and the students being the integral part of good educational system. The modern school educates children with one objective in mind: their academic success. There are many committees investigating the option of a later ...
My dad worked for a car shop, and only made about 400 dollars a week. It is not a large amount but we had to make do with what we had, even if we had to skip a meal. We usually do not have a family dinner like others, because we don’t eat big meals and because our family was not always at home at the same times. In our neighborhood everyone knew almost everyone, so when you walk into a store everyone would greet you as if you had known him or her for years. My Mom grew up in a big family compared to my dad, who had one brother. My mom grew up in a different part of Chicago and my dad grew up right around where I grew up. My parents were both good people, but to be honest I didn’t know them that well. I think that ever since I turned thirteen they thought that I would be fine on my own and that I didn’t need much help. They have always been there for me, but when I need help I think about going to others before them. My younger brother is different his life practically depends on them, he tells them everything and trusts them with his life. I think it could possibly have to do with when I was younger. I was a very black-hearted kid, who didn’t care much about the people around him. I would do things such as make fun of the little nerd in my class for knowing what I didn’t know, because “I considered it to be weird to be smart”.
The Homework on High School Vs College 8
We all can’t wait to get to college so we party and live it up. The thing is college is a lot different than high schools were as in high school you had to follow rules and in college it is your choice to be responsible for yourself. In September of 2006, I enter the doors of Clifton high school as a freshmen only being my second year in public school so this was all new to me. I got to home room ...
Once Lucas and I were walking home from school in the 7th grade and we saw Mr. Chuck, an old man that couldn’t hurt us even if he tried, walking away from his car and accidentally dropped his keys. Just as we were walking by him we saw an awesome radio in the back of the car, and picked his keys up, unlocked the car and took his radio. We could tell that it was relatively new, because it had no scratches and was very nice looking. When we took the radio we locked the car and put the keys on the dashboard with a note saying, “next time don’t drop your keys, and thanks for the gift!” I didn’t regret it at the time, because to me it was a penalty on him for dropping his keys, but ever since I have changed myself I regret what I did. When I say “changed” myself I am referring to how once I graduated from middle school reality hit me, I couldn’t be goofing around if I wanted to complete my goal. It literally hit me the morning of my graduation, I had finally realized that life has limited amount of time.
Step Two: The call to adventure
I was not going to allow myself to let my dream pass by me, so the summer before high school I spent days in the Public Library, searching for books on lawyers and great law schools. I had come across Columbia University in New York and chose it as my number one choice. I had gone to three public court cases and thought about the cases I would like to argue in the future. I believe that everyone has rights, and everyone’s rights should be recognized. I live in an area with a lot of crime that is not taken care of, and some people should be taken to court to serve justice. As my studying went on, I gained a lot of knowledge in law and in what I wanted to do in my future.
Every day was the same, nothing interesting was going on until I was a Junior in high school and all the teachers and councils asked me about college. They were surprised about my decision and I could see the disbelief in many of them, but it only gave me more power and strength to prove them wrong. Generally most people that are thinking about going to college visit schools to decide which one they like most, but I was not sure if I could do that. I had been saving fifty percent of the money I made working, for a trip to see Columbia. I had saved up 894 dollars, working since freshman year, a flight ticket cost about 300 dollars and to stay there for a few days in a hotel would cost me 200 dollars and I would also need money for food. I planned my trip on April 18, 1928. I had never gone anywhere in a plane, to tell you the truth I was scared out of my mind, but the fact that I had come this far, to be visiting Columbia, made the flight worth it.
The Essay on School level to the University level
The book Enrique’s journey by Sonia Nazario is a tale of migration that won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing giving consideration to high literary quality and originality in 2003. It tells the tale of a teenager from Honduras who travels into the heart of America illegally, in search of his mother. It is about his Odyssey, where he illegally migrates to the USA in order to see his mother and ...
Step three: Meeting the mentor
All that mattered to me was the day I was going to leave on my trip. I counted and counted until there were no more days left. I took the bus all the way to the airport with a small old suitcase that was my dad’s. I didn’t know what to expect, I was nervous about missing my plane, so I got there two hours early. At first I was completely lost and had no clue where to go and what to do. I saw departure and arrival screens all over, with gates too. I didn’t know where to look on them until a little girl named Charlotte, who was only about twelve years old offered to help me. She happened to be on the same plane. She had two older brothers who did nothing but make fun of her. She was very friendly and talked to me while waiting to board the plane. I was able to tell that she was from a wealthy family in North Carolina and was on vacation. Her father was a crazy businessman who didn’t pay much attention to them. Her mother was trying to separate her brother from each other, while she was talking to me. She was a very inquisitive girl, and asked me about all sorts of things, like when I was born and why I am going to New York? I didn’t get to ask much about her life, but I did get to know some thing’s like, where she lived, and what grade she was in.
Time flew by and it was already time to board the plane. She told me how it worked and left me by my self. I thought it would be quite simple you just line up when your section is called and hand them the ticket once your turn is up, and then follow the person in front of you, to find your seat. I slept for half of the flight and just thought for the rest. I didn’t really want to talk to the people around me, because they looked like they did not want to be disturbed, so I did what they pleased. I arrived in New York and followed all the signs that took me outside. The next bus wasn’t coming for 45 minutes. I walked around in the airport to get some dinner, but I got lost easily and gave up. I was at the bus stop at perfect timing to get on. I hopped off and walked a few blocks to the hotel I was staying in. I had a small room that had a bed, a TV, and a bathroom. I went to the lobby on the first floor to use the pay phone to call my parents, after about four rings my mom picked up the phone and I told her that I had arrived and everything was going well.
The Homework on Contrast Between High School and College
A good education is an important part of one’s life. In order for one to accomplish his or her goals and have a good education, this individual need to attend both high school and college. I find both high school and college to be very different although some people think high school has a lot in common with college. My first year of enrollment into college, I notice that there are many ...
Step four: Refusal of the call
The next morning I woke up to some people yelling in the hallways. I got dressed and was ready to start my day. I walked around outside and found a bakery with fresh food for breakfast. Two hours later, I had arrived at the college for a tour. I was shown almost everything about the law school and was able to sit in the back for one of the classes. I was also shown almost everything else about this college within two days. They were the best days of my life, and I was sure that this was the college for me. Not only was I relieved that the one college that I could visit was the college I loved, I also was surprised to hear that the school was interested in me applying. However I had become more aware about how there are so many people that apply for the scholarship and how little scholarships there were. My chance was very slim. I started second guessing myself asking if this is the right college for me or is it really out of reach. I then realized that I had come so far to accomplish my dream and wasn’t going to let go of everything, so I pursued my dream knowing that I could fail, and that there are many other options in the world.
When I got home everyone was interested in what I thought about my trip. I told my parents my plan about my life and they kept a positive attitude, but secretly I knew they doubted it a bit. I had gotten back right in time to take the Illinois Competency test for high school to see how well I was doing and I didn’t get the results back for a month. I scored very well and had been happier than ever to be excelling. My application was due shortly and all I wanted to know after I sent it in was whether I was accepted or not. I applied to other schools such as: Boston University, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University. Out of all the schools I heard Columbia was the most difficult, if I didn’t get a scholarship there then my second option would be Boston University, but I didn’t want to think about being declined
The Essay on Educational Aspiration Comparing The Value Of A High School Education Vs A College Education
Educational Aspiration: Comparing the value of a high school education vs. a college education. Educational Aspiration: Comparing the value of a high school education vs. a college education. In our current economy, the need for a college education becomes increasingly valuable despite the high cost of tuition and loans. The demand for skilled, college-educated laborers is high. A college ...
Step Five: Crossing the Threshold
It was an ugly Tuesday, with a grey sky full of clouds that were like shards of glass. It was the day. The day I had been waiting for all my life. The deciding factor of my future and all I did was sit and wait once I got home from school. I was on the front stairs of my house watching the grass grow. Every time I heard a truck I got my hopes up that it was the mailman, but after a while I began to get use to it. Just as the sun was setting our mailman stopped his truck, hopped out and walked directly towards me, I ran towards him to grab the mail and told him a quick “thanks,” and left. I rapidly glanced at each envelope until I saw Columbia University written on it. I gently but rapidly opened it up, I pulled out the papers and squeezed my eyes shut for hope and then looked at it. I read it all and didn’t understand until I read it the second or third time but once I understood it, I was shocked. I jumped on my bike to meet my friends for a celebration. My parents couldn’t believe their ears when I told them. My dad had told me he wanted me to stay here and go to Illinois State University, so I could still help. We fought until he understood that no matter what he did I was still going to Columbia. Days later I received other letters. I was accepted to Cornell, Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
Step six: Tests, Allies, and Enemies
I got home from school a couple weeks after hearing my great news and my mom sat us all down for some “important” news. James my youngest brother was curious, “What’s up mom? What are we doing here?” It was not until then that I noticed something was really wrong, I saw one, then two, then three, then too many tears to count, pouring down her cheeks. She rushed for the tissues to dab her eyes, her mascara was smeared down her cheeks.
Angel ran up to hug her. “Mom you can tell us,” I said with curiosity.
“Well,” she said with a quick sniff, “your father was found dead this morning.”
I recall it was the first time, as a grown man that I had ever started to cry; I couldn’t control myself.
“Where?” said by brother.
“He was on Grape Street walking back from the bus stop to come home. Someone in the house by him called the police and they have taken him in for investigation.”
“Was it because of his lung problems?” I thought
“No, he was shot twice in the shoulder, and once in the heart.”
Step seven: Approach to the Inmost Cave
Nothing was further shared. We all sat staring off into the distance. Just as one door had opened for my future, another door had closed. He was gone. Being dead meant almost everything; there was no existence but the thought in our minds of him. I didn’t go to school for the next two days and just sat in my bed and stared at the ceiling. I was interviewed several times by police officers. I didn’t know what to do, my family was slowly falling apart, we needed money. I had to work late shifts after school and early shifts before school just to raise half the money we usually spent. My mom got a job at a coffee shop for eight hours a day. We were slowly making the money that we needed and were able to pay back debts that my dad had owed. My family was acting like a real family; we were all working together to help each other. We began to have family dinners and breakfasts and bond much more than before. Everyone had to keep a close watch for any unusual people following us just to be safe.
We were all eating in the kitchen, frying some eggs with bacon for the first time. ‘knock’ ‘knock’
Step 8: The Ordeal
Angel opened the door and the police walked in. I immediately thought that they had caught the killer, but no they had found a suspect, me. They took me in handcuffs to the Sheriffs office. I thought that it would all be easy and they would realize they had the wrong person and everything would be just fine, but no. That was not how it worked at all; I had stayed with them for days as they kept trying to match me to the killer.
“How can you prove it was me?” I said.
“Do you know Mrs. Chuck she lives in the house right by where your father was killed?” said the detective. “And she believes that she saw a face just like yours after she heard the gun shots, but she didn’t think anything was wrong.” He pulled out a notebook, that was mine for geometry, I had been looking for it for awhile. “Does this look familiar?” He said.
“Yes that’s mine!” I said
“We found this by the crime scene.”
“I think this is a big mix up, I walk the same route every day from the buss stop and I could have dropped it much earlier. ” I thought for a second until I realized, “excuse me but legally I get a lawyer, I demand a lawyer before I say any more.”
I was sent home but was not out of the case, it was going to court and I had to be proven innocent, otherwise I would lose my scholarship and would spend most of my life in jail. The court date was May 3, 1998 I was missing school for it. I had been working with Jerry, my lawyer, to gather all evidence for the case.
It was the night before I had to go to court and I could not sleep. I woke up five different times nervous, with dreams about me being taken to jail, being stuck behind metal bars. I woke up at 7am and got ready in a nice outfit for court, I was picked up by Jerry. I sat in the chair and waited for the session to begin. I was sweating with anxiety. The truth was, I had not killed my father and I was to prove it. The lawyer accusing me asked, “Where were you the night of April 21, 1998 at 8:30?”
“I was in my house alone, studying in my room.”
“Is there any proof to prove this?” he asked.
“No sir.”
“And it is true that Mrs. Chuck claims she saw you after she heard the guns shot, and detectives found your notebook, right?”
“Yes sir.”
“Did you have a close relationship with your father?”
“We didn’t talk often but we were not enemies.”
“But did you have anything against him?”
“Nothing, except that he didn’t want me to go to college in New York.”
“Wasn’t that your dream?”
“Yes sir.”
“No further questions”
Jerry stood up, ready to stir things up, “would your dads opinion make you stay and not go to college?”
“No, It would not change my mind.” I stated
“And you walk that same route from the bus every day therefore you could of dropped your book a different day, right?”
“Yes sir.”
Step nine: The reward
The questions continued and I never really knew if it was getting anywhere. Later the judge declared there was not enough evidence to prove I was guilty. When I heard those words come out of her mouth my heart jumped as if it was being thrown. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. The day later I said sent my letter saying I will be attending Columbia University. My family was happy that all the drama was over; of course none of us were happy that my dad was gone, but we were able to make the best of it.
Step ten: the road back
My mom was able to find a better paying job and my other siblings began to work to make money not only for themselves but for our family. Everything seemed to just be falling in place. Our family was making enough money that we could have a big meal for lunch breakfast and dinner. From all the tough times we had, they only brought us closer.
Step eleven: Reborn
The summer after senior graduation I worked for most of it. I saved up for college and for a new radio. The radio was for Mr. Chuck, It was the nicest one I could afford. I wrote a long apology letter and dropped them both on his front porch. When it was time to say goodbye I was very excited, because I knew that my family would be just fine with out me. I was a bit sad that I wouldn’t get to see them, but it was for the better. My last words to my siblings were, “aim for a goal as hard as it may be, never give up only progress in achieving it!”
