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Becoming an Honors student at the age of 31

smahala1991

In 2012, I dropped out of college after not having the passion or the drive to be a teacher anymore. My grandparents' health was failing over time as well, prompting me that maybe I should be at home with them more. I never returned to the classroom for the next ten years.

Over the summer of 2022, I was looking for something to get involved in to enrich my mind. I was thinking about returning to school to get a degree, but I didn't want to return to Education as a major. So, I have chosen to major in Business Administration, with my concentration being Hospitality and Tourism Management.

I went through my first quarter and passed my first two classes with all A's over 100%. I got an email just a few days before Christmas saying I was on the University's President's list, the college's highest quarterly honor. A few days later, after the new year, I got an invite to join my school's Honors program. This is the first time I have ever been invited for anything honors. I came close in High School but always fell short of being nominated.

As a child, I was diagnosed with ADHD. I had learning disabilities. I was the kind of student who was always on an IEP course of learning. Despite always being of reasonable intelligence, I was put in a couple of remedial classes in school, mainly in math. I was sometimes placed in remedial courses in subjects that I was good at, like Biology and Social Studies. I was labeled then as "Special Ed." Yes, I took regular courses in almost everything else, but mostly the system saw me as an IEP student. IEP Students got held back a lot in opportunities at my school. If you weren't a cheerleader, Jock, or your family's name wasn't prominent in the community, you got no recognition.

Looking back years later, maybe I needed help in some subjects, but my potential was held back. I thought, "IEP/ LD Students do not get to be honors students." However, I learned that many honors students in other schools and colleges have learning disabilities too. Many were IEPs as well. This got me thinking; maybe there was nothing wrong with me. Perhaps it was just the high school system being rather selective since it was in a small Southern town where football and sports are kings. They cared more about the athletes than the students who put forth their best effort.

Nowadays, I'm hoping the scene is different for those of you who are in high school or college. Those of you who struggle to learn, those who make the best grades, and those who have different intellectual thought processes and issues. Just remember, High School isn't everything. But college, university, or trade school is where your proper Education and character come from.

Becoming an Honors student at the age of 31
Becoming an Honors student at the age of 31
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