Personal Narrative: Desert Ridge

A couple years after Hurricane Katrina, my parents finally decided it was time we left New Orleans and moved somewhere that was safer; they settled on the modest town of Church Point. While living in Church Point, I attended a very limited middle school, where I made lifelong friends. When it came time to decide which high school I went to, I was torn between going to a school with my friends or the high school that had been recommended to me by my advisors. Considerably, I decided to continue going to school with my friends. While in high school, I remember on one of the standardized tests, there was a questionnaire that was supposed to guide you in determining what industry you wanted to seek.

So much has happened to me in my 14 years of living! I’ve changed schools twice, made the Rocky Mountain Ballroom team, and met my best friends ever in the 2nd grade. So much more has happened in my life but these are some of the best things! All of these have helped me get through thick and thin. Changing schools the first time was pretty rough.

Terryville, CT- On October 20, Wamogo High School visited the 8th grade. The agricultural school showed the future freshman a slideshow showing what the school had to offer. The students asked questions about the curriculum to the presenters, and received excellent feedback. Some of the students were fascinated with the agricultural experiences offered at Wamogo. Others were not as thrilled with with the school, but had to stay at the assembly.

Our daughter Nikki Chehrazi is in her final year at Stratford Middle School and is anticipating a memorable high school experience. We have always been involved in her education by communicating frequently with her teachers, as well as monitoring her progress everyday. As parents, our criteria for choosing the right high school are the academic reputation, the curriculum, and the extracurricular activities. A strong curriculum is essential for college readiness. However, we highly value the impact of the school’s social environment on the students’ lives and their future success.

High school was a roller coaster ride for me, from the endless fun of parties to the minor breakdowns and panic attacks that would land myself in the hospital. The pressure and stress got to me and the fact that failing out of the school that I’ve been going to for twelve years with long life friends was coming to an end. Now that I look back at it though it might have been the best decision for my well-being because then I would of not been able to meet the people that I met at Chamblee Charter High School. You would think moving from a private to a public school would be a big cultural shock, you are very correct. Atlanta International School, which was the school I went for basically my whole life, was a very open minded, well rounded, and accepting establishment since the most of the students where from all over the world.

Let's start out bluntly here; I want to go to a different school. NOW WAIT!!! Before you roll your eyes and start counting how many times i've told you this, lets actually consider what we, or, what I am talking about here. As you are probably sick of hearing, I hate my current school. Hate is indeed a strong word so...

Seventeen Acres There had always been one week every year that was very special to me. It would start out as a joyful car ride and transform into a long, eventful road trip. The final destination that we would arrive at sixteen dreadful hours later was a warm, petite home located on seventeen acres of property in a little town known as Smithers. As my parents, younger brother, and I pulled up in the driveway, my Papa would be ready to greet each of us with a warm hug. We didn 't see each other often, therefore we made the most of the time that we had.

I quickly got into the vehicle, my husband sensed my urgency and drove away. “You okay?” He asked me. I lit a cigarette and said “Yeah.” As tears leaked down my cheeks and smoke billowed around me and out the window. Heading down the freeway I see the “Leaving Oceanside, CA” sign and my chest tightens.

The place looked a lot like this. It smelled of fried fish and sunscreen, with a side of fries. I still cannot believe it happened. He just shot him like Han Solo and Greedo at the Cantina. Then the next shot hurt even more.

I think my parents are going to go deaf soon. Between the snap of the snare drum, the ring of a crash cymbal, the kick of the bass drum, and the clang of the baby grand piano, my parents hearing is declining. With percussion and piano I have been drawn to the more boisterous instruments. Even though I play some of the loudest instruments, my parents still yell at me for being on the quiet computer. It seems that my parents don’t value quiet as much as I thought.

The Grand Canyon made me feel meager compared to my surroundings. Normally, being around people and things that are made to be at human scale, does not make you feel big or small, just normal. When you go out into the wild, there are plenty of things that can make you feel large or tiny. For example, ants, small leaves, specks of dirt can make us feel really big. Sometimes, things are so small that they are not even noticed.

Have you ever wondered what it is like moving schools because you are struggling and getting bullied? Well, I am going to be talking about the time when it happened to me. This involves some girls, teachers, and schools that I moved to.