Personal Narrative: Little Rock

My move from my home state of Maryland to Georgia has greatly influenced my goals and perspectives. When I lived in the city area of Maryland, I had a limited viewpoint of life as a person who knew only of the city and had relaxed belief of living only within my comfort zone of what a city had to offer, however that changed when I moved to Georgia. Georgia proved itself to be a very different experience for me. Georgia is a lot bigger than Maryland so there was more place for its cities to be more spread apart and the environment had a more forestry background than what I knew at the young age. The change of setting and accustoms associated from the very different places made me realize that depending on a person’s position one object can be

This summer I had so much fun doing outdoor activities. On a birthday trip to Pigeon Forge, TN, with my family, we did a ropes course, went zip lining, and went rafting. Doing all those activities in one day filled me with excitement and fear at the same time. At the end of the day, I was tired but happy!

This weekend I went to Kansas City. I went to Kansas City for my little brothers tournament. It was so fun being in Kansas City the whole weekend! I loved how my little brother was goalie a lot of the games this weekend! He never got scored on this weekend but part of that was his defense because there defense was the best.

There are many things there to keep people busy depending on where you live. We didn’t travel too much, so seeing things outside of where I grew up did not happen very much. But where I’m from which is Paris Texas,

Kids are important because they grow up to be adults with power. They need to be taught how to make well-informed choices. We can teach them these things in children 's church. Teaching k-5th allowed me to help others grow, and to give back some of the lessons I was taught.

Whenever my mom has company at her house, guests always ask about the plaque that hangs in the living room on the wall. It reads Championship Mvp, 14-0 season, Jonesboro Wildcats. My mom always smiles and says, “Ask Markus about it.” I don’t mind telling people about the championship game. It is after all one of my fondest memories playing sports.

Getting down to Nebraska was harsh and the trail was dusty. The children like me had to take care of the animals. Jim, Antonia and myself became really good friends after living next door to each other for a while and we do everything together. When I work, I help my dad to plant and harvest crops and hunt for food. We planted and harvested corn, potatoes, pumpkin, wheat, peas, carrots and tomatoes. In the years I lived in Nebraska, people died sooner because all of us didn't have the certain type of medicine to keep people alive longer. When I went out with friends, we would take turns on who took the wagon out and if it was my turn and the wagon broke down I would have to fix it myself. We have both rich families and poor families in my town. I have a friend that

As I peer through the thick smoke, reminding myself why I chose to come in the first place, I see a half dead man on the floor- begging for water. We don’t have enough food or clothes. There are very few of us left to fight against the redcoats. Even though on some days we are cheerful, we are starving and freezing. I am wondering if I should re-enlist or go back home. I just hope I will live to tell my story of Valley Forge. The huts are filled with thick smoke, people are sick and dying, but we are still cheerful. I have chosen to stay, or re-enlist because of the positive attitude of the soldiers, to fill in for the sick, dead, and deserters, and I want to represent our country- the reason I came.

This quiet and quaint town known as Mt. Holly, NJ is where I grew up. Nestled in the outskirts of New Jersey’s capitol, is known for its small town charm and historic roots. Living here was the best years of my life. I grew up in a part of town that once housed the military families from Ft. Dix and McGuire Air Force Base, which is now known as Joint Base. This housing was eventually sold and renamed the Mount Holly Gardens. This was not known to be the ideal place to raise a family. It was known as the “projects” or “ghetto.” The streets were riddled with garbage, people hanging out on the corners, stray cats and dogs wondering about. Our backyard was the alley where you can see piled up junk cars, dimmed street lights and small sewage

One of the more memorable activities was when Alex, Dylan, William, Sam, Abbie, Greg, and I went to the Huck the first day. Alex wanted to go sit by the waterfall, so we all walked down to that area. Sam played his music and we all barely talked. It was so peaceful. Montreat is my favorite place in the world. It is a safe place where I can truly be myself without the fear of being judged. I make so many friends while I am there and they accept me for who I am. One of the friends that I made in my small group was talking about why Montreat was so great. He said, “We are all weirdos here, that’s what makes it great.” We all share our opinions and we talk about how we want to make a difference. This year the Thursday I was at Montreat, my grandfather passed away. I did not tell anyone until I told my small group after keynote, but I think people knew something was wrong. I was not as bouncy or happy as I usually was, and Sam kept asking me if I was okay. I told my small group about how my aunt had died last year, my uncle a few weeks ago, and then my grandfather the day before. I could barely get through a sentence without

The community I grew up in central Texas celebrated my heritage, honored differences in culture, and fostered personal growth and self-discovery. My parents, with the strong work ethic they developed on their family’s farms in Ghana, encouraged my brother and me to work hard and find ways to use our skills to be of service to others, which wasn’t hard to do growing up in Austin with its many avenues to become involved and take care of the community, whether it was helping to direct families through the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park during the winter or raise money for educational programs for underprivileged kids in the area through working the concession stands at the University of Texas at Austin. It was this collaborative mindset that Austin

was born in a small town in Texas known as Laredo. It was a poor city and was basically the border town to Mexico, it was always a mess, always hot, and only snowed once in 2002. Even though the city I was born in was harsh place, I had a great family that raised me well and taught me how to be respectful to my elders.

My home state is Texas, and a problem Texas faces is an overall mindset of systemic racism, sexism, and xenophobia. Texas is a very conservative state, thus many of the policies passed by our legislation are written at the expense of women and minorities. Although I might sound highly critical of our state government, I do not believe that these negative mindsets are deliberate attempts to put others down, I feel that it is simply an ignorance to the issues women and minorities face, and a lack of empathy. Ignorance is easily countered by thorough education. The easiest way to solve this is for us constituents of these politicians, to bring the issues that affect us to the forefront. If more minorities would get involved in our political system,

Please describe any extracurricular activities, special talents, or community service projects you have done, and tell us what you have learned from these experiences.

Life is based on a foundation of decisions and circumstances compiled on a precarious perspective of the user.The structure often relies on small and often overlooked elements. They receive no recognition, yet are the very reason for its prosperity. Trade towns and old docks are the lifeblood of the world, but best suited away from the public eye. Meant for the undesirables to deal with. People like me, who wished to build a future.