Personal Narrative: Miami Country Day

The status and reputation that come with the title of valedictorian are both gratifying and frustrating. This honor exerts a considerable amount of pressure on me to put forth my best and exude intellect off the top of a hat. Sure, it feels nice to be the smartest guy in the grade, but the responsibilities and expectations are overwhelming. While a dignified and respected recognition, people view me in a different way, upholding me to a different standard. From freshman year, there’s always been the same perspective, he’s a know it all, Alessandro got the highest grade. Why do I have be that guy? The one who works his ass off, if students already treat me differently because I dedicate and care about academics. My goal is not to achieve impressive grades, rather I have a passion and hunger for knowledge. From a young age, my passion lay in my utter fascination with numbers and mathematical concepts. Whether I recalled sport stats or my teammates’ swim times to adding the total for the groceries we were purchasing, math has always been in my blood. Math problems are puzzles that need to be cracked, especially in calculus, with challenging and intriguing

Is there a reason behind the social exclusivity at Miami Country Day? The community might be socio-economically and culturally diverse, but beneath the surface, lies the true xenophobic, non inclusive, clique nature. In essence, those who are different from the rest, those who don’t have a trust fund to fall back on, those who work hard for their life, those who care about their future, those who spend their weekends studying and hanging out with friends, those who don’t party and get drunk, these are the “Untouchables” of Miami Country Day School. The truth, while unsettling, exposes and sheds light on the reality behind the curtain, unobstructed from walls built to promote a false sense of