As I began high school, I drifted away from my education and slowly started to make poor decisions. I began to experience many things; experiences that I strongly believed one must obtain as a teenager in high school. Eventually, these experiences built up to the most significant experience that I had encountered so far. I was arrested at a party; an experience that came to me disguised as an access to an alternative school. It struck me as a tragedy to know that the police contacted my mother at four in the morning on Mother’s Day, to tell her that her son was being detained. I did not know what was more painful; the agonizing and excruciating pressure made by the handcuffs placed on my hands, or the thought of seeing my mother’s reaction …show more content…
Alternative. The word is closely related to not being mainstream, “the other.” The word had such a negative connotation when it was used as a reference to a school. It made me feel like I was incapable of succeeding at a “regular” school. Nevertheless, my ideology changed when my AP Literature class exposed me to a book called Anthem by Ayn Rand. In this book, Ayn Rand believed that the only way a man can reach happiness is by putting his own happiness before others, and doing what they choose as individuals. Her philosophy restored my seemingly extinct drive towards success and happiness. Once again, I started to put in more effort in school. I eliminated all the negative thoughts that were running amok in my brain, and I no longer spent hours of the day reflecting on my situation. I accepted it. I accepted my reality and decided that my individual actions could create the best outcome from this experience. As I noticed the potential and desire for my education, I began to feel much happier. Dealing with multiple court dates and homework assignments, I always reminded myself that I could accomplish anything I wanted as long as I tried. At the end of the school year, I had a 4.0 in all my classes, and all my charges were dismissed. Evidently, this experience taught me to always maintain focus on my