High School Life Essay

It was in the year 2009, I was a graduating elementary student back then, when our adviser talked to me, together with my fellow honor students, regarding our plans after graduation. The conversation included where we wanted to study in high school. Most of us said that a simple school will do, what’s important for us back then was to have a school. That simple. After a few words, our adviser said that there is prestigious school inviting us to study there. Our initial reaction was, of course, we have no money to pay for the tuition fee. But then, she said that we need not worry, because the school offers us 100% scholarship, with a weekly allowance. We were delighted by the news. Imagine being a scholar of Notre Dame of Greater Manila. That is something to be proud of. So we were scheduled for an exam. We were so nervous. After several days of waiting, the results came out. And I was the one chosen to be the scholar! When my mom told me the news, I was really overjoyed. It would be my first time to study in a private school, prestigious one even. I went to the school to arrange my requirements there. That was when I knew that I am a De Mazenod Lingap Talino (DMLT) scholar, who would enjoy 100% scholarship and weekly allowance. What a privilege! I also met there Mr. Diego Reyes, or Sir Jigs, as what the whole institution calls him, and Ma’am Sofie. They were the ones who helped me during my stay there as a scholar. My first year was tough. A lot of adjustments were done. Of course, I’m not used to having classmates who are techy and rich. They talked about this gadget and that gadget, which, in my previous school, is not an issue. I’m not used to seeing signature clothes and bags. So I didn’t know how I would approach them. I’m not rich as them. I am just a simple girl. Another reason why I’m afraid is because I thought I would not be accepted there. I am different, physically. Before the first day of school, I imagined the Damers teasing me and bullying me. And I imagined myself ignoring them, as if they don’t exist, and when I’m alone, I’d cry a lot just to let the feelings out. I thought I would be an outcast, a loner, weirdo in their eyes. But I was completely wrong. I gained a lot of friends, much many than I thought I’d have. My first impression of them was wrong. They are not like what I see in the movies, rich people who are arrogant and rude. They understand my situation. They are open-minded. They are real. They may tease me but that was only natural, I do not get offended. They are real, true friends. Of course, the teachers are a plus. I thought they would not like me, especially the Math teachers, because I’m really weak in that particular subject. I really like Math, but I guess the feeling ain’t mutual. Until now, I still use finger Math. I am extremely slow in solving problems. I thought Math teachers would lose their patience on me, ignore my presence in the cream class because they would think I don’t belong there, because I am a weakling. But then again, I was W-R-O-N-G. Math teachers in Notre are exactly the opposite of what I thought they would be. They are very kind, especially Mrs. Narciso, Ms.Padlan, Mr.R and Mr. Zuniga. They were the ones whom I spend my Math classes with during my entire stay in high school. They were the ones who taught me Math and helped me to improve my skills in that field. They showed me that I am not a weakling, I still have hope. Whoo. But of course, there were my second parents. Mrs. Mercado and Mrs. Asis who served as my mothers, and Mr. Saplagio as my dad. They were the ones whom I turn to and cry on whenever I have problems. And all of the teachers in Notre, who may seem terror and scary inside the classrooms, but outside, they are one of your bestest best friends. Being a scholar isn’t as easy as anyone thinks. It’s really tough maintaining your grades. It is stressing to think about your grades when they are going down. They say grades are just numbers, but I depend on those numbers. My scholarship depends on those numbers. I usually envy those who can just have fun while I am at my room studying even if there’s no exam. And of course, as a scholar, I should be a role model to others. I should take care of my reputation. But of course doing that is a bit hard. As the saying goes, â€Å"Character is what you are; reputation is what people think you are.† What if my character is different from my reputation? Yes, that happens all the time. But I just maintain my character and ignore those who pull me down by saying things about me behind my back. That made me stronger. Notre gave me a lot of experiences that I would not forget. Notre gave me people that I am thankful for. But of course, I would receive none of these if it wasn’t for the DMLT, for giving me this very wonderful opportunity to study in the institution. I am just a simple girl from a family who cannot afford the services of Notre. But because of Notre’s awareness of the students out there who are not financially able, yet deserving to have quality education, and it’s willingness to reach out to them, I was able to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. Now, I am going to study in my dream school, the University in the Philippines, one of the most prestigious universities in the whole country. With the help of Notre, I was able to get this dream of mine. It equipped me with enough knowledge and skills to face the challenges ahead. My life in Notre had been stressful, yet everything was all worth it. For this, I would like to express my deep gratitude. Thank you, Notre Dame.