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While I don't have any more major experiences that come to mind, it's worth mentioning that I have a knack for patience with others. I'm good at listening to others if they ever need to vent or share their burdens. My coworkers at my job would often call me the "free therapist" because I would simply listen to whatever it is they were feeling. I would offer my emotional support but never get directly involved in personal affairs. I believe this strength of mine could translate well to future careers.

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In recent years, I've learned that despite how boring literature can be, you can still make it fun and engaging when you are giving materials and projects that interest you specifically. I've always loved the idea of being a teacher and playing an important role in the growing of students, just as I grew in High School with my fondness of writing. I want to look into how I can structure my curriculum differently from other English teachers and make my classroom a more flexible and engaging way to learn how to write.

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As someone who has ADHD, special needs have always mattered deeply to me. I often found that many who have "specialized" in assisting students with special needs do not fully understand the student, if at all. An example of this is one kid, who was autistic, would frequently stim in the classroom. The TA who was supposed to be helpful, would loudly condemn the student for stimming, calling it a "distraction". It was at that point when I considered one day if I wanted to work in Special Ed as my teacher career. After all, we need more neurodivergent Special Ed reps. I still need to do more research to fully grasp what it means to be a Special Ed teacher or Teacher Assistant, but the idea seems more and more appealing as of recently.

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I've already decided on working in a school environment for my career. Despite my interest in being a teacher, I've also have fancied the idea of being a social worker or counselor. As someone who struggled with mental health greatly in school, I feel like there was never enough mental health advocacy inside the building. As I mentioned in another bubble, I have a knack for patience and understanding with others, especially when they need emotional support or just someone to talk to. I believe that if I took the proper classes, I could truly excel in being an emotional support guidance counselor one day.

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Though simple, I consider my 4 years of experience in High School to be one of the most crucial points in my growth as a student and a person in general. I remember beginning my freshman year of high school, not being able to properly socialize with anyone, and my executive functioning skills were sub-par. I believed that if I wanted to be liked, I had to be like someone else. It never occurred to me that I had to be myself. I surrounded myself with toxic people to try to fill the void of solitude I had, but it did not last longer than a year. One of the "friends" I had decided to make up a false rumor about me just so she could entertain herself. Around that time, the pandemic hit. I spent the quarantine holed up in my room, going through various emotional phases, trying to figure out who I am. I dealt with depression and various forms of trauma, not just from home life but from school as well. It would be impossible for me to fit it all in here. All I will say is that I've truly come a long way since then, and I truly believe I would've turned out different, had it not been for the rigorous and emotionally taxing environment I was forced to push through in those past 4 years. There was a lot I went through during that time, depression, anxiety, etc. Though it was certainly not something I would wish on someone else, I am a stronger man now than I was before.

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Shift Manager at Fast Food / Leadership Skills

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Shift Manager at Fast Food / Leadership Skills

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After High School, I took a gap year to focus on my mental health. During this time, I was working as an employee at a lesser-known fast food chain called "Meatheads" (it sadly does not exist anymore). During this time, I encountered a number of issues, namely my inability to stay standing for long periods of time (I have scoliosis), my lack or leadership skills, and my emotional vulnerability to difficult employees and customers alike. There would be many points in time where I would go to my car and cry. I had managers that would regularly start conflicts with me, and it would've been enough to make me quit if I was any other self-respecting individual. In hindsight, I'm not sure why I stayed, but I'm glad I did. Recalling my traumatic High School experiences, I seem to have adopted an "exposure therapy" mindset. I believe that no matter how many times I get knocked down, I come back even stronger. This mindset transitioned to my work life, and it eventually gave me the strength to make the job easier over time. So much so, in fact, that I was given a managerial position only about 8 months since I started working there. I quickly gained leadership skills, upper body strength and endurance, and a harder shell to crack. I like to believe I've also adopted a more outgoing personality from talking to customers.

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While I was working at Meatheads, I was also doing volunteer work on the side. When I had trouble figuring out where I wanted to volunteer, my mom recommended Barrington Giving Day, since she works there every now and then. Barrington Giving Day is a non-profit service in the town I live in that focuses on giving donated goods (clothing, toys, baby products, shoes, blankets, household products, etc.) to families who have trouble affording them. We have 3 major events each year, and I focus my volunteer work on preparing for the events through sorting the donated goods. I honed my communication skills by interacting with a diverse group of participants, including donors, fellow volunteers, and community members. I effectively conveyed important information to new volunteers, ensured clear understanding from group leaders, and helped coordinate tasks among team members. This experience enhanced my ability to listen actively, articulate ideas clearly, and collaborate with others in a dynamic environment.

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Originally, I was averse to the idea of writing. I found it to be too much work, and I am admittedly a somewhat lazy person. However, if you ask me questions about world issues I'm invested in, I could write about them forever. That's when I learned I have a "knack" for argumentative papers. One paper in particular I was instructed to make during my senior year of High School. It was piece on an issue of my choice. At the time, I was really upset at the recent displays of police brutality against black people, and the indifferent society's role it plays in upholding systemic racism. I worked tirelessly on the paper, checking and re-writing it again and again. When I finally got to a point where I could call it "finished" the feeling was so satisfying. The feeling that I successfully created a piece I was really proud of. The more I worked on them, the easier it was for me to hone my skills in writing, giving me the motivation to start my freshman year as an English Major.