My Coming of Age Story by Jason Hernandez

What does "coming of age" mean to you?

jhern169 — 2024-12-13 17:45:47 UTC

Coming of age" is the journey everyone as person goes through as they grow up and start to understand themselves and the world around them in a deeper and meaningful way. It’s a time of learning important life lessons, discovering who you are, and figuring out what you believe in. This beautiful period often involves facing challenges, making good and bad decisions, and gaining independence. It’s about leaving behind the simplicity of childhood and stepping into the more complex mature world of adulthood, with all its responsibilities, emotions, and experiences. This journey can look different for everyone, but it’s a universal experience of growing up.

What are some significant events or moments in your life that have shaped who you are today?

jhern169 — 2025-01-14 20:24:25 UTC

One of the significant events that shaped me into a person is me coming out as gay I always knew that I was different than everyone else like I didn’t like doing boyish things I like playing with the girls In elementary and middle school would always ask me oh are you gay and then I would be in fear No, I’m not because I didn’t wanna get bullied And even today in my sophomore year, I still get asked those questions and sometimes I And sometimes I get made fun of and I guess all that bullying made me into a stronger person because I knew that I should always be myself and not care about any person’s opinion ever I was always gonna be myself in any situation. and I was never gonna take anyone’s bullshit. And I know that little boy i was is happy for me but he’s happy that he’s living free as myself I love me.

What challenges or obstacles have you faced, and how have they contributed to your growth?

jhern169 — 2025-01-14 21:19:17 UTC

the challenges when I was a kid and Even though as a teenager, I struggled with anxiety and ADHD and it affected everything my school life, my grades, and in my mind and in a lot of other kids mind you would focus on one thing and your mind and focus on 1 million other things it’s hard to focus on that one thing because you know it’s important and you know you have to get it done It’s really hard sometimes, but you have to do it and I’m in therapy because of it and therapy helps really does grateful for everything I have right now because in also medication helps too sometimes it’s hard but that’s life.

Are there any cultural, family, or societal influences that have impacted your coming-of-age story?

jhern169 — 2025-01-14 21:35:19 UTC

"I’ve never really been in touch with my Hispanic culture. I don’t know how to speak fluent Spanish; I only know enough to talk to my grandparents. My parents have never really been the type to influence my Hispanic culture in my life. We do eat a lot of cultural food, and I like how we’re somehow still in touch with our culture. I’m Cuban Spanish and Norwegian. My family has always supported almost everything I want to do—any interest I had, they always supported me and loved me for who I am. I had a really good life growing up. I was very comfortable, and I’m really grateful for everything my parents gave me. I love them so much. But my family would always have their moments, you know, with arguing, fighting, and yelling. My siblings would fight, and I got a few nasty scars."

Looking forward, what milestones do you hope to achieve as you continue your journey of growing up?

jhern169 — 2025-01-14 21:53:48 UTC

I really need to not know what I want right now, but I know I wanna get My associates degree in criminal justice and go to college in Florida or maybe hopefully to college out of state hopefully New York I want to go to Syracuse university and I really to move out of Florida because I know their a lot more left for me I want get into fashion and acting or maybe become a lawyer i don’t know the sky is the limit I’m fifthteen I’ve got my whole life ahead of me I know I’m power hungry and if I work hard and believe myself and the world I’m going to become something amazing and fantastic I know I’m amazing already.