10. Defeating Mr. Brownlow in a political argument over the advantages to a privatized health care system. Of course he would never admit to this but ask the members of my class who had the more logical and legitimate points in the discussion. This feat is a rarity because when someone can choose when both parties of an argument may talk, winning can be rather difficult. This victory came after a slump of mine in the class so after I won, I was, “back as loud and full of brass and swagger as ever” (Kesey 107).
9. Ms. Serensky recognized the Dream Team as an actual entity. I cannot recall the exact date when this took place but as soon as Ms. Serensky actually started to refer to Alex, John, Sam, and me as the Dream Team, I knew we had actually accomplished something special. I figured that when the Dream Team was mentioned she would retort with, “They are hardly considered a thing,” but fortunately I was wrong (Wilde 52).
8. Achieving an 8+ on the AP English semester exam my junior year. At this stage in my literary career As were only dreamed of because they were never actually within reach. Then somehow on the biggest test of the year (aside from the AP test) I pulled out the best grade imaginable at the time. After getting the test back I told my fellow students, ‘“In a few days you’ll get the hang of it”’ (Lahiri 32).
7. Being able to write with confidence and without hesitation. This actually occurred for me in the months leading up to the AP test my junior year. I always hated writing and it is for this reason that I value the moment when writing turned from a chore to just another task that I could accomplish without stress or frustration. Finally, writing was no longer “a perpetual wait, a constant burden a continuous feeling out of sorts” (Lahiri 49).
6. Induction into Cum Laude. This was a very proud moment for me because I was recognized with the top twenty percent of my class for achieving a high GPA throughout my high school career. This accomplishment was especially significant because it was the culmination of several years of fairly hard work. While we were at the ceremony that night I started to think about how, “one must be serious about something, if one wants to have amusement in life,” and I happen to be serious about my education because this brings me amusement as you will read about shortly (Wilde 40).
5. Springfest 2010. During springfest 2010 I was fortunate enough to be called up on stage several times and the reason this moment ranks at number five is because I was very proud to accept several awards in front of the school. One award in particular sticks out because when I got up on stage a certain someone, who may or may not be in the Dream Team, thought they deserved the award instead of me and they looked at me “with a look of the clearest hate I ever saw” (Kesey 99). This hate made me even more proud of my accomplishment.
4. 35 on the ACT with a 36 in math and science. I’m not sure how much explanation this one needs. Not to be too cocky, but I believe the numbers speak for themselves so I’ll let you do the math. I remember the painful anticipation of waiting to access my test scores: “There’s nothing worse. It makes you sick, it saps every bit of strength you got” (Kesey 60). But, let me tell you, that strength comes back awfully quickly when you see a 35 on the computer screen.
3. National Merit Finalist. This was a very big accomplishment for Alex, Sara, and me because of the wonderful privileges we were given after we were recognized. NOT! We did not get any privileges for this except maybe a picture or two in the newspaper and a little time on the signboard, which I must say helped make this one of my more thrilling experiences. Also, it was a nice thing, “for it to be typed on applications to five Ivy League colleges” (Lahiri 99).
2. Never getting a B on my transcript…yet. Well, once again this thrill speaks for itself. Unfortunately although it is thrilling now, it was not so thrilling while I was accomplishing this (that might be a slight exaggeration). But I definitely get a little satisfaction from knowing that I have not earned a B yet in any of my classes. Although people like Mr. Maas have outright told me they are trying to do everything they can to give me a B, I respond by calmly speaking to my transcript, “nothing that [he] can possibly do can alter my eternal devotion to you” (Wilde 17).
1. Deciding to go to Duke University for my undergraduate education. All kidding aside, college is a very exciting time because of the learning opportunities available. I find it very thrilling to be surrounded by many incredibly intelligent students at Duke (like in AP English) where I feel confident that I can further my education and quench my intellectual vitality. Also, I look forward to the many exciting years of national championships and meeting new people from all over the country and the world. This is a truly thrilling endeavor and I owe a big thank you to the many teachers who have made this experience possible for me especially you Ms. Serensky. Often times you give me a hard time for my choice of clothing and to that I simply respond, “If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by being immensely over-educated” (Wilde 30).
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