German Martinez

Prof.Dr.Hanvey
STACC English 100
04 December 2014
Overcoming new challenges
I enjoy being able to express my feelings, ideas and share them with others. Reading
other peoples stories or thoughts excites me to be more open and free to write how I feel.
Sometimes its hard to express the feelings I get and how to interpret them into words for others
to comprehend. Literacy is the art of the language that provides people with the basic skills of
communication, reading and writing, to be able to understand, express and interpret information.
I am fortunate to be able to communicate through two languages: Spanish and English. Even
though I still have not mastered the discipline of being fully fluent in English, Im working hard to
get there. Ive been living in America for three years; the transition from coming from a private
high school in Mexico to a public school in the U.S was hard because I didnt have the same
commodities, as well as the language was a challenge for me.
My journey started in September 2011, when I entered for the first time a school in
America. Everything was so different -people, culture and the language. Coming from a school
in where I was with the same classmates for a whole year to a place rich in diversity and culture
was impressive for me. I never thought that I was going to experience this in my life. In the first
weeks of the school everything was okay because all I spoke and read was Spanish but not
English at all. I was still not secure of expressing myself yet in English. Since I took some
English classes in Mexico by the beginning of the second month, my ELD English professor
found that I met the required level in English to be put into the next level of the ELD program, so
the ELD department at my school put me at level 2 of ESL class. My routine changed
completely. This exposed me into good and bad experiences that made me grow academically

and to the person I am today. I think that day was the day that I started to build the path I am
following as well to have a clear idea of what I want to be and become.
As I joined the new English class the teacher seemed much stricter than the other one I
had in my previous class. No more Spanish but just English she said it once; since she only
knew English she wanted students to communicate in English which I first thought it was stupid
because many of us barely said a word. The first thing I thought was I'm in big trouble. It didnt
bother me to write but reading in front of the class or talking to the professor was a total mess.
As I remember I was an early reader in my first language (Spanish). When I was in first grade I
already knew how to read and write and also to do some basic math. As years passed by I was
doing great in all my classes, until my first high school year; it was more troublesome. To be
sincere I used to get distracted easily because you know that when you reach the teen age you
already own a cell phone or you rather spend time with friends or doing some other things than
being alone reading a stupid book, or doing stuff related with school. Reading was not
enjoyable as it used to. I just read because I need to do the assignments to pass my Spanish
class or any other classes that required me to read.
It was then, that year of rebellion changed once I joined Ms.Garrys English Class here
in America- the teacher who I thought was making my life impossible.As I said my English skills
were not yet developed, so I needed to work hard, which included reading, writing, and as well
as speaking. This really frustrated me because there were times where I tried to express myself
but there was a barrier that was stopping me from doing it,as I had a fear and insecurity of
failing. That feeling you get when trying so say something but nothing comes out of your mind or
you're not sure if its right -thats what put my self-esteem down many times.
I realized during that time I was negative and instead of facing whichever obstacle came
to me I just tried to go around. I was more of a fixed-mind set because errors were not allowed. I
used to get mad at myself when I couldnt do what I was supposed to do which I think I was
putting so much pressure on myself instead of letting myself do one step at the time. I

remember when I had to write an essay for my English class, which it was the first essay I wrote
in English, I got not a perfect grade. So I got mad at myself for not doing good in the task but
later on my teacher talked to me and told me that failure helps to become better and that my
English was actually improving.That day I learned that in order to succeed I have to go through
a serie of obstacles and some of them will take me down;but not because of that I have to give
up,instead fight back and keep going.I believe this was the moment I became more of a growthmindset.
As time passed in Ms.Garrys class, even of all the obstacles I needed to overcome, her
class made them least overwhelming. She made the class interactive and transformed it into a
new world of learning. She inspired me to keep moving forward and to realize that I have no
limitations other than those I chose to put upon myself. Ms.Garris put her trust not just in me
but in all her students equally. We worked together not just to make it seem that her work was
worth it but actually to improve ourselves academically along with our personality.
Soon the librarian was involved in our class. Mrs. Scribner, as I remembered, used to
come to my classroom every week to show us a variety of books we could find in the library
ranging from fictional, historical, tragic, romance and a large variety of many others. One of the
books that played a big role in my reading process was the Magic tree house series a series of
children's books written by Mary Pope. Even though they are childrens books reading level I
didnt care at all because that was the first step I took towards becoming literate in English. I
think this was an important stepping stone that brought me into reading. Since I read the first
story I couldnt stop reading. I remember reading five or six of these books a day. These also
helped me increase my reading level at the same time it opened my mind to a world of literature
full of stories and history. I said history because before I didnt know anything about the
Holocaust till I read Night by Elie Wiesel. This book impacted me and I realized that there had
been many events that had happened around the world and I didnt know about them. It make
me get to the conclusion that reading is important in all cultures because you can take yourself

to wander into pieces of information to learn from them and be able to communicate and
express new ideas to others. I believe that The Magic Tree House made me more open and
let me go into places I never thought about,similar with the main characters Jack and Anne
going through rough but fantastic experiences.
I reflect my high school English class with Mrs.Gruwell's class even though her students
already knew English the challenge they had to face was adversity while in my class everybody
was learning the language. Everyone with their own problems and challenges but our teacher
as same as the freedom writers she never gave up on us. She always found a way to motivate
us and to keep forward seeking for a better future. My story also relates with Diary 48 of
Freedom Writers Diary, My first day of school in America was very hard-I didnt understand
English words, everything was so different.(94) because it reflects the struggles and challenges
I faced during my first year in America. Even though the writer of the diary tells that she came to
America because of violence in her country we dont have that in common but still approaching
those challenges and become a better person is the main goal.
Furthermore, as I started participating and putting more effort in class I recalled the
decision I took when I decided to come to America which was to have a better future that
included strengthening my Education and learning the language -I clearly saw the big
opportunity I had on my hands. By my junior year I was a total different person than I was in my
sophomore year. I was able to speak more fluently in English no matter the mistakes I made
while pronouncing words when I spoke, or my accent. What I wanted to do was talk, and to
express my opinions and ideas to others. When I think about this year I think about the
sacrifices I made and all the judgments I got from other people which make me face my
struggles with a much stronger attitude. I relate my junior year with Aria: A Memoir of a
Bilingual Childhood the dramatic change that Richard Rodriguez face. I remember that he
changed his habitual routine of speaking just Spanish to become bilingual and not feel an
outsider anymore in a public society he thought will never belong. I felt the same way like if I

have nothing to do in this place but by the time it changed. As same as Richard I was judged by
people from my culture, they thought that I was becoming more American and forgetting about
where I have come from just because I started to speak more English than Spanish. In my
English class I stopped talking in Spanish and I started having conversation more in English,
which made some of my Hispanic classmates feel offended, which led them to stop talking to
me. It was not that I didnt want to talk to them in Spanish but that I wanted to help them and
myself to start getting used to a new way of expression. Even of that, whatever I had on mind
was that I was here to learn and explore new lands of knowledge.
As a college student now I realize that all the hard work that Ive done was worth it.
College represents a new open gate that will let me prepare myself to succeed in big world full
of opportunities and competition. Till now it had not been a bad experience but it is kind of
depressed when it comes with money because in my situation I dont live with my parents so I
have to work to pay bills and school. Even of that, I have managed my time to be able to meet
both expectations that school and my job are expecting me to meet. Im not looking at this
situation as an obstacle but as a new challenge to overcome.
I now consider myself as a growth-mind set because Im willing to take the risk to give
everything I have and reach my goal of accreditation in Business affairs. Im still not sure how Ill
get there but something that I have on mind is that keeping my hard work and being positive I
will get there. As always there will be obstacles but also people who will guide me and advise
me through and Ill be happy to listen to their advice.
All in all, my relentless ambition to pursue and accomplish my dreams is my certainty that
wherever I study, I will do well. Yes, I will continue to face challenges; but, from what I have
already gone through, my determination is evident that I will never give up!
Literacy has the power to transform and change the lives of many.

Sources

Dweck, Carol. The Perils and Promise of Praise.2007. Canvas.

The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell. The Freedom Writers Diary. New York:

Broadway Books, 2009.Print.

Pope, Mary. The Magic Tree House. New York-Random House, 2000. Print.
Rodriguez, Richard. Aria Memoir of a Bilingual childhood.1980. Canvas.