The fact that the Ashe who walked into high school four years ago is the same Ashe leaving now feels unreal to me. In middle school I had good grades and high hopes. I dreamt of a 4.0 GPA and attending University of Michigan Ann Arbor once I grew up. Well here I am, grown up but not really feeling like it.
Quite a bit transpired during my years attending both Edsel Ford High School and Dearborn High School. Some experiences were good but plenty were bad. My classes got harder, my health got worse, and things going on at home started to require more and more of my attention. My As slipped to Bs, and then to Cs.
I became apathetic to trying to salvage my grades and couldn’t see myself having any kind of decent future. I had ruined my chances of achieving the goal I once had of attending a nice college, so what else was left for me?
It took some time but I realized though that there is so much else for me outside of my test scores. I joined groups like journalism and art club, which gave me so many opportunities. I attended the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s Summer Workshop at Michigan State University last summer to learn photojournalism. My art has been displayed in various places including the Detroit Institute of Art and I won DHS’s senior artist competition.
All of this I have been able to pursue even with my less than ideal grades. Of course, I still try to keep up with school work, but I know it’s not the end of the world to fall behind. Life carries on, no matter how stressed I get over a failing grade. I make sure to take care of what matters most to me and look back on what I’ve accomplished.
I had a lot of illusions of what high school would be like. I definitely didn’t foresee any of the problems I ended up encountering over the past four years. In the end though, I still found my way to the things I love and I think that can apply to anyone.
I don’t believe our school system is well suited for everyone. If your course through high school is not that of a model student, it feels like you’re left in the dust next to your peers. In reality though there is so much potential for a fulfilling life past the standards set by schools.
I’ll be going to Henry Ford college next winter after spending the summer and autumn working. I’ll be behind a season from my friends but what harm is there really with that? I may not have accomplished the academic goals I set out to achieve but still looking back on all the ways I’ve grown, the people I’ve impacted and the things I’ve created these past few years I am able to say I’m proud of who I am as I leave this building.
