Describe a challenging academic experience you have faced and how you overcame it. by Josselin

Describe a challenging academic experience you have faced and how you overcame it. by Josselin - December 2024 Scholarship Essay

The biggest challenge I faced was learning English, because when I arrived in the United States at the age of 14, I did not have the ability to speak or understand the language. The first year of high school was difficult for me, because I had a hard time understanding when people were talking or when the teacher was teaching or explaining something during class. Additionally, I had a hard time communicating with my classmates and teachers in class, because I thought they would laugh at me because I couldn't speak English. Furthermore, I could not write or read well in English and this made it difficult for me when the teacher would assign essays, or a book to be read because I did not know how to write or read well in English. In other words, this affected me emotionally and academically because I did not understand when my teacher explained the homework to me. I was embarrassed to ask my teacher and my classmates for help. I did not complete my homework, and I did not turn it in, so this caused me to have bad grades in all my classes. This affected me emotionally because I felt unable to learn English, but thank God the second year in high school started to develop my English skills. I started watching more TV shows in English, and this helped me understand a lot better when someone spoke English in front of me. I could understand when my teacher was explaining a new topic during class. Additionally, I started to improve my writing and reading skills because my English teacher supported me and made me do my best to learn the language. Now, thanks to God and the people who support me, I can understand and speak English more fluently, I have good grades in all my classes, and I am one of the best in the class, since I try to improve my English day by day and when I don't understand something in class, I ask the teacher or my classmates how I have to do the classwork, I do all my homework and turn it in on time. In addition, I helped many students who have just arrived in the country to translate or explain the homework that the teacher leaves them. To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.