Coming to ACLC as a junior in high school was a huge step in my life, I have never been to a charter school or a school that was so small. I was always shy and very scared when it comes to meeting new people, and it was what I had to struggle the most in throughout my school life. I did not grow up in ACLC like more than half of my peers but I feel like I found a home.
Personal qualities and work habits I developed sociability and self-management skills over the course of the year, being able to meet new peers and working together by distributing workloads using social media to make sure each member can handle their part. I doubted myself but now I know I will be a successful individual, without attending this school, I do not think I would’ve made it so far without the help and support I got from each and every one. Having the experience to know every single person is not an opportunity any school could give you. I remember when I walked into my Physics class; I thought I would be an outsider since I saw everyone greeting each other. But I was wrong; a few learners welcomed me inside and outside of the classroom. These qualities did not only help me inside of school but outside of school. I noticed I became a more open minded person, while I attending a summer job it was a whole different environment from ACLC but I adapted the qualities and noticed I have learned self control in the process. I don’t think I would’ve made it so far without the help and support I got from each and every one.
Being in ACLC for 2 years was a huge step in my life, I struggled a lot in English. In my previous school I had it very easy, I barely did anything to help myself as a learner and person. I feel like my knowledge expanded to its’ highest peak due to more challenging and creative assignments. Although I had trouble in English, I improved in so many aspects such as: reading, writing, listening, communicating and public speaking. I remember when I needed help with writing essays, there was always someone to help me, I cherish all of the opportunities that is offered here. Another subject I struggled in was PreCalculus, I entered the class not knowing the basics because my previous school was behind in math. I was very clueless on what we were doing in class and I was too nervous to go up to people for help but eventually I had to in order to keep going in the class. I asked my peers and my facilitator for help after class, I got tons of help from him and got caught up with the rest of the class.
Personal thinking and reasoning skills is how people develop different ways to learn, inside and outside of school. While I was still trying to adapt to ACLC, there was a requirement that shocked me a lot. It was taking a college class, it helped me develop decision-making and creative thinking skills. I picked Sociology as my college class, it was a three hour period class at night but at least it was once a week. After taking that class, I learned how humans interact with all types of situations especially on how to deal with friendships and why society is how it is now. Sociology helped me deal with the drama that happens during school and what to avoid when the time comes. It has helped me grow as a person and encouraged me to be more aware with my surroundings.
My interpersonal abilities were always lacking until I went to ACLC. With all the opportunities I had to contribute to the ACLC community taught me how to work with others. Collaborating on group projects, sharing ideas, organizing events, encouraging peers, etc. I was able to work with others even when there are disagreements, we were able to work it out. Because of this, it helped me with my summer camp internship program that I was offered, it had kids of all ages, different social backgrounds and personalities. I, a camp leader, taught them how to collaborate by introducing activities such as safety rules games, arts and crafts, how to play golf, boating, swimming and much more. Now I know how to appreciate everyone even though they may be different from others, as well as their viewpoints.
Technology is a huge aspect in life, everyone relies on technology in my opinion. Even though, we do not need to rely on technology, the ability to use technology to accomplish assignments using the Internet encourages me as a learner to get my work done as soon as possible. When I was young, I was exposed to technology and I started to grow and see the improvements it has done to the society. I was able to stay connected with facilitators, learners, family members and use it for researching concepts I did not understand. I also use it when I need to finish a task that I do not know how to do, such as looking up procedures on how to get rid of viruses on your device. Programs like Google, Microsoft Word, Youtube, etc lead me to success.
All in all, I appreciate all of the opportunities given to me that helped me reach my goals that were once a dream but into reality. I thank all of the facilitators and learners that got me this far. I even thank my friends and family for convincing me to attend ACLC, it was a huge change in my life and it was a great one. I will never forget everyone that helped me accomplish everything that I didn’t hope for to come true.