The Turning Point In My Life

I had never been so frustrated in my life. I had just spent three months in 6th grade of the new school trying to adapt to the new surroundings. Now, I was seriously contemplating withdrawing from school.

I feel that all the situations I have been in throughout my life have helped to be able to adapt to changes and also make me resilient. I moved to the United States when I was in the 6th grade with my mother, older brother, and sister. My father stayed back in Saudi Arabia to continue with his job, but we had decided to plan trips to see each other as much as we can. But of course, it was much harder than expected. Adjusting to life without my father was exceedingly difficult and adjusting to life in the United States was even more so. Even though we used to visit, we never experienced a culture shock of the magnitude we received when we moved for good. I found it challenging to fit in with my peers and also experienced bullying because of the differences in the way I did things. Although it was very hard, I managed to adapt to the situation to make good of it. I studied hard, kept my grades up, and ignored what was going on around me, until one day I was blamed for creating a wrong situation that was contrary to my character. This blame stayed on me for a whole week and had to face the blaming looks of my peers and teachers. Though finally, an investigation cleared my name, the trauma remained. People judged me otherwise and started bullying me. That is when I reached my breaking point and decided that I did not want to adjust and adapt anymore.

My family was very supportive and understood my situation. Although they did try to change my mind in the beginning, they realized that the situation was very toxic, and could harm me in the long run. After spending the summer after my 6th grade deliberating the next course of action, my parents decided to opt for an online schooling program. Initially, I was not sure about the concept of online schooling but was willing to give it a chance. I did not want my negative school experiences to affect my academic performance, be it bullying or online class limitations. I started thinking more objectively about my future and never regretted this decision.

Through my years of schooling, the study of sciences always excited me. Online schooling did not give me the option of hands-on scientific experiments but the simulated online ones were equally exciting. I was also able to order the experiments online and conduct them at home (with parental supervision) once the school approved them. Being patient and trusting my family is something that I have inherited through the morals I have been taught. The whole experience has been a challenge, but I am not one to shy away from it thanks to my parents. They have taught me that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. Going through challenges with patience and the right attitude has been instilled in me since my younger years. One example of a challenge that I faced was my Karate black belt examination. I was the youngest black belt contender in my martial arts school who even reached that level due to my age. Hours of training and encouragement from my Karate mentor and family got me success.

As more challenges came my way, those experiences strengthened me as a person and taught me to understand who I am, and what I want to become. In my perception, being strong is not enough for success but being patient, kind, just, and truthful would lead me to be a better person. Doing the right thing whenever given a chance, with patience and perseverance, is something that I as a person would like to emulate, despite any obstacles faced.