Most kids have the traditional preschool to Kindergarten transition to prepare them for the academic endeavours of elementary, middle school, and eventually high school.
Not me. I didn’t go to preschool; I was home-schooled by my parents.
Although this sounds common and is relatable for many, this moment of development instilled a sense of determination that has lasted throughout my academic journey and taught me lessons in life which I wouldn’t be here without.
Every time I am overloaded with work, I think about my immigrant parents and all the dreams that they had to put on hold to provide for their kids and give them the future that they couldn’t have. It gave me that little push as I told myself, “It’s all going to be worth it, I am going to make them proud.”
Whenever I felt misunderstood by everyone, I realized the unconditional love that my family showed me, no matter what I was going through. Their love and comfort felt like a parachute, as I was diving down headfirst towards the cliff that is life.
Having that outlet to just vent without judgment, and feel their presence, is an everlasting sense of peace that I crave, and I realize I wouldn’t be where I am today without that.
As I entered the scary world that was high school, I had trouble figuring out my identity. I knew that I wanted to personify those TV show characters you’d see watching on TV: the nerdy, heroic, and outgoing characters like The Flash or Peter Parker from The Amazing Spider-Man (the best Spider-Man). I could channel that with my family, especially my little brother, as he got older to understand what I was talking about. Having that moral compass and a genuine interest in doing good and making people happy gave me a purpose in life and a stronger belief in myself. I wanted to become a mosaic of personalities that I had learned throughout my childhood. I felt closer to how I felt when I was a kid and it reminded me that life doesn’t have to be so serious all the time.
My father always told me to smile and to refrain from getting stressed in any situation. To this day, I still admire the patience and tranquility that he possesses, which is a trait that I hope to obtain amid all the pressures caused by academics and life in general. I realized that I didn’t find my moral compass from TV shows; I got it from him. It was a genetic factor that had been buried deep inside me, and it came out when I needed it to. So whenever I was faced with a difficult situation, I would try to refrain from panicking and stressing as my first instinct, instead I would remain patient and remember what he taught me. Even now I still struggle with that, but I know I’ll get better with time.
My family taught me so many things that school hasn’t. That’s when I knew I would be fine, even if I didn’t go to preschool like everybody else. I learned to thrive by myself and also help my parents with things they didn’t know. I’m sure this is a common theme to all immigrant parents, but I was so happy to educate my family with things that they didn’t know. So whenever my dad asks me to help him pay the bills as he shows his lack of tech savvy-ness, or whenever my mom asks me to check her email because she can’t see well without her glasses, no matter how tired I am from all my responsibilities, I find the strength to help them. Especially my mother, who has been through job to job to support her kids, even as a cafeteria worker at Beebe School, so she could keep her eyes on me and my brother when we were in middle school. Now she teaches preschoolers (ironic right) at the YMCA where she is bringing the talent, care and experience that she gained from homeschooling me and my brother.
I joined Journalism because of watching the various Spider-Man movies where Peter Parker was a reporter for the Daily Bugle. I wanted to make The Blue and Gold my own version of the Bugle, and I enjoyed every moment of consolidating my identity in this class, and felt I could shed that aspect of my personality without fear. The Amazing Spiderman is my comfort movie, I always feel good when I watch it no matter what. I’ve grown to have that comfortability for Journalism. Reporting, taking pictures, going to sporting events, interviewing people, all introduced me to the world and the different perspectives of people who have their own lives and helped me build my social skills and expand my horizon of society.
I hope to introduce my little brother to this class, as he will be a rising freshman, and show him the magic that is beyond the paper, as he brings a similar story to high school, being a fanatic about TV shows, Spider-Man, and not being preschooled.
I hope he can carry on what I started and be even better than I could ever be.
I can confidently say he will learn from the best.
As for my parents, Mama and Baba أحبك (I love you) and I know I am going to have to read this editorial to you in Arabic, but thank you for shaping me into the man that I can hopefully say is making you proud everyday, and I am so happy to be your son.
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