Ramon 1
Matthew Ramon
Professor Lerma
English 1302 – NY3
10 June 2024
Maturity
People often disregard the importance of school in their lives. I always thought school
was a joke, and an education wouldn’t help me. My mornings always started with an outburst of
crying. I despised showing up for school, but over time I came to love learning because a good
education is key to a successful life.
Understandably, crying was part of everyone's childhood; however, I continued to cry
every morning before school until 4th grade. This problem was especially bad when I was in pre-
kindergarten. My teachers had to put up with sounds similar to a newborn baby and buckets full
of tears. I would cry, “I want to go home! I want my mom!” Regardless, the teachers had a
bigger problem. My temper tantrums which could erupt like an overdue volcano were even more
irritating. I could leave a perfectly organized classroom looking like it got hit by a tiny hurricane.
Papers would be scattered on the floor, desks turned over, posters torn off the wall, and teachers
shouting, “Behave Matthew!” My tantrums would result in complete chaos, and, eventually, I
had to be apprehended by a teacher to bring my rampage to an end. Having each arm held behind
my back as I was pinned to the floor by a man twice my size tripled my enmity for school.
Overall, I think my lack of motivation to attend school fueled my anger, and I felt that school
was a complete waste of time.
Fortunately, these anger issues had begun to dissipate by the time I reached 5th grade. I
was no angrier than a cranky teacher before her morning coffee and not much nicer than a
Ramon 2
regular student. Despite this change, I still thought that school was not worth my time.
Throughout my classes, I constantly thought about the things I could be doing instead. My mind
daydreamed of playing soccer outside on soft green turf, or just spending a nice sunny afternoon
with my family out exploring Laredo. The idea of staying in school for all 12 grade levels was
jarring. I felt as if, by the time I was in 12th grade, I would spoil like milk that had been left out
for too long; however, this wasn’t the case. I had two older siblings: a brother and a sister. My
brother had already graduated a few years before, but my sister was due to finish the same year I
would advance from 5th grade. Surprisingly, I found out that my sister would graduate as the
salutatorian of her class. She had done what I had thought was impossible. My family showered
my sister with compliments. “Congratulations,” my family told her. At that moment, I realized
that my attitude needed a change.
Starting from my sister's accomplishment, I became focused on becoming the best
student any teacher could have. I would never miss any assignments and never show up late to
class. My mornings would be dedicated to listening to my instructors with my unwavering
attention like a hawk watching its prey, and my nights would be spent finishing challenging
homework on a desk in the corner of my room lit by the soft orange glow of my tabletop lamp.
Due to my rigorous efforts, I became one of the top students in my class in 6th grade and
continued this trend to high school. What once was extremely hard for me became somewhat
second nature. Completing my work and focusing on school no longer felt like climbing a
mountain, and now, it was easier than riding a bike. Once I reached sophomore year, I knew that
I wanted to graduate early. The school allowed me to graduate the next year because I had
enough credits completed from the years before.
Ramon 3
After facing my challenges, I fully realized how important school is. Education sets up
the roots for an immovable and secure life like the foundation of a highly engineered skyscraper.
Without this foundation, I would be distraught about my future; similarly, parents also stress
over their children’s imminent times to come. Luckily, my mind, no longer cluttered with
monuments of worry, allows me to focus on more important parts of my life and lift the heavy
weight of uncertainty off my mother's and father’s shoulders.
