When I was younger, I did not really care about school.

Now that I look back, I see that I was a fool.

That all changed one day

When I heard my sister and parents talking in dismay.

That conversation opened my eyes

And inspired me to rise.

 

They were talking about what her future would hold.

I became excited to discover what was about to be told.

I imagined my future holding many wonderous things;

There might even be a car with wings.

What was said next was not what I had expected.

I learned that my sister might have to be indebted?

 

“What was going on” I asked to myself.

I did not want my sister to put college on the shelf.

How long would it take to pay off this great debt?

And what would happen if the debt was not met?

Before this school was not important to me,

But after this talk, I learned to take it seriously.

 

From that day on, I paid more attention to the lessons

And learned to ask my questions.

I studied for all my quizzes and tests.

I imagined this as my special quest.

This was not an easy transition; it was a big shift,

But I did not give up or ever quit.

 

Like a caterpillar metamorphizing into a butterfly,

I came out of my cocoon and touched the sky.

I felt so proud of the work I had completed,

But I needed to show my siblings how much I succeeded.

I needed to help them find their way

And show them that school is no matter in which you play.

 

I needed to put forth a good example,

Just as when you need something to light your path, and you light a candle.

They needed to learn from what I did wrong

And start school off strong.

They should learn to challenge themselves and strive,

But they also need balance in their lives.

 

I applied the lesson I learned from that day

To all my other activities in every way.

In taekwondo I pushed myself to be the best.

I saw this task as another test.

This sport inspires me

To be the best person that I can be.

 

In Boy Scouts I learned how to grow,

And I did not set my goals low.

I learned how to lead, help others, and give first aid.

But that was just the beginning of my Boy Scout parade.

In Boy Scouts I still feel strong.

I am working to be an eagle scout all lifelong.

 

When I look back on that day,

I would not want to change it any other way.

It motivated me to work to achieve my desires.

It taught me with hard work I could only go higher.

So now I bring my mindset everywhere I walk,

So that I might be the leader of the flock.