I never knew what I wanted to do growing up. As an immigrant, my parents tried their best to support me in school, but because they don’t speak English, it is hard for them to help me. I tried my best to do my schoolwork, but it just became another chore that I never wanted to do. So I only did the bare minimum. I was averaging C’s and D’s, which left some people disappointed in me, and so I lost all of the confidence that I had. However, that all changed when I found ISSA. They gave me ways to look at school as something I can enjoy. Getting everything done on time, staying on top of all my assignments, and asking teachers for any help that I needed. When school was a chore, I always tried to ignore teachers because I felt asking for help would make me look stupid to them but now, I am not afraid of asking teachers for help. ISSA gave me ways I can overcome the fear of not being ashamed of my situation but rather working to improve it.
My first 3 years of high school were difficult. Getting interrupted by the pandemic lowered all my confidence, so asking teachers for help was a struggle. I always tried to avoid teachers. It didn’t matter how stuck I was on something; I refused to ask for help. I felt like if I asked them for their help, they would think that I was stupid. Getting involved with ISSA over the summer of my junior year helped me better my situation. Asking teachers for explanations and extra help helped me get my grades from as low as C’s and D’s to A’s and B’s. No matter how much help I need, I always ask the teacher if I am doing the work correctly. I even picked up the habit of asking my teachers every two weeks or so if I have any missing work. Doing so helped me keep my grades as high as I could make them.
One thing that will always stick with me is the steps we have to take to accomplish something. Without an action plan, you will be lost. Goals will be hard to achieve. Setting a goal for school helped me stay on top of my schoolwork and get everything done on time, which helped my grades become the best they could be. They went from Cs and D’s to A’s and B’s. Asking teachers for help and explanations on assignments also helped me get better grades. ISSA taught me how to set up a goal for each quarter of school and how to take steps to get closer to that goal. Following the plan reminded me of what I needed to get done.
ISSA helped me in so many ways that I can’t even imagine. No matter how unconfident you might be, ISSA will help you with step-by-step solutions for anything you’re struggling with.
