To begin this, I will introduce myself; my name is Brittany Blum. I’m from Baltimore, Maryland; more specifically, Dundalk, Maryland. Dundalk is only a forty-five-minute drive from Stevenson University. I moved to Dundalk from Baltimore City at the age of four years old. I lived in my mother’s parent’s home originally. My mother had me at the age of twenty, and we lived with my grandparents for four years. My mother since I was younger was always very diligent with me, and my grandparents helped my parents raise me. I was, and still am, close to my grandparents. Once I moved to Dundalk, I attended the elementary school close by my house, attended middle school that’s ten minutes away from home, and attended the high school, I of course, graduated from. I attended Dundalk High School, which of course I graduated as the Class of 2016. I applied to Stevenson University the Summer of 2015; I got accepted and was pondering if I wanted to attend or not. When I visited Stevenson the Summer of 2016, I automatically fell in love with the environment. I immediately made the decision to attend here. I felt right at home, which is funny since my home is close by. My parents agreed with me to attend Stevenson since they wanted me close to home. However, this is not my life story, but rather how I got to this point of my life; through skills in reading and writing.
To get to college, and my pre-college days, I had to learn to read and write at a young age. My first memory was when I was three years old sitting in my grandparents’ dining room with my mother, on my child-size board, which had a one-sided chalkboard and the other was a whiteboard, and writing the alphabet along with numbers and words. My mother made me continuously write it over and over again until it was perfected. I must have written it so many times that it was imprinted in my childlike mind. I was very attentive and made sure it was perfected. I look back to when I was younger and remember all the times I sat there as a child and would complain that it was no fun at all. I would beg my mother to let me play with my dolls or play house. My mother would let me take a break, and go play; as all children need. My mother might have been stern on her first child to perfect writing, but she knew when playtime was needed. As a year went by, we moved into our new house and I was preparing for my future in school as a Pre-Kindergartner. I was ecstatic! I was finally attending school with new people, and I didn’t have to have my mom play as teacher anymore. My first day of PreK, I was four years old, fresh minded and ready to learn. It was an afternoon fall Class of 2002. I walked down the wide sidewalk to the big, double red doors and stood outside with my mysterious classmates. I stared at all of them in childlike wonder, and tried to get to know names. I was very shy and quiet, so it was harder for me to reach out to my peers. I got to know a couple of names. The teacher finally walked outside and brought us into the building for class. For the 2002-2003 school year, I learned new words, learned the alphabet, learned the numbers, and learned new colors. I was also learning to write all of this new knowledge on a piece of paper. Pre-K was definitely a new experience, but it was an eventful experience that would help me with future academics.
I gained a lot of skills and knowledge on reading and writing throughout my years of education. There are a couple memories that I remember throughout my childhood to my teenage years.When I was from the ages four to six, anytime I went out with family members, they would have me ready almost everything. I had to read it, say it, and keep saying it until I learned exactly what it said. All my family members were very helpful in that aspect of my life. Another was middle school, when my reading level was starting to really increase. During my sixth grade year, my English teacher Mr.Sapp, he got me reading higher level novels and understanding vocabulary. I also got to learn how to analyze a text, and go a little in depth of what a book was telling us, as the readers.He was one of my favorite english teachers in middle school. He made reading, writing, and learning very fun. It wasn’t like I was in school, but much rather back when I was in elementary school and learning with fun and colorful objects. However, middle school was coming to a very fast, close ending and high school was right in front of my face.
Finally! The last four years of my secondary education is here! It was my senior year; the year everyone said was supposed to be fun. Boy, were they very wrong. My senior year was hectic. I had college applications, grades, dances, events, and so much more. My senior year I learned the most in life, and in literacy. My twelfth grade english teacher was very helpful with my reading and writing skills. She taught me to analyze a text and see what an author is trying to say. She taught me to look more in depth while reading any kind of text. She taught me how to write better essays and research papers. I learned a lot from my english teacher. I also got some college advice from her, and what is about to come. My english teacher wasn’t the only one who helped me, though. My best friends were also very helpful. My one best friend, Gia, I met her in Pre-K. She helped me a lot over the years. She helped me with life advice, and anything education based. We were the type of best friends that if one of us didn’t understand something in class, we guided each other through the work. We made sure there was an understanding. My other friend, Heven, she helped me pronounce words I didn’t know how to pronounce and would help me study. Both of them were my guides throughout high school. They both have been there through a lot in my life; educational and personal. I became very grateful for having these people in my life; my teacher, my best friends, and anyone else who guided me along the way.
In other words, me learning to read and write from family, friends, and teachers, has helped me throughout my education and my life. All of the skills and knowledge I acquired will help my with my future goals. I want to become a forensic pathologist, so I need to know how to read and write. To understand any medical information about the victim, and to write whatever I find. This all will help me with my future goals, and what is expected of me when I start working, and just finish up my college education.
