The High School Life

Thurgood Marshall Academy (TMA) shaped me to be the person I am today. When I transferred to Thurgood Marshall in ninth grade, I was the new girl and did not know anybody. Most of the students had graduated together from eighth grade at TMA, so when ninth grade started clichés had already been made. But, it was surprisingly easy to make friends. For me, the problem was not making friends; it was making the wrong kinds of friends.

I stated gambling and hanging out with the wrong crowd. I cut class. I soon learned that the friends I had made were not real friends. The friends I made were only my friends when it was time to have fun, not when I needed them. You live and you learn.

I wanted to play basketball for the TMA Girl’s Basketball Team, but as long as I was cutting classes I could not play. You’d think I would have learned freshmen year how to get straight and do it right. But, sophomore year started out like freshman year. First semester I failed classes and hung out in the halls instead of going to class. Academics were not my main focus, getting money was, and I got money by gambling (which was also illegal).

My mom, my teachers, and my student advocate lectured me frequently about not completing my schoolwork. They would ask if I wanted to go to college. I told them all that I wanted to go to college but I did not know how to transition from a student that did not work to a student that did their work.

Then, I enrolled at the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ). HCZ is an organization that works with students, helping them with their homework. I started to get back on track. Junior year the gambling game was getting old for me, and my grades had improved. I was maturing more and more with each day. But, because of the academic damage I had done during my freshman and sophomore years I was still ineligible to play basketball. My story is a cautionary tale for other high school students. Start your high school career strong, that way you won’t be catching up in the end.