My Personal Statement

           In the sixth grade, I took fourth place in the County Spelling Bee. Amidst the happy chatter of the winners, my mom and I were silent. On the drive home, I recall saying to her,'Je perdu(I lost).' My mom nodded her head, knowing I was disappointed. 'Maman,' I promised her solemnly, 'from now on, I'll always do my best.' 

     With success in mind, a conversation that occurred after I immigrated to the United States at age six replayed, always came back. During a serious talk with my father, he told me that to succeed as immigrants, we couldn't just be as good as Americans, we had to prove ourselves to be better. With my father's words in mind, I kept my promise to my mother; from that year on, I studied longer and worked harder.

My drive to triumph over obstacles was evident, even while I was young. Upon immigrating to the United States, I attacked my biggest obstacle: language. In elementary school, I recall being laughed at for washing my hands in the drinking fountain, being scolded by my teacher for copying a classmate's journal entry because I couldn't understand the assignment, and being called 'African Booty Scratch-er' by a little boy. One day in particular, soon after I came to America, my music teacher said to me, 'Meryl, would you please close the door?' Stunned, I didn't know how to react. What was she saying? My mind quickly went over all the English words I knew in my head, but I didn't understand those words. 'Meryl, can you close the classroom door?' she said again, slower this time, but with a clear hint of frustration in her voice. I stayed seated. 'Okay, Ben, would you close the door,please?' The boy next to me stood up and pushed the door closed, while I silently wished that I could suddenly grow wings and fly back to Cameroon.

Walking home from school that day, I promised myself to work hard and learn those and other English words by heart. I would scrawl out English letters on pieces of scrap paper; listen to cartoon characters on TV and try to understand their jokes; and match the pictures to the phrases in Spot Can Run. Through my experience with language, I learned not to give up and not to feel sorry for myself, but instead to work harder. As a result, I was accepted to my school's accelerated English and math programs in fourth grade, where I studied with
native English speakers. When the same boy tried to tease me during recess one afternoon, I responded, 'Excuse me! Is your brain malfunctioning?' Stunned by my progress in language, and because he didn't understand the word 'malfunctioning,' he turned and ran off. 

Since elementary school, I have continued to progress in academics while also exploring activities that connect with my heritage, such as the African Student Association. But one of my greatest satisfactions came in third grade, during a day in music class when the hallway was particularly noisy. I raised my hand and, with a crisp and confident voice, asked the teacher, 'Ms. Moore, would you like me to close the door?'