Learning Summary:

These two years in Catholic school marked the beginning of a new chapter for me. I

learned several things and had to adapt to new rules, which I wasn't accustomed to. Learning to

adjust to these new rules, new people, and new places was a challenge, but it taught me

something very important—it taught me about gratitude. Seeing all the efforts my parents made

for me is something I am and will always be deeply grateful for.

At first, I didn't fully realize it; I was young and unaware of the effort and difficulties

they went through; all the sacrifices they made. It wasn't until we moved to the United States and

I started middle school that I began to see it. My parents and I moved to another country; my dad

left his job of 18 years, leaving behind his friends and family. Although we still visit them, it's

not the same, and they left everything behind for us.

My parents made a great sacrifice for all of us, but especially for me. At the start of 8th

grade, I stopped living with them and stayed with my grandma to finish middle school in a

Catholic school. This transition was difficult for me; not living with my parents was one of the

hardest things I have done in my life. It became even harder when I was enrolled in a private

Catholic school. For me, it was a privilege that my parents could provide me with a better

education, a more expensive one, so that I could have a better position in life. When I entered St.

Charles, that's when I began to understand that nothing will be easy, and that sometimes it's

difficult to adapt to something completely new and different. St. Charles helped me realize the

efforts my parents made for me, the sacrifices they did, the struggles they went through.
 I've met many people in my life, but here, I've met people I never would have imagined.

Not just people, but I've also discovered new things I wasn't aware of before. Here, I found out

about the sport of volleyball and met my coach, Coach Blair. Before coming to St. Charles, I

didn't know anything about volleyball, I didn't even know it was a sport. I started playing for

simple reasons—scholarship opportunities, exercise, and more—but I learned many things from

this sport, especially from my coach.

Volleyball was the first team sport I tried; before that, I only did individual sports. I

learned about patience, about how you need to be patient with others but also with yourself. I

realized that sports can give you a family, even if they're not blood-related. When starting

something new, sometimes I'm very hard on myself and lack patience. When I started playing

volleyball, I was very bad at it, I didn't know anything, and I stressed out because I couldn't do it

well. I compared myself to my teammates and wished I could be as good as them. Weeks went

by, and I didn't feel like I was improving, until my coach told me something I'll never forget,

"We all start at a point, don't compare yourself to those who have years of practice." Those words

opened my eyes; I stopped wanting to be as good and changed my mindset to focus on what I

could do to improve. I stopped stressing out so much and had more patience with myself; I

started practicing more and more to get better. Additionally, I improved thanks to my teammates,

who always supported me and helped me identify my mistakes. That's when I started to

understand that in sports, you can also have a family.

He's someone who has always supported me in everything I need and has taught me many things,

for which I am very grateful

In life, it's easy to think that others' successes come easily. It's a mistaken idea to believe

that other people only achieve what they want through "good luck." This notion is highly

misguided, and the reality is much different. Indeed, things don't come easily; you have to work

for everything you want to achieve. I have many things for which I haven't worked, like a house,

food, water, and much more. These things are provided to me by my parents, which is why I put

in a great effort in school. When I entered St. Charles, I saw that the classes were more

challenging than those in public school; I realized that I had to exert more effort than before.

Hence, the saying "the best things in life are never easy," something you truly desire will never

be easy to attain. This school has helped me a lot, both academically and athletically. It has

presented me with various obstacles, but I have been able to overcome them.

Similarly, success is rarely handed to you on a silver platter; everything requires work.

Something I have been working towards is a scholarship. A scholarship would not only help me

but also my family. Private and Catholic schools will always be somewhat expensive, which is

why it's very important to be able to help my parents secure this scholarship. I have been

working towards this since I entered St. Charles, participating in new sports, leadership

activities, and more.

well-being. Forgiveness is not easy, especially when we have been deeply hurt. Sometimes, in

order to forgive, we must acknowledge our own pain. And sometimes, it's not just about

forgiving but also asking for forgiveness and recognizing our own mistakes. This year, my

classmates and I went on an "8th Grade Retreat," which was personally a unique experience. I

learned many things and grew closer to God.

Learning from mistakes, and forgiving, or apologizing can be difficult. There are times

when one would prefer to protect their ego and pride rather than admit to an error. Before my

experience at the retreat, I had this mindset, and it was very difficult for me to admit when I did

something wrong. I didn't like to acknowledge my mistakes and preferred to remain ignorant.

During the 8th-grade retreat, I learned about all of this; I managed to set aside that mindset and

evolve as a person. In this retreat, I learned to forgive others, and also to ask for forgiveness. I

learned from my mistakes and that my way is not always the right way. Personally, I still have a

lot to learn, but I made significant progress from that experience.