My fingers shook like a leaf caught in the breath of winter, sweat stippled my body, the breakfast burrito in my stomach heaved, and with growing anticipation, I sat down in my seat and started my math quiz.
All of my life, I had been quiet and reserved. As a baby, I rarely cried, and in elementary school, I was deemed, “the shy kid.” As I progressed through school, my reticence was easily overlooked, but at the end of seventh grade, my parents decided to move.
I started eighth grade at a new school and my first day was a total shock. I was used to ten classmates and small rooms in the same building, not a well-manicured, expansive academy filled with hundreds of students decked in expensive, fashionable pastel. I felt like an outcast, and I quickly developed an anxiety disorder. Even the smallest things, like taking a test or going to a party, made me so nervous that I had trouble functioning. Sometimes the nerves were so strong that I could not eat and would excuse myself from class to throw up in the bathroom. I wore hoodies so that I could thrust my shaking hands deep into my pockets and mask my thinning body behind a layer of cloth. Although I made good grades, I had few friends, and during my freshman year, my parents sought professional help. …show more content…
First, I auditioned for the speech and debate team. When I was accepted, I quickly fell in love with writing cases, researching, and most importantly, helping others see their wrong. I invested in the class, helping my classmates find the perfect piece of evidence and learning the best way to politely shut down an opponent. But most importantly, after several tentative attempts, I discovered that, like a fish in water, I am in my element when I am speaking in front of people. I feel confident and expressive; I can control my words, my voice, and my body to make a point. The all-too-familiar sense of dread and apprehension melts away, and for those brief moments, I have
All of my life, I had been quiet and reserved. As a baby, I rarely cried, and in elementary school, I was deemed, “the shy kid.” As I progressed through school, my reticence was easily overlooked, but at the end of seventh grade, my parents decided to move.
I started eighth grade at a new school and my first day was a total shock. I was used to ten classmates and small rooms in the same building, not a well-manicured, expansive academy filled with hundreds of students decked in expensive, fashionable pastel. I felt like an outcast, and I quickly developed an anxiety disorder. Even the smallest things, like taking a test or going to a party, made me so nervous that I had trouble functioning. Sometimes the nerves were so strong that I could not eat and would excuse myself from class to throw up in the bathroom. I wore hoodies so that I could thrust my shaking hands deep into my pockets and mask my thinning body behind a layer of cloth. Although I made good grades, I had few friends, and during my freshman year, my parents sought professional help. …show more content…
First, I auditioned for the speech and debate team. When I was accepted, I quickly fell in love with writing cases, researching, and most importantly, helping others see their wrong. I invested in the class, helping my classmates find the perfect piece of evidence and learning the best way to politely shut down an opponent. But most importantly, after several tentative attempts, I discovered that, like a fish in water, I am in my element when I am speaking in front of people. I feel confident and expressive; I can control my words, my voice, and my body to make a point. The all-too-familiar sense of dread and apprehension melts away, and for those brief moments, I have