“A dry cubical sponge with a volume of 32 cubic centimeters is immersed in water and swells to double the volume. What is the surface area of the cube of the soaked sponge?” A surge flowed through my body as I slammed on the buzzer. Creeping up to the microphone, I answered “96”. My turbulent stomach eased as the announcer responded, “That is correct!” While it may have seemed as just an additional point for out Academic Team, it would be crucial to changing the course of my life.
Throughout middle school, I was an introverted adolescent. I experienced anxiety and I had no assurance in my abilities when around others. This characteristic carried on into my first year of high school. In classes, raising my hand and participating would petrify me. But soon, all of this would change. After being recruited to the school’s Academic Team, I was shocked with what I saw. All the kids there were smart and confident around others. This made me feel vastly inferior to them. However, this drop in my self-confidence would allow me to yearn to be more open. Throughout the season, I consistently hesitated when responding to questions, yet I showed a knack for answering math problems, so …show more content…
My desire was to show up, pull through it, and return home. When the time came for the math team to compete, dangerous thoughts started flowing through my head. What if I just left the competition? Would they be better off without me? However, before I could act on these ideas, I was pushed into my seat. As the moderator asked questions, I hesitated, fearful of losing points for my team. Then, finally, the announcer read the question about the sponge. One moment, the answer floated in my head, the next moment my mouth uttered the answer in the microphone. How idiotic could I be? My answer was going to be wrong! Yet, to my astonishment, the announcer revealed that I had the correct
Throughout middle school, I was an introverted adolescent. I experienced anxiety and I had no assurance in my abilities when around others. This characteristic carried on into my first year of high school. In classes, raising my hand and participating would petrify me. But soon, all of this would change. After being recruited to the school’s Academic Team, I was shocked with what I saw. All the kids there were smart and confident around others. This made me feel vastly inferior to them. However, this drop in my self-confidence would allow me to yearn to be more open. Throughout the season, I consistently hesitated when responding to questions, yet I showed a knack for answering math problems, so …show more content…
My desire was to show up, pull through it, and return home. When the time came for the math team to compete, dangerous thoughts started flowing through my head. What if I just left the competition? Would they be better off without me? However, before I could act on these ideas, I was pushed into my seat. As the moderator asked questions, I hesitated, fearful of losing points for my team. Then, finally, the announcer read the question about the sponge. One moment, the answer floated in my head, the next moment my mouth uttered the answer in the microphone. How idiotic could I be? My answer was going to be wrong! Yet, to my astonishment, the announcer revealed that I had the correct