Personal Narrative: The Day I Fall Into My Norms

Every day people fall into their own norms. Throughout my first couple years of high school, I fell into my norm. I diligently attended classes, worked on assignments, and partook in extracurriculars. I remember being content with this schedule; I believed the information I learned in the classroom was all I needed to benefit my educational development. However, at the start of my junior year, I decided to challenge my norm and enroll in some college courses at a nearby community college. I quickly found these new classes enlightening, because not only was I hearing from new students and professor’s perspectives, I also had more free time outside of the classroom. Many high school students do not have the opportunity to get out of the classroom …show more content…
After only a month of interning, I learned there were many other aspects of the job. Looking back on the experience, there was one day I vividly remember. I had just signed into the building and walked down to her office where she was working with a student. Out of respect for that student and their privacy, I began to head back up to the lobby to wait until their session was over, when the counselor stopped me. I entered her office where I learned that the student was very shy and needed a little help to come out of their shell and make friends. For an hour we worked on how to introduce yourself to someone and how to ask a question while maintaining eye contact. After the session ended I was left dumbfounded at the experience. That day the student ended the session with one goal, reach out to someone in class and introduce them self. Reflecting on the confidence change I had seen in the student, after only one hour, I was sanguine over the progress and that the student left feeling more self-assured, and less alone. Throughout the school year I continued to intern, perceiving many eye-opening experiences. The change in the shy student stuck with me because I felt I had positively impacted their life and made their day a little better. I learned that opportunities outside of the classroom are often the most developmental.