I felt a little awkward playing this gig. There I was, a white teenager, playing bass with a band of professional black jazz musicians. Needless to say, I stood out a bit. Afterward, the drummer approached me, curious to know who my teacher was because he was impressed with my ability. The compliment surprised me, but I shocked him more so by informing him that I was completely self-taught! Throughout my life, self-learning has played an important role in a variety of areas. I was nine when my dad gave me an old pocket computer. The machine fascinated me, and, with the help of a textbook, I began writing my first programs shortly thereafter. As my programs grew in complexity, so did my reliance on outside resources for debugging. After
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you’re in highschool? What kind of school do you go to?” “Well, that 's complicated....” As funny as it may sound, I would say the most uncomfortable part of my high school experience is explaining to people how it works. Essentially, I am free to take classes through the school itself or at a community college. This flexibility has given me a diverse experience of courses and peers. For example, last year I had morning classes with fellow high school juniors followed by a college math class where I was the youngest by at least four years. Not only are my classmates varied in age, they are often in completely different stages of life. During my Calculus II and III classes, I competed with a 74-year-old doctor for the highest grade in the class. He had completed both classes over fifty years ago but was retaking them for his own enjoyment. We often studied together, and his passion for learning, even at this later stage in life, served as a constant encouragement to never stop striving to expand my knowledge. Another fellow student I became close with during those classes was an ex-soldier who was also working full-time in order to support his family. Hearing about his struggles and how these classes were one step closer to a better life for his family, greatly contrasted with the constant complaining about homework I was used to hearing from my fellow high
you’re in highschool? What kind of school do you go to?” “Well, that 's complicated....” As funny as it may sound, I would say the most uncomfortable part of my high school experience is explaining to people how it works. Essentially, I am free to take classes through the school itself or at a community college. This flexibility has given me a diverse experience of courses and peers. For example, last year I had morning classes with fellow high school juniors followed by a college math class where I was the youngest by at least four years. Not only are my classmates varied in age, they are often in completely different stages of life. During my Calculus II and III classes, I competed with a 74-year-old doctor for the highest grade in the class. He had completed both classes over fifty years ago but was retaking them for his own enjoyment. We often studied together, and his passion for learning, even at this later stage in life, served as a constant encouragement to never stop striving to expand my knowledge. Another fellow student I became close with during those classes was an ex-soldier who was also working full-time in order to support his family. Hearing about his struggles and how these classes were one step closer to a better life for his family, greatly contrasted with the constant complaining about homework I was used to hearing from my fellow high