Throughout my time in high school, I began to notice a trend of the students who were in the classroom or clubs with me. I would look to my left; then my right, and saw that I was a little different than the rest of the class. On game days I am the only one in the room wearing a football jersey. When identifying my race on a questionnaire, I will also be the only one not marking white or Caucasian. I often question why athletes or minorities do not take the Advance Placement (AP) Courses offered at my school or participate in extracurricular activities not related to sports. My freshman year of high school, I signed up to take courses that held the title of honors; however, I did not fully comprehend the true dedication that it takes to
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I walked into my first AP class and that the students in their did not reflect the demographics of the school. I believed that I was capable of having the same academic success as my classmates, but many other minorities or athletes apparently did not. Coach Bailey even asked me why I am taking AP Courses instead of taking Football PE. I explained to him while football is a passion of mine, I will be a student instead of a student athlete while in college. From this conversation with my coach I knew that it was not just the attitudes of the students, but many coaches as well that kept them from taking advanced courses. Many of my friends and teammates asked me why do I take classes with all of those “white people” and nerds. I explain to them that I did not take courses just because my race, friends, or teammates were in them. I wanted to take classes that will help me be successful in the future. Ending the form of segregation that has developed within my school and changing the attitudes around my school is something I have sought. With the help of S.C.O.R.E. (Student-Athletes Creating Opportunities to Reach Excellence), I will continue to prove that a letterman can be successful in the classroom. I have urged other African Americans to join the AP Academy to get involved with more challenging
I walked into my first AP class and that the students in their did not reflect the demographics of the school. I believed that I was capable of having the same academic success as my classmates, but many other minorities or athletes apparently did not. Coach Bailey even asked me why I am taking AP Courses instead of taking Football PE. I explained to him while football is a passion of mine, I will be a student instead of a student athlete while in college. From this conversation with my coach I knew that it was not just the attitudes of the students, but many coaches as well that kept them from taking advanced courses. Many of my friends and teammates asked me why do I take classes with all of those “white people” and nerds. I explain to them that I did not take courses just because my race, friends, or teammates were in them. I wanted to take classes that will help me be successful in the future. Ending the form of segregation that has developed within my school and changing the attitudes around my school is something I have sought. With the help of S.C.O.R.E. (Student-Athletes Creating Opportunities to Reach Excellence), I will continue to prove that a letterman can be successful in the classroom. I have urged other African Americans to join the AP Academy to get involved with more challenging