Story time!!!!!! What I’m about to write about is extremely personal to me and has affected me in many ways. Its 2016 and I know that everyone complains that people share too much on the internet but a part of me has always loved sharing my story with others. Growing up wasn’t always the easiest for me. I was social awkward, didn’t have a whole lot of friends and school was not something I enjoyed. As a matter of fact, I hated school. It happened when I was about 4 years old. Just a regular day for the most part. I was outside (my favorite place to be) playing on our swing set and I slipped. I fell and hit the ground bellow me right on my head. This resulted in a concussion and lots of bleeding and swelling to my brain. I spent about the next 4 years of my life in and out of testing facilities and doctors’ appointments. I saw a therapist weekly and my whole life was changed. As far as at home life went everything pretty much stayed the same unless I was hit with an anxiety attack which did happen quite frequently (and is still something I suffer from). It wasn’t until second grade that we noticed a shift in my academic life. Things like math, spelling and memory skills were almost impossible. I spend countless hours learning how to spell sight words by making up songs that would help me remember them. My parents were nothing but supportive and did everything and more that they could to assure I was on track. Not only were my parents supportive of me but my second grade teacher, Ms. Barrios(Torres), was someone I look up to and continue to keep in contact with to this day, in fact she is the person who realized my unique style of learning and who has inspired me to be a second grade teacher. She was patient and kind, but still managed to push my limits and convinced me to be whatever I wanted to be.

As second grade went on I started to be evaluated by a group of phycologist, teachers and neurologists to find out how my brain had been affected by my injures. We found out that at the age of 7 I was told I had a 7th grade reading level, I had an unexplainable quick reaction to loud noises and my memory was only going to work if I heard something. I also found out I had many social issues, I was hyper sensitive and my anxiety was almost uncontrollable. I ate lunch in the class because it was too loud in the cafeteria, I often used headphones listed to classical music to help me focus and was bullied most of my elementary years. Although these were just a few things that made school difficult I still enjoyed being a part of such a phenomenal teachers class.

All was swell till 3rd grade when things like the FCAT came along and I was no longer with Ms. Barrios. My world was once again torn apart. I couldn’t understand why my new teacher didn’t get it. I was often placed far away from other students for being “too slow”, I started eating lunch in the bathroom because my new teacher didn’t let me eat in the classroom and often times I was brought to tears because my new teacher spent more time yelling at me then she did trying to understand that I was different. I was not only bullied by kids at school but can confidently say I was bullied by my teacher as well. She would tell me things like “you’ll never make it in life “or “I pity kids like you” it wasn’t until the middle of my 3rd grade year that I was diagnosed with TBI (traumatic brain injury) and was officially a student with a disability. This is when I started going to my after school classes to basically relearn everything I had heard that day. By the end of 3rd grade I was pulled out of my school and switched to a new school where I was understood as a disabled student and accommodations where made.

Since then I have been an entirely different person. I’d like to think that I hate what happen but I don’t. Not for one second do I wish my mom had asked me to get down from that swing set because it’s made me who I am as an individual, it’s made me who I want to be as a student and who I hope to be as teacher. Despite everything everyone has said about me and my learning disabilities I have overcome more then I think anyone ever thought possible. At one point in my life the doctors told my parents it would be rare that I would graduate from high school if I didn’t get the correct academic attention. It would be rare that I would graduate or even attend college. It would be rare if I didn’t use anxiety pills all my life. It would be rare that I ever fit in (i still dont fit in but fitting in is boring anytways!). I cannot IMAGINE how I would feel being told that as a parent but the greatest part about all of this is that if there is anyone who has heard how many things you CAN’T do and how many things WONT happen I have managed to concur so, so, so many of these things. I am currently a full time college student and have a job with one of the best schools in Miami, I am studying elementary education and child psychology, I was a swimmer all 4 years of high school as well as advancing to states my junior year, I finished high school, I have a wonderful boyfriend and an incredible group of girlfriends. This, readers is evidence that anything in life is possible and although these things aren’t as big a deal to some of the issues others face today, it is certainly a big deal to me.

I have grown in ways I can’t explain. I still am not great at spelling, in fact I’m sure there’s more then 3 words misspelled in each one of my blog posts. I am not enrolled in math classes due to my disabilities so I have to fill those classes in with others and I have THE WORST memory. But these are all things that make me who I am. I am a current student at Miami Dade College and couldn’t be happier. I am enrolled in the 4-year program as well as the education program and as of right now I’m working on all of that (I’m couple semesters behind but that was expected, I’m slow remember!). I am so blessed to be a student at Miami Dade and feel as though they don’t get enough recognition. A tip for you folks. College is only as good as you make it (like almost everything in life). I was constantly one to complain about things till I realized how stupid I sounded. How incredibly shallow I sounded. how dare I complain about the education that I’ve been given. I am in college and I am freely studying what I want. So a tip to everyone: please, please do not take your education for granted. Take advantage and take charge. How do you know you don’t like something till you’ve actually fully experienced it?

I hope that this was some sort of motivation, or maybe you’re someone who has commented on my spelling or anxiety in a rude way without knowing my story, maybe you’re my third grade teacher or maybe your Ms. Barrios but remember, whoever you are, you continue to affect the people you come in contact with and sometimes those things you act on or say will change and rearrange thats persons life forever. Remember that your education is only there for you to use and explore to your advantage and its only as good as you make it. I am proud to be a student who was blessed with a disability that was able to open doors for me that would have never been opened. I am proud to be affected by rude comments or insensitive behavior. I am proud to say that everything that has happened, bad and good has made me who I am. I am honored to receive this life and I wouldn’t want it any other way because then this wouldn’t be life via livi.

XX- Livi