1、Administratorsandauthorityfiguresliketospeakinclichs.AllmylifeIheardthesameline: You program,l a lot rson by the friends they keep. The black sheep of the goutwiththeso-calledlosers.Duringmyfreshmanyear,notadaywentbya teacher orAdministratorsandauthorityfiguresliketospeakinclichs.AllmylifeIheardthes

2、ameline: You program,l a lot rson by the friends they keep. The black sheep of the goutwiththeso-calledlosers.Duringmyfreshmanyear,notadaywentbya teacher or family member did not deride my closest friends and warn t by hanging withbadseedsIwouldoadownwardspiral,never graduatecollege,andhavea life.Th

3、ey ttheyhad mefigured One day, while my h grade math teacher, Mr. Pedersen, was reviewing some concepts with me, my friend Mariam ran by the classroom, stuck her he doorway, out: Hi Yassee, and then ran away. Mr. Pedersen looked at me coldly and said HowcanyoucallyourselfanHonorsstudent?Arealhonorss

4、tudentdoesnt tewitht! I wanted to ask him how he could call himself a teacher; after all, a real teacher ed to want to help everyone. Instead, I sat silent, stunned by his ignorance and cruelty. wanted me to drop my childhood friends simply because they didnt place the same importance t I do. If he

5、had thought before speaking, he would have him, n people like my friends, are better able to turn good t people o poor ones discouraging them with ridiculous comments. I would never slight Mariam. One of my friends in freshman year, she was also a below average, non-college bound student. Many of y

6、life, lly my parents and teachers, would look at those closest to me: Alisa, Zena, Lianne, and Marvin, and ask how I could call these low-life losers my friends. But such questions show a lack of understanding of the nature of friendship.Friendship is unconditional and uncritical, based only on mutu

7、al respect and the ability enjoy each other s company. These authority figures never saw the way one of us could something outrageous, and the rest of us would joke about it for days. We could have y nothing at allbecause the rovided each other with was enough. n discussing operas, Lewinsky, or the

8、weather, we enjoyed just hanging around each without any one of us trying to outsmart the others. Still, I t these adults had a be concerned about the direction my friends were heading; I also was concerned for them, but wasnt about to leave them. Many times I would advise my t some activity may dan

9、gerous or to think things through ng something, but I would never claim to hold moral high ground and to condescend to them. When Marvin would begin rolling s, Alisalme she skippedschool because of aer,orwhenMariaml ther new boyfriend was in a street gang, I expressed fort with their actions. Howeve

10、r, never edthemwiththethreatoftakingmyfriendshipaway.Contrarytothe , you can have friends who use drugs. In fact, probably everyone does realizing In my junior year, AP U.S. History class, the teacher, Mr. Jacobsen, addressed the saying: I bet none of you have ever seen a drug deal! look of absolute

11、 y and odd on his face he scanned the room. Ive seen a drug deal before, I answered. in the room turned to look at me, either or in f. I t maybe thus far were atypical of most of my honor student friends. Despite our , I still ained many friends who were excellent students. Yogita, Nitin, Vishal, Sa

12、urabh, Anuj, Nick, and I have had almost every class together since eighth grade. and I both love to shop and eat. What is different about with Nitin, however, t argue about the sity of a high sales tax or discuss the effectiveness of the acting system. Yogita and I always go to the library together

13、 and pull all nighters at her house. While do and I both love to shop and eat. What is different about with Nitin, however, t argue about the sity of a high sales tax or discuss the effectiveness of the acting system. Yogita and I always go to the library together and pull all nighters at her house.

14、 While do plishing my academic goals and working with this highly motivated group friends, I also enjoy the losers, who to me seem ore sincere and loyal. In retrospect, wouldnt change my h grade experience, because I learned many of life s important from my friends and the ignorance of teachers and

15、administrators. Its sad to say, any my friends ions, I saw what I never wanted he future, I d like continue adolescents, in addition to my studies. I have been fortunate thus far in able to reach out to them through programs like C.H.A.N.G.E. For my efforts, I have recognized and was honored to receive the 1998 Operation Pride ward for my to other kids live a substance free lifestyle. My familiarity with teenagers from all oflife y my ability to both identify nd influence others. I will b