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My Middle School Evolution

--By Audrey Chiang (江婉柔)        

This is written by young author Audrey Chiang (江婉柔). Born in 2003, She loves writing, reading, and drawing.

Teachers, parents, and fellow students.  Tonight we are gathered here for our academic accomplishments. More importantly,

we are celebrating the journey we took to be here.

Oprah once said, “The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be.” 

One unique aspect Castillero has that perhaps no other school possesses is the one-way hallways. I am sure that every Castillero graduate will look back on their memories of the  hallways, and be glad that craziness is all over.  In my mind, however, the hallways symbolize my evolution as a person, and how I came to discover a part of myself that I didn’t know existed.

I began my journey at Castillero in typical, sixth-grade, fashion.  I was probably only 4’9”, with a backpack the size of Plymouth Rock, and not even a shred of knowledge on how to use my locker.  Save that image in your mind, and now imagine me ricocheting off the walls. That was the sixth-grade version of me.  But slowly, as the year progressed, I began to regain my balance, and managed to forge my way through the crowds, making it out of the halls in one piece.  Soon, my yielding, go-with-the-flow personality completely disappeared, leaving me as a new person with a freshly obtained confidence.

Once I learned to survive the halls, I focused on orchestra.  A step through the orchestra door not only taught me the value of music, but also about the skills and mindset I would need to ascend up the ladder of life.  Orchestra was a safe haven full of passion, music, and most importantly, laughter.  With jokes being knocked around all the time between Mr. Krijnen and the students,

 I began to develop a humorous edge.  I loved seeing my jokes light up my friends' faces, and soon I realized smiles need to be treasured, and laughs deserve a special place in your heart.

Eighth grade came as fast as I could dodge a flying backpack, and I knew what  that I wanted to join: W.E.B.  Becoming a Web Leader definitely helped me grow as a leadership figure, and it also brought out a special compassion in me.  At the orientation, I saw my little eleven-year-old self in the crowd of frightened sixth graders, and I wanted to comfort them, to tell them

 that middle school was a place to grow not only physically, but also as a person.

As I journeyed through my three years at Castillero, a more vibrant personality unveiled.   Each year at Castillero was a new phase of my evolution. 

As a triumphant survivor of the one-way halls, now I am ready to exit, leaving my timid, introverted self behind.   I am prepared to face the challenges of the next chapter of my life - high school, and show the world who I am today.

歡迎各界惠賜各類創作稿件，email：lulijen46@gmail.com

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【法奶日報www.lulijen.com2017.6.27.出刊，第9-1907號】