Prepared to Succeed in Life: Written by a Charter School Student

We have some very extraordinary charter school student in the state of Michigan!  This spring, MAPSA partnered with the National Charter School Institute to hold an essay contest for charter school students across the state, with a theme of “Prepared to Succeed in Life

Like a Bee Drawn to a Flower

It was an ordinary school day. Sunlight poured through the windows, and a soft wind fluttered in the air. I was sitting in my English class, breezing through my classwork. My eyes scanned my current assignment, my face set in concentration. I flipped through the dusty dictionary, till a particular word caught my eye. 

Success n.:
1. The accomplishment of an aim or purpose. 

I softly laughed to myself. That may be a definition for the word ‘success’, but in reality, success has such a complex meaning. For some, it’s just about getting to the top. For others, it’s about making a difference in our world. Still, others find success as a way to improve their own life. People are attracted to success, like a bee is drawn to a flower.

Before I came to Central Academy, I had no plan for my life. I figured that I can just choose the path for my future when I was in college. I thought it was that simple. Oh, was I wrong...

When I first came to Central, my first thought was, Whoa. The entire staff put so much emphasis on succeeding in life! In nearly every class, the teacher would immediately link what we were learning to its importance in life. Whether it’s Geometry, where the Pythagorean Theorem could potentially give you a diploma in Civil Engineering, or Earth’s Sciences, where knowing how to plot earthquakes qualifies you to become a seismologist, teachers literally pound into you the importance of succeeding in life.

There are classes that prepare you for things that you might never find in other schools. Some classes emphasized the importance of leading a balanced, healthy lifestyle, while others teach you special skills that prepare you for the workforce. Most importantly, we’re taught virtuous qualities, like honesty, trust, and respect. We’re taught cooperation, commitment, and teamwork.

These important qualities are as valuable as the knowledge in textbooks, since they not only prepare you for college, but for life.

With classes that prepare you for life, and teachers that help you be successful, our charter school is one place that defines success from every nook and cranny. Central Academy is one school that has people drawn to success, just like how bees are drawn to flowers.

I smiled as I closed the musty dictionary. Who knew finding the path to your future could be so... mesmerizing?

The winning essay from the middle school division came from Moneebah Ashraf, an 8th grade student from Central Academy.  Below is Moneebah’s essay.