@barham_haley

Nobody could prepare the several generations of students that started or were in college when Covid-19 hit. However, I was adequately prepared to take the obstacle head-on and adjust as new situations occurred. Throughout my time in California K-12 schools, I learned far more than just academics and how to "get through" school. I excelled. On an emotional level, I was prepared for the stresses and life changes that come with being a college student, let alone a student-athlete. Since I started competing in track in fourth grade all the way up until my senior year of high school, I had to learn early on how to identify and control my emotions. Experiencing emotions that come with losses such as frustration, guilt, shame, embarrassment, and disappointment need to be handled with care. I received the support and mentorship needed to develop the skills to control emotions such as these through not only my family but also my teachers and coaches. They would take me aside, listen to me talk to help me understand what I was feeling, and then help me get back to a more peaceful state of mind. Years of practicing this have helped me throughout my collegiate athletic career as well as my everyday emotions. I used to be a very introverted, play solitaire in my room, kind of girl growing up. I had friends but only liked hanging out with them once in a while because I would run out of social energy very fast. I didn't know how to talk to people or make friends very well. This all changed when I got into fifth grade. In all honesty, sports did have a lot to do with it, but I never would have gone out for the track team if my fifth-grade teacher hadn't convinced me to. She had me stay after class one day and started asking me random questions. I gave very short answers until she kept telling me that she couldn't hear me and that I needed to speak louder. So I did. Then she started making me elaborate on my answers, so I did. Finally, my teacher told me that I have beautiful eyes and a very nice voice and that she thinks I could make a lot of people happy if I would just tell them one random compliment, someone different every day. Once I started doing that, I started opening up and became comfortable talking to people which prepared me for high school which then prepared me for college. My communication skills were able to deeper further and in a more advanced way, mostly through negotiation and debate, in the Air Force ROTC program in college. Lastly, my California K-12 experience provided me with ample academic success for college. Solely due to my elementary and middle school teachers, I was able to take three AP classes throughout high school as well as a dual enrollment college course my senior year. These classes helped me get ahead of my general education classes, saved me money in college, and provided me with information that I enjoyed learning so that I was able to have a positive view of academics. I consider myself blessed to have been a part of such an amazing California K-12 school district that helped me become who I am today.