School has never been easy for me to which I never understood why. In elementary, I was held back in the first grade in 2009 after being diagnosed with dyslexia. The following years, I struggled both academically and socially. My peers would bully me, asking me to spell words they knew I struggled with. I would become extremely frustrated, embarrassed, just to run away and cry. In 2017 I was diagnosed with chronic depression. During the pandemic I had fallen into a deep depression, which led me to start failing my classes. As a result, my case manager decided it was best for me to take remedial classes which I developed a very high disdain for. My teachers always talked to me like a young child despite me being 17 years old. I had become exhausted from people belittling me and talking to me like I was stupid. I wanted to be more than just my remedial classes, to hold myself to a higher standard to show everyone there is more to me rather than just my learning disability. As a result, I worked harder in my classes and put in more effort to show I can level up. I was able to graduate from remedial classes to regular classes. I felt a part of my peers for once instead of behind them. I always considered college my main goal, but never had an idea as to where I should apply. I was too afraid of rejection so I didn’t apply anywhere, leading me to end up at Saddleback Community College. After starting my college education in 2022, I was very frustrated after my first semester. I was taking 16 units, Chem3, the history of rock, English 1, and trigonometry. I was able to pass all my classes with nothing lower than a B but I was extremely burnt out. I went to my therapist at the time explaining to her all my issues and she told me to get tested for ADHD. After being tested, it was confirmed that all of my struggles in school had a label. It was a validating experience to find that I wasn’t crazy for having difficulty for all those years. I was prescribed Adderall and it changed my world. Lectures became more comprehensive, assignments didn’t take me days to complete, and my exam performance increased. Considering all of my challenges throughout my academic career I have never felt so accomplished.