Today, while (finally) sorting through some of Dustin's things, I found this math assignment he completed (a journal entry), dated 1/4/11:
"I can still remember my first day
of kindergarten and particularly the smell of the hallways which I sometimes
yet encounter vivid recollection in older public school buildings. Most of
these memories are fond: arts and crafts, puzzles, duck-duck-goose, and half
days. Some, however, are unpleasant. An instance when I was caught attempting
to purloin construction paper for home-use was my first lesson about stealing. Oddly, I still haven't forgotten my resentment about younger kids having to sit on the hard gym floor for assemblies while the 6th graders sat in chairs.
"It’s probably fair to say I was a
child of average achievement during my elementary years. I had an early
interest in art that tapered off somewhat as I approached middle school, though
I still to some degree entertain a notion of returning to it eventually.
Exciting as well was observing scientific experiments and natural phenomena: a
solar eclipse, the ability of a lens both to magnify and to ignite, the
movements of microscopic organisms. To English, it seems, I was innately
adapted. I have always possessed a proclivity for language that comes to me
partially from my mother, and I was an early and prolific story-writer.
Unfortunately, the pursuit of these interests and talents was not free of
impediments and my educational career was bound to experience continual
setbacks.
"The second grade was a
particularly challenging year in that I was almost daily getting in fights on
the playground and in one instance with one of the student crossing-guards
after school. This aggression on my part was rather anomalous in comparison to
the relative passivity that followed and preceded it, and was often provoked by
other kids’ teasing of my unusual hair and clothing (I fancied myself a young
rocker and wore long hair and an earring – itself a provocation, perhaps).
"Thereafter, my academic
performance remained steadily average, leveling off until the sixth grade when
it began a precipitous decline. I had always been an avid reader and in some
sense, this was my undoing because I read many books from which I sometimes
drew conclusions without the maturity of the audience for which they were
intended. One of these conclusions and what I consider to be my earliest
conscious political stance (since renounced), was that the institution of
public education was evil: an insidious effort to break the spirit of youth and
cram it into a lifeless, conformist mold. If security cameras and
identification cards meant order and security to some, to me they were Orwellian
prophecies-come-true that called for the opposition of all courageous
13-year-olds.
"And so began my rebellion. While I
was loathe to utterly disregard my mother’s insistence that I attend school, I made
a conscious effort not to legitimize the institution by participating where not
absolutely necessary to avoid oppressive, parental measures. The
downward-spiral terminated in my dropping out of high school as a sophomore
after two expulsions in as many years for repeated instances of behavioral
misconduct and truancy. Two years later I would obtain my GED as a condition of
juvenile probation for petty crimes.
"That was then – this is now. The
hindsight afforded to me 12 years later has me regretting that I hadn’t
reconsidered my intransigence toward school. With over a decade of dead-end
jobs behind me and nothing to show for it but physical survival, the true
importance of a quality education is startlingly clear. Although the eventual
price of college loans is a source of some anxiety, I have resolved that the
return on this investment is well worth the cost and that the potential
hardship of paying off debt without graduating is far more severe than the
diligent effort necessary to ensure that I do. Success will demand that I correct
some bad habits with regard to procrastination and management of time, but already
in my first week of class, I have begun to address these issues by prioritizing
study and completing homework early.
"And so it is with optimism and
enthusiasm that I embark on my second foray into academia, steadfastly
determined to perform with a commitment to excellence that will assuage my
guilt for previous failings. Necessary for success in this endeavor is a thorough
mastery of advanced mathematics, as I am working toward a degree in
environmental science. In fact, each term henceforth during my two years at
PCC, I will be taking at least 14 credits worth of math and science: chemistry,
biology, economics. During my final term, I will take both Calculus II and
Statistics II and transfer to a university at the 252-level.
"It must be confessed from the
outset that math has never been a subject in which I have shown particular
strength and my current understanding reflects a truncated high school
education. I can recall the satisfaction of solving problems and mastering new
techniques as a younger student, but at some point after learning basic
arithmetic, the problems and puzzles became too abstract for me to conceive of
an application for them, and I ceased to apply myself to their solution,
thinking it a waste of time.
"With age, I have come to realize
the universal utility of mathematics. It seems that to every problem there is a
solution to be found in the appropriate comparison of numbers. I previously
mentioned my interest in earth sciences and here, especially, there is some
hazy conception that the complicated interaction of chemical elements,
biological organisms and geological processes that have made the earth
hospitable to life can be summarized as a series of algebraic and geometric
formulae corresponding to the varied landscapes and diverse ecosystems adorning
our wondrous planet. Sophisticated measurements and calculation are used to
develop life-saving medicines. Cutting-edge technologies owe their existence to
the proper application of mathematical principles. In short, there are few if
any undertakings for which the chances of success are not significantly
increased by a working knowledge of math.
"Although I now possess a true
appreciation lacking in my youth, the world of mathematics is yet blurry and
indistinct; its principles, strange and unfamiliar. I am fully confident,
however, that through the instruction in basic math principles and techniques
offered by this course, I will proceed with a firm foundation on which to build
in my pursuit of mathematical literacy and proficiency in preparation for a
career in which I can put these skills to use for the public good."
"I admire your
determination to succeed at a very worthy goal, Dustin.
Keep working hard,
asking questions & for help when you need it, and you will go far."
Dr. Susan Stein, Instructor
