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Over the summer transitioning into High School I made a decision to not associate myself with any of those people anymore and make new friends as I began the next stage in my life. I did make some changes to myself that I thought would give me confidence like wearing make-up, getting contacts, highlighting my hair and getting some new clothes. The braces eventually came off and the next thing I knew I was starting to feel happy again. I started to realize that I didn’t need anyone else to make me feel like I was good enough. I didn’t need a big group of friends to make me feel like I fit in. I wasn’t going to try and be part of the popular group. I was discovering who I was and for the first time I actually felt good about myself. I had finally turned a page and I was putting myself on a better path in my life. I was able to make a few good friends in High School and we were content in our small group. Of course over the duration of those four years things changed with my friends here and there but nothing to significant.

But of course with my life nothing is ever that simple. It was during my first year of High School that I found out I had Scoliosis which is a curvature of the spine. I know, this could only happen to me right? I mean, after everything I had been through, my life was just starting to look up, and then this. The Scoliosis was bad enough that I needed to have major surgery to fix the curve. I thought for sure that I was going to go back to being the girl everyone picked on. But to my surprise, everyone supported me. Some people sent me gifts in the hospital and gave me cards. My friends visited me over the summer and the next year some people I had never spoken to before were asking me how I was. It felt good to know that at least I wasn’t completely invisible and people can be nice. As hard as it was to go through that surgery it really is a part of who I am today. I will always have Scoliosis and the scar to show for it. And at one point I was actually self conscience about my scar, but today I am proud of it because it really is literally a part of who I am.

Since my Grade School and High School I had made some changes to my life plans. I no longer wanted to live in a big city. I was now a scared and naïve girl. Much more introverted and still trying to find my place. I went through stages trying to decide what I wanted to “be when I grow up”. At one point it was an artist and then a teacher. And then in my last year of High School I took a Sociology class and I loved it from the start. I began to realize that I could help people. Maybe people just like me. If they had a tough time in life and just needed a little push in the right direction, I wanted to be the push they needed. I had made my decision. I wanted to be a Social Worker. So in went the University applications and to my luck I got accepted to the closest University to where I lived. I didn’t have to travel or live away from home.

Transitioning to University wasn’t hard for me at all. I had buried my nose in the books since I was a kid so picking up the work load was easy for me. I actually found purpose putting all my time and effort into my grades. During my first year I took a Child and Youth course and realized I also had a desire to work with kids. So I ended up double majoring in Sociology and Child and Youth Studies. On top of that I condensed my BA to a three year program so I would graduate early. I accepted the challenge head on and buried myself further in my schooling. By the end of my third year I was getting ready to graduate and looking forward to finding a career in my field. Needless to say I was not prepared for the drastic turn my life was about to take. One thing I learned quickly is that University’s are a great academic institute but they fail to prepare you for the real world. Once you graduate they send you on your way with a nice pat on the back and a good luck to you. I had decided I wanted to work in an adoption or foster care agency placing kids with families and helping them achieve a better life.

Off I went applying for every job I could find. Out of the hundreds of applications I had one interview at which I was told I was not fully qualified. I didn’t understand. How can I not be qualified if I just obtained a BA in that specific field from a very good University? The problem lies with experience in the work field. I had none. I was not given the proper training I needed. So there I was, stuck in a rut I never saw myself being in, trying to wrap my head around the fact that I had worked so hard for nothing.