by Soma college intern Alex Templeton
“You know, we’ve been placing bets in the teachers’ lounge on whether or not you’ll graduate.”
One of my teachers told me this my senior year of high school.
“Most of us are betting against you, and I think they’re right.”
I knew their prediction would probably come true, but didn’t care. Yet somehow months later I proved them wrong and received my diploma, wondering how in the world I made it. I felt I must have had someone on the inside looking out for me. My suspicions were confirmed when I found out a teacher had given me a D when I should have had an F, just so I could graduate.
During my entire time in middle and high school, I had an IEP and received help through almost every class. This on top of knowing a teacher gave me a grade I didn’t earn made me feel that I didn’t accomplish anything and didn’t deserve the diploma. Yet no matter how much I didn’t enjoy, nor succeed in, school, I never second-guessed going to college. I knew I had to go, but I wanted to do it on my own. If I couldn’t finish on my own, I felt would never make it in the real world.