As the oldest sibling of three, I was raised to have three main values that I apply to everything I strive to do. Those values are to be 1) hardworking, 2) assiduous, and 3) devoted.
My mom taught me to be assiduous and devoted, while my dad taught me to be hard working. An example of my mom's values was when my sister was preparing to take a test to get into the school I attend. I helped her study and gave her tips to ensure her success.
An example of my dad’s value was when I cut my finger badly and had to do physical therapy for two years. While going through this I gave up sometimes, but my dad kept me going. Now I have a hundred percent mobility.
These values help make me a leader, on the tennis court, friend group, and education, where I prioritize supporting my friends before my own self-interest.
I am Ned, a twelve year old tennis player who lives in Seattle, Washington.
Tennis has been an important part of my life. It has taught me another value, grit, but tennis is also a way for me to focus on a singular thing, leaving the stress of everyday life off the tennis court.
Grit is not only helpful when it is gamepoint in a tennis match but also during the covid pandemic. When covid hit my family and I had the opportunity to go anywhere, so we did. While living in different places I got to experience many different kinds of schooling, from traditional school in California to online school in Hawaii. Covid required grit because I had to adapt to both living in several different places and to different learning approaches. In the end I found one-on-one learning, my favorite type of school.
My passion for education and my experiences have shown me that school should be specialized to each student's needs. This passion for education has also inspired me to start a blog. Through sharing my journey, I hope to inspire others to take risks and try new approaches to education. I believe that with hard work and devotion, anything is possible, and I hope to help shape the future of education in this direction.
