Proudest Achievement Mykyta Solonko

Despite it being four o'clock in the afternoon on a warm day in May, I was still lying in bed, attempting to fall asleep to relieve the fever. The school day just ended for my middle school friends, and they were free to absorb the sun’s rays and to breathe the fragrance of blooming flowers while I recuperated from my illness.

Suddenly, my phone emitted a bell sound, so I reached to read the text. A friend congratulated me on being chosen to give the graduation speech on the last day of eighth grade. As my heart rate rose, I no longer felt sick. This was my first major accomplishment in the English language.

I still remembered the feeling of defeat when I was rejected from Gifted Language Arts in sixth grade after a disqualifying IQ score. Being selected to deliver the speech to one thousand students and parents signified that I caught up to my native-born peers in the English language and even excelled. At that moment, I felt ready to give the speech, enroll in high school, and take the most advanced English classes available. After this recognition, I knew I could handle it.