I often wonder about where I would be in the world today if my parents hadn’t hadn't continuously dedicated themselves to my education. I definitely know that I wouldn’t be the student that I am today without the help of both my parents and the tutor I had for two years. While thinking about this, I've realized that C. Fantelli exemplifies what I went through by using the wise words, “The easiest things are rarely rewarding. The rewarding things are rarely easy.” My story of being able to overcome the inability to learn to read shows that anyone who is willing to work for a goal can achieve it.

In the first grade, when my teacher, Ms. Barr, began our reading lessons, it became clear that I was unable to comprehend how when multiple letters are placed together in distinct orders they make completely different sounds. When Ms. Barr realized that I extra help in this area she recommended placing me into a tutoring system. As a result, I sat at my first grade teacher's kitchen table every Thursday for two years. I struggled with learning to read, and every Thursday night I would review flash cards while attempting to learn what sound each letter makes. It wasn’t easy to learn to read even with a tutor. I was always behind everyone else when it came to reading, but the determination to succeed drove me to overcome this disadvantage. By sixth grade I was reading several grade levels above the grade I was currently in.

The years of sitting at my tutor's kitchen table, attempting to learn the sounds that various letter combinations make, proves that all people can reach their goals as long as they put their mind to it and have the determination and dedication that is required. Learning to read was a very difficult and slow process for me, but through hard work and commitment to my schoolwork I was able to master it. My struggle with reading didn't simply stop after I no longer required a tutor; I have consistently had to work to better my reading skills since then. Needless to say, the subject, English, will never be my strong area, but my devotion to schoolwork has taught me to overcome challenges which has resulted in me being in the top of my class. Today, I challenge myself by taking AP English classes. Despite struggling in the beginning, I have become successful in English, and I don’t let the fact that I used to flounder with learning to read stop me. I now understand and read on a daily basis. Having overcome my disadvantage proves that people can do anything that they want to. The only stipulation preventing people from achieving their goals is themselves. In order to complete a goal, people must work for it and put in the time that it requires.

A person’s dedication to a goal makes achieving it possible if that person continues work to achieve it. My experience of learning to read has taught me that nothing is simply handed to people; instead, generally only the people that are determined will overcome an obstacle or obtain a goal. Just like C. Fantelli said, the best things in life are those that you have to work to achieve, and if people don’t attempt to overcome obstacles, they will never get past them.