Grades 11–12
Memoir, NarrativeWritingMy first day of kindergarten, when I was five years old, was the first time I remember my brain working. It was a typical day in San Francisco: foggy at eight in the morning, with my mom driving and my older sister and I fighting in the back of the car as always. Still, things felt different in a way I simply could not explain. Considering I was only a child, things seemed so blank in my mind; things just made no sense and made me start to cry, but to this day I still don’t know why.
All I wanted to do was have fun when I was a kid—the good old days, as I would say now as a high schooler—but it was not all fun and games. I was very afraid and, just to put it straight, I did not want to be there after the things my sister told me; she made it seem like school was awful.
When we got to school, my sister got out of the car and went her own way to her friends. But I didn’t have any friends; I was new to the school and had to make friends independently. Most kids considered school a second home—not by heart, but by chance, since we all got put in school at one point—but it was different for me. I went in with my mom and told her, “Mommy, I don’t want to go.” The place scared me to death; my fight or flight instinct had created a consciousness in my head and it was telling me that school seemed like a crazy place.
As I walked up the stairs with my mom, I heard kids and parents talking to each other, but I could not understand a thing. Most of the kids spoke Chinese with their parents. But when they saw me, things were not so inviting. I didn’t feel like I was a part of the Chinese community at that school; they looked at me in ways I could not understand at the time. Over the years, I concluded that they stared at me because I was not as Asian looking as them; I was browner because I had a Chinese mother and a Mexican father who was not there.
My teacher was a Japanese-American woman in her mid-fifties who explained to me what was really going on. She told me what we were going to do that day. I wanted to know what happens at school. She explained that all of us students were going to introduce ourselves. She was my first teacher, and, at first, I was a bit nervous and scared, but my mom was by my side— or at least I thought. Mom had actually left, but my teacher came up to me and said, “Hi! What’s your name?” I told her Kaleo and she said, “Well, it is nice to meet you, Kaleo. My name is Mrs. Ogi.” I thought, I dunno . . . should I trust this lady? Eh, I’ll give it a shot, I guess.
And suddenly it was 8:40 a.m.—time to go to class—so all the parents started to leave. Mrs. Ogi brought all the kids to her classroom and we stood on a colorful rug that seemed magical to me at the time. She said, “Alright, everyone, settle down. It’s time for your first day of kindergarten.”
At that moment, I felt like everybody else was a robot: all the kids had lined up and listened, but my brain could not comprehend the instruction to do that and all the kids looked at me meanly. Then I got the memo, but, damn, it made me feel so odd. I thought to myself, Why did I have to be so different from those around me?
Then we got to play in the yard. By lunch, all I wanted to do was go home.
That is until I sat down with my first-ever friend.
His name was Nathan. I had never had a friend like Nathan and I don’t think I ever will. Things were just different when I was younger. Nathan made me see kindergarten with a much clearer view—made that make sense in my tiny head—and, I mean, it was kindergarten—who am I kidding? How could a class like kindergarten be hard? But for me, it was the hardest thing in the damn world. It felt like I was plunged into the hardest challenge a kid could face. I was so used to things being easy—no assignments, no annoying students, no bullcrap, and no random questions. But when I was around too many people or kids my head blanked out and I struggled. Throughout school and my entire life, my mom had to figure out what was going on with her son. Like when the teacher called and said, “Well, your kid is not like every other kid. He is different.”
But my mother was determined to get me the help I needed to be successful in life. I just need help processing my thoughts—or need more time than other kids. Needing more time to process made me fall behind on assignments and other academics. It made me feel distant from the class and those around me. It made me think I was unstandardized—almost not human.
This feeling stuck with me through elementary school and most of middle school. Then I had some click in my mind where I just knew that I had to change things because I didn’t want to feel like this forever; it had affected my life to the point where I felt like I had nothing left to motivate me.
Freshman year of high school something clicked in my mind; I was gonna change something now that I was somewhere new. I wanted to be regarded as able to do something with my life. And that’s exactly what I did: I’m now in my junior year of high school and soon gonna be a senior. I know I’m still young and have a lifetime ahead of me to grow, but I know that this time—the part of my life that I explain in this story—is what makes me who I am today. I am Kaleo Valencia-Chin: Valencia from my father, and Chin from my mother.
by Numan Khan, age 16, 826 Boston
A bilingual "I am" poem filled with conviction and courage.
Cate H, Grade 12, 826CHI
A poet sets the stage to showcase her reflections on being trans.
by Henry F., Grade 12, 826CHI
In this poem, a student reflects on identity.
by Isaiah, 826 New Orleans
This student reveals the mysterious origin story of the king cake. Hint: it includes Big Freedia, DJ Chicken Wing, and a massive party.
Yamilet J., 826LA
A student reflects on the fear and wonder of becoming a mother.
by Bianca Morcho, 826 MSP
A personal essay that explores the different shades of the Black Lives Matter movement.
by Vanessa Ramon-Ibarra, 826DC
Living in the digital world can create unwanted attachments, as one student laments.
by Albin C., Age 18, 826 Boston
A student recalls how he was able to take charge and turn his life around.
by Julianna Cruz, 826 Dallas Project
This narrative piece contemplates the struggle of immigrants during the pandemic.
by Maya M., Grade 11, Newburg, OR
A student reflects on the memories they made while backpacking.
by Riti Shrestha, 826NYC
In this poem, metaphor is used to describe who the narrator is.
by Camille, 826LA
A student finds her wings in unexpected places in this piece about the transition to college.
by Sarah X. Age 18, 826Boston
A rousing public narrative from an author coming to terms with their identity as a young Chinese American woman and what they represent: the community of Boston's Chinatown.
by Cristina, 826CHI
A student recounts separation with a beloved friend through a nostalgic lens.
by Katya Torres, The 826 Dallas Project
This bilingual poem explores the harrowing story of a boy working while in school to save his mother.
Kenya G., 17, 826LA
A poet relates her experience as a queer woman in the closet to a peacock in the zoo.
by Augustus Griffith Jr., 826 National
From the forthcoming anthology, Poets in Revolt!, this poem explores the aftermath and lasting impacts of school shootings.
by Nhu N., Grade 12, 826 Boston
A young writer reconciles their sexuality with the beliefs of their community.
by Leydi Di Villanueva, The 826 Dallas Project
This creative narrative imagines how the coronavirus views humanity during the pandemic.
by Maria, Grade 12, 826 Boston
In this public narrative, a student makes the case for creating community change by building youth centers in her neighborhood.
by Izzy T., 826 Valencia
A student reflects on memories of home and what binds her special community together.
by Jeremy Hsiao, 826 National
From the forthcoming anthology, Poets in Revolt!, this poem reminds activists that "to change everything, we need everyone."
by Matthew Inoa, 826 NYC
In this letter from the Essential Words lesson, a student describes how essential workers are the pulse of New York, fueling the city’s hope.
by Shayne Williams
Discover what one student experiences when they tuck their phone away for a whole day.
by Rockelle Rodd, Grade 11, 826NYC
This poem uses analogies to describe all of the pieces of the writer's personal history.
by Corazón, 826 New Orleans
In this essay, a student threads their identity across cultures, histories, and places, engaging with legacies of violence and the movement of people.
by Earl Williams Jr., The 826 Dallas Project
A powerful poetic piece about the experience of being Black in America.
by Sylvia C., 826 Valencia
A poet demonstrates their devotion to love.
Henry F., Grade 12, 826CHI
A trans student reflects on their desire to be male.
by Jesus C., Grade 12, 826LA
A poet identifies with a trapped ocelot at the zoo.
by Sharoya Bracey, 826NYC
In this memoir, the narrator recounts the struggle of being the bigger person in a very small space.
by Kayla Wayne, Grade 11, 826NYC
In this poem, a student reflects on their first encounter with forced assimilation.
by Sian Laing
When Instagram becomes an unsightly battlefield.
by Johnny Vasquez, 826 MSP
A family interview reveals a mother's painful past and shines a light on her persistence.
by Terry Velasquez, Grade 12, The Bronx, NY
In this letter from the Essential Words lesson, a student shares gratitude for the dedication of nurses and gives “credit where credit is due.”
by Melody Marcano, 826 Boston
In this poem, a student reflects on their roots and their desire to grow.
by Ryan, Grade 12, 826 Boston
In this public narrative, a student illustrates the hardships his uncle has faced to argue for a path to citizenship.
by Raheem, 826 New Orleans
A student compares themself to the place they live, New Orleans, as both evolve through great obstacles.
by George S., Grade 11, 826 Boston
A writer implores people to get outside and touch grass because you never know what you might find!
by Tina N., Grade 12, 826 Boston
A student describes their shark like imaginary friend.
by Alexis G., Grade 11
In this narrative, the author uses vibrant language to explore their identity, in all its complexity, through different landscapes.
by Salma Khalif, 826 MSP
A powerful poem that lifts up Black women.
by Helen, Grade 12, 826 MSP
In this letter from the Essential Words lesson, a senior at South High School in Minneapolis offers words of support to healthcare workers across the country, including her own mom.
by Karla M., 826LA
A poem for lovers of love and the moon.
by Keyshana, Grade 11, 826CHI
Black strength, beauty, and pride soar in this poem as a student discusses overcoming brutality and discrimination.
by Lisbeth M.F., 826NYC
A story about how Marcus becomes Marcela.
by Kailyn Espinosa, 826NYC
In this letter from the Essential Words lesson, a student shares how essential workers’ courage and compassion center her during these hectic times.
by Oriel, 826NYC
In this poem, an echoing question strikes a chord and reveals the tragic loss held within systemic injustice.
by Franny, 826CHI
A student spins through space and a treasure trove of memories in this poem.
by Junaynah R., Grade 11, 826NYC
Full of exquisite imagery, this poem explores the idea of second chances.
by Justis Porter, age 16, 826 Boston
A neighborhood ode filled with sights and sounds of the poet's street.
by Alanis T., Age 17, 826 Boston
A student reflects on how her relationship's with her parents has influenced her life.
Annasian Walters, Grade 11-12, 826NYC
A student explores gratitude and love through sharing food.
by Jonas K., 826 National
A student explores the paradox of how technology is used amongst teenagers.
by Timothy T., Age 17, 826 Valencia
A student tells the story of how his family has influenced his life.
by Lukoiy V.R.G., Grade 12, Woodburn, OR
A poet speaks out as a voice for change and all those who cannot speak.
by Sarah X., Grade 12, 826 Boston
A student shares how they've uplifted their community.
by Kayla, 826 Boston
This poem offers a very-real answer to "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
by Joanne H, 826 Valencia
In this poem, a student’s experiences in two countries meld together as she seeks out her true home.
by Arianna R., Grade 11, 826 Boston
A beautiful ode to home and self.
by Tammy Fong, 826NYC
A soccer-filled, feud-fueled memoir.
by Terra C., Grades 10-11, 826NYC
A student recalls their journey on how they discovered their LGBTQIA+ identity.
by Colin Y., Age 17, 826 Valencia
A student describes how volunteering saved him from his online prison.
by Abby S., Grade 11, 826 Boston
An author reflects on their correspondence with their friend from the past.
by Jizelle Villegas, Grade 12, 826 Dallas Project
The stunning and vulnerable poem processes feelings of loss, grief, and hope for the future.
Rosman A., age 18, 826CHI
Smells swirl about a student walking around an ice cream shop.
by Jordan, 826 New Orleans
Crawfish, crayfish, or mudbugs. Whatever you call them, the writer of this poem doesn't like them.
by Steysi Hailee, 826LA
A student reflects on a small moment and single sacrifice that transformed her outlook on giving.
by Michaiah Anderson, The 826 Dallas Project
In this poem, a student describes their family origins with an intimate point of view
Virginia Walker, age 18, 826 Boston
A student writes to a grandmother she never met.
by Gisel J., 826LA
The power of public speaking shines through this student's memoir.
by Samuel Wang, Grade 10, 826NYC
A poem about the complexity of love exchanged during the holidays.
by Jennifer Alcocer, The 826 Dallas Project
This personal narrative addresses the struggles of students graduating high school during the pandemic.
by Elsy M.E., Grade 11, 826 Valencia
A poet imagines a better and more harmonious world.
by Sally Phan, 826 Boston
A memoir that questions the idea of home and how it changes with time.
by Karina Centeno, Grade 12, 826 Dallas Project
This poem takes an honest look at two sides of the writer's culture.
by Lucas Hu, 826 Boston
A poem about staying true to yourself during a challenging transition
by Soraya, 826NYC
This student’s powerful piece reveals the essence of racial injustice.
by Jahruwach Hamilton, 826NYC
In this rousing poem, a student asserts her strength and worth as a woman.
by Jesus Sanchez, The 826 Dallas Project
This creative short horror piece explores the mysteries and danger of a night in the woods.
by Jazlyn Moses, 826 National
One student explores their online persona and the lasting importance of conscientious social media practices.
by Quardasha Mitchell, The 826 Dallas Project
In this compelling poem, the author navigates her relationship with America as a young African-American woman.
by Brandon R., 826LA
A student recounts the epic highs and lows of high school track and cross country.
by Sergio M, 826 Valencia
This piece reminds us that a smile is not always what it seems.
by Ryker, 826michigan
Liner notes that showcase the meaning and musicality of the Jimmy Ruffin song “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.”
bookmark
download
Share