Hi, everyone. I would like to introduce you to Isaiah Bankston, an 18-year-old current high school student that is taking dual enrollment classes at Georgia State University’s perimeter college at the same time. He has lived in Georgia all his life. When asked about his k-12 experience he responded with, “I went to a predominately black elementary school and had a lot of diversity through middle and high school.” As I asked him how his education was in school, he responded, “I kind of walked with a sense of entitlement since I was always put in advanced classes but of course I was hit with a reality check when I got to college”. He knew he had to improve his academic self when he saw the transition between high school and college. He chooses Georgia State University because, in his opinion, it is a reliable school for finding a job in the future. 

Isaiah’s academic self can be described in three words: spontaneous, creative, and disorderly. His creative and spontaneous self-expression serves as valuable tools to his success; however, his disorderly interferes and makes his life a little more difficult. He realized that his academic self and normal self have merged and become part of his life. His academic journey has not always been easy. He has faced anxiety due to his need to focus on both high school and college classwork and procrastination. His academic self is growing every day, and he has realized that he is truly capable of achieving many successes as his academic self. 

Since entering Dual Enrollment last semester, Isaiah has made remarkable academic progress. He used to be someone who would procrastinate a lot and put things off until the last minute before college. But, after getting his first zero in college, he realized he had to stop procrastinating and get his work done. In college, he has missed a few assignments, but not as many as he did in high school, which is a positive sign because he knows that college requires more of his time. This is a clear example of why it is never too late to make positive changes to your academic mindset. However, he explained, “I learned very quickly the importance of knowing due dates and meeting them ahead of time.” He knew once he got in college that it was not the same as high school, which is why he is improving himself everyday by staying up to date and not procrastinating.  

Isaiah Bankston is a dedicated person/student because he is currently in his senior year of high school. He has a job and is doing dual enrollment in Georgia State University’s perimeter college all at the same time which is admirable. This is something that is challenging to do all at once, so it shows that Isaiah is capable of achieving anything he sets his mind to. Isaiah is a student who is trying to improve himself every day in order to make his academic self even better. He stated, “While I still have room to improve, I hope that I can look back on this year and see major growth”. Therefore, if you ever doubt yourself, just remember that there is always room for improvement. 

Citations: 

Bankston, Isaiah, personal interview, conducted by Emily Perales, January 2022                                                                                

Bankston, Isaiah. “Academic self IP1”, January 18, 2022   

Steven C, Ph.D.; “Developing a Mindset for Successful Learning.” YouTube, 25 Mar. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=htv6eap1-_M&list=PL85708E6EA236E3DB.