Name:Zion Culbreath

Course:English 1102

Teacher: Professor Weaver

Date: 2/24/22

Academic Self Interview

A significant part of the class might have been disappointed to learn that we would get partners at random. However, on my part, I can actually say that I am glad because I believe I made a friend. My Partner’s name is Vincent. He has been here in GSU for the past one and a half years and is excited to have joined this school. When asked to describe himself, he narrowed his answer down to three simple terms; self-motivated, positive thinker, and ambitious.

 He is self-motivated because when he wakes up in the morning, he gets out of bed knowing that he is doing that for his good. He might have gotten a nudge or two when he was younger, but right now, he is aware of where he wants to be and he is pushing himself towards the same. He is a positive thinker because no matter the situation, he always chooses to be optimistic. He brings hope where there is strife, and with that, he believes that he is on his way to success, even though he does not know what tomorrow brings. Finally, he is ambitious and will not let anything put him down; he will constantly push to achieve what he believes.

In high school, he was not the best student. His grades were not that high. At the back of his mind he knew he was not dumb. He knew most of the things that were taught in class, which made him not pay attention. Being a non-performer did not bother him because he knew he had the potential and academic confidence (Sander 5567). He just did not feel the need to push himself to study harder if he was conversant with most of the materials. However, his ambition became apparent when he got the chance to go to college. He realized that he had to push himself to succeed.

My partner’s greatest influence towards pursuing an education was his family. He is the first generation in his family to go to college. His grandparents continually urge him and his cousins to get a good education because they never got that chance. Plus, as an immigrant, he feels that he does not have much of a choice but to make his family proud. Even though he is an immigrant, he has chosen to embrace his story and get motivation from it (Estoque 2). He made sure he learnt proper English to avoid language barriers. He also chose to define his success by his own terms, rather than compare himself to others. That way, he is his own greatest competition.

Amidst his journey to success, the Corona Virus struck and the mode of learning had to be slightly distorted. Online learning became the mode of learning. Not having to see friends was quite hard and lonely many a times (Ezarick 1). Studying remotely allowed him more time to do other activities such as work. However, the experience of being alone in a new country was not exactly the best. He did not let the situation put him down. He motivated himself to study and keep up with everyone else. He still wishes for the time that he will finally go to class like he used to because in as much as online learning gives him flexibility, he prefers physical learning. All in all, he remains bound to his path towards success by holding on to his three pillars; self-motivation, positive thinking, and ambition.

Works Cited

Estoque, Ronnie. “Student Voices: I’M One Of The First In My Family To Attend College. Here’S How I Got There.”. The Seattle Times, 2017, https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/student-voices-im-the-first-in-my-family-to-attend-college-heres-how-i-got-there/.

Ezarik, Melissa. “Student Experiences During COVID And Campus Reopening Concerns”. Insidehighered.Com, 2021, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/03/24/student-experiences-during-covid-and-campus-reopening-concerns.

Sander, Paul, and Jesús de la Fuente. “Undergraduate student gender, personality and academic confidence.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17.15 (2020): 5567.