On October 2nd, 2008, I served a one day in-school-suspension because of truancy, which occurred on September 25th.
It was a very stupid decision: I chose to finish a brief vocabulary assignment in the backseat of my elder sister's parked car before going to first period. Even as I stayed back when my sister rushed off to her first class, I knew I was taking advantage of my privileges. The mistake was a gross abuse of the trust placed in me by my parents and sisters, the latter who allowed me to come to school with her by car rather than ride the bus each morning like other underclassmen. It was an abuse of the trust placed in me by my school as well; I was always allowed to check in late, even without a parent to verify my honesty. That my values were compromised for such a petty matter is shameful, and I recognize and accept my failure to uphold my honesty and integrity that day. Looking back, I should have gone to class immediately, regardless of the low grade I would have received, or that I was "already late anyway."
After news of the incident rippled through the student body, I gained a brief and embarrassing notoriety as "the girl who got ISS for doing homework." Some laughed, amused at the prospect of someone so typically straight-edged sitting among the "juvies" for a day. Regardless of my upstanding past and benign motivations, though, I accepted the punishment. I didn't finish last night's homework. The worst consequence would have been a zero in the grade book and a disappointed teacher. Yet in the heat of the moment, enticed by an unfair opportunity, I mistakenly placed more value on an insignificant grade than in my personal integrity. The relapse in judgment has nonetheless shown me a new perspective. Grades, romance, status, money - all are at times overblown beyond their actual significance. With my experience more than two years behind me, I now make sure to evaluate the true value of the issues at hand. Careful not to develop the same tunnel vision, I understand that it is necessary to prioritize my concerns in relation to my integrity and ethics. It is my hope that a juvenile mistake, now a source of growth, does not mar your perception of me as a student.
what are your impressions? should I leave out the last sentence? should I add anything?
It was a very stupid decision: I chose to finish a brief vocabulary assignment in the backseat of my elder sister's parked car before going to first period. Even as I stayed back when my sister rushed off to her first class, I knew I was taking advantage of my privileges. The mistake was a gross abuse of the trust placed in me by my parents and sisters, the latter who allowed me to come to school with her by car rather than ride the bus each morning like other underclassmen. It was an abuse of the trust placed in me by my school as well; I was always allowed to check in late, even without a parent to verify my honesty. That my values were compromised for such a petty matter is shameful, and I recognize and accept my failure to uphold my honesty and integrity that day. Looking back, I should have gone to class immediately, regardless of the low grade I would have received, or that I was "already late anyway."
After news of the incident rippled through the student body, I gained a brief and embarrassing notoriety as "the girl who got ISS for doing homework." Some laughed, amused at the prospect of someone so typically straight-edged sitting among the "juvies" for a day. Regardless of my upstanding past and benign motivations, though, I accepted the punishment. I didn't finish last night's homework. The worst consequence would have been a zero in the grade book and a disappointed teacher. Yet in the heat of the moment, enticed by an unfair opportunity, I mistakenly placed more value on an insignificant grade than in my personal integrity. The relapse in judgment has nonetheless shown me a new perspective. Grades, romance, status, money - all are at times overblown beyond their actual significance. With my experience more than two years behind me, I now make sure to evaluate the true value of the issues at hand. Careful not to develop the same tunnel vision, I understand that it is necessary to prioritize my concerns in relation to my integrity and ethics. It is my hope that a juvenile mistake, now a source of growth, does not mar your perception of me as a student.
what are your impressions? should I leave out the last sentence? should I add anything?