Important Educational Moments

 Important Educational Moments

By Sonnet Xu

Although I have three siblings now, when I was younger, I really felt like I only had one. My older sister and I were only two years apart, while my brother, and my younger sister were born three, and five years after me, respectively.

The close proximity of the ages of my sister and I proved convenient for my then first-time parents. Our childhoods were intertwined and closely blended, and of course, so were our educations. The english literature, chinese readings, and math homework we completed were in sync. My early book preferences (or lack thereof) were based on my sister’s peculiar taste for western british literature. Even now, much of the literature I read is suggested to me by my sister.

Our interests are drastically different, but my sister served, and still serves, as a pivotal moment in my education. Without her first memorizing multiplication tables, or pouring over Jane Austen, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today. She’s helped to facilitate many mini “aha” moments. Notably, she introduced me to Harry Potter. My profound childhood dislike of reading as a whole as a child was shattered when I finally started reading Harry Potter for the third time (the first two times were unsuccessful). Like many people at the time, the masterful storytelling of JK Rowling moved me to understand the beauty and power of words. Drawing me into the world of Hogwarts, I finally was able to understand how reading allowed the immersion and emulsion of different thoughts and even worlds.

Really reflecting back, my education was less defined by the pivotal moments, but rather the people that created events that facilitated moments to encourage my progress. Leading with mentorship and example, they challenged and made me improve. These informal natural experiences translated into structured improvement in the classroom. The diversity in sources and methods made my education holistic, and a solid foundation for further improvement.