Since going back to school in the Spring of 2010 - I have worked hard to maintain a 4.0 grade point average. I have not done this to impress anyone, but rather because it is something I really wanted to do. However, somewhere along the way it turned into a faith-promoting experience! I consider myself to be a person with average intelligence, and if I do give my ALL, then most of the times that is sufficient for an "A". There have been times though, that challenges have arisen to keep me from this goal. One such time was when I took a college Algebra course with a teacher who was extremely strict and not very understanding. If we were more than five minutes late - she would tell us that we could stay for observation purposes, but that our homework would NOT be accepted and we were considered absent. This teacher had a very "precise" way of teaching - and that consisted of her showing problems on the board while we took notes. SHE DID NOT LIKE QUESTIONS!!! Many students in her class did not understand and were driven to tears on more than one occasion (myself included). I was one of the more "bold" ones in her class, and frequently asked questions about things I did not understand. She got to the point that every time she saw my hand go up - she would roll her eyes and ask in an annoyed voice, "What do you want?" This was my make it or break it class! At times, I became so frustrated that I wanted to just give up and get a passing grade...but something inside of me would not let me. One day I was walking through one of the buildings at school and a T.V. monitor had the following quote flash by: "Continuous effort - NOT strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential" by Winston Churchill. This inspired me in so many ways, and I realized that it did not matter how "smart" I was or if my skills in math were not up to par. I decided then and there that I would continue to push forward and give my best effort. When everything was said and done...at least I knew that I tried. I started praying to Heavenly Father for this success in my life. I knew he had a thousand other things to worry about (that were more important then an "A" in a math class) but I had faith. It came down to my final in the class, and in order to receive an "A" I needed to get an "A" on my final test. I prepared and studied as much as possible, and then I prayed and left it in the Lord's hands. I got a 97.5 on my final and passed the class with a 92.5 percent. This was nothing short of a miracle, and it set me on course to tackle any struggle that came my way in the future. When I graduated from Mesa Community College in May of 2012 - my math teacher was there and I ran up to her and hugged her tight. I did not do this because I liked her, but because she was the one that taught me that I was more than I ever thought I could be. I formed a partnership with the Lord...I expressed my deepest desires to maintain and graduate with a Bachelor's degree with a 4.0 G.P.A. I knew that it wasn't the most important demand that he was faced with, but I wanted to leave a legacy for my children that anything was possible with the Lord's help! I am now at Arizona State University and this past semester has been one of the hardest in my life! I had to take 16 credit hours, and the amount of stress this added to me was tremendous. I had an online class where the teacher assigned a ridiculous amount of reading and hard to complete assignments. Whenever I communicated with him - he did not respond in a timely manner or when he did he reprimanded me for not being more patient for his response. I was required to write a twelve page research paper on U.S. and Latin American relations. I had completed all of my other assignments on time and had received a good grade on them. At ASU - an "A" is a 93 percent. I did my best (with very little guidance) to write my research paper and turn it in before it was due. Then I prayed...when my grades finally came back _ I received a 93.1 % in the class...if I had even gotten a 92.9 % in the class...I would have received an "A-" and my overall G.P.A. would have been brought down to a 3.92. I am not posting this to brag...but to implore my children and posterity that the Lord is real...and that he loves his brothers and sisters! He will always answer our prayers and grant the righteous desires of our hearts (no matter how insignificant) if it be right! I admonish whoever reads this to stay close to the Lord and to reach for their righteous desires with everything they have...in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN.
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