Discuss an accomplishment, event or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

His name is Amire Emmanuel, fifteen years old with an unblemished peach-fuzz face of innocence. Most Fifteen-year-old boys worry about chasing girls and wearing the right clothes; Amire Emmanuel, along with so many young boys in Alagbado, Lagos, Nigeria. He worried about surviving high school. To many, Amire Emmanuel is just another statistic, foot note in the bloody gang history of this place. I knew him though; we were neighbors living in the same street. He had an elder brother who wasnt a serious type. In reality check, One must have known that his elder brother could influence him easily.

I remember when I found out about Amires elder brother weakness. He and his friends filed past the security guards and barbed wire fence on a regular Tuesday morning. At first, nothing was unusual about that day, but he did notice a group of girls wearing matching air brushed t-shirts, Emmanuel couldnt quite make out the lettering at the time. He eventually found out the lettering at the time. I eventually found out that they said Remember Emmanuel as the saying goes if you dont join them beat them. He was nothing like Emmanuel. At fifteen, He pledged super Mario and wore the same sweat shirt every day he rode his brother mountain bike to school and let his mum give him haircuts. Sunday had an average of high of high Cs and low Bs but thats only because He didnt really care. School wasnt important to Him. He was just a dumb kid. Emmanuel friends were pretty much the same, yet one by one, His circle of friends was getting smaller. The temptation of joining them getting smaller. The temptation must have been too great for them. 

The day Sunday found out about Emmanuel was a day he started thinking seriously about His future. Im sure you can guess which way Sunday went. He transferred to GATE as soon as he could, which qualified him for Honors and AP classes the following year. He also joined orchestra, took wood shop, and He found out He had an artistic side. His GPA is still a bit wounded from freshman year, but a weighted. GPA is still a bit wounded average of 3.8 isnt so bad. 

So why wasnt it me? 

I dont have a good answer to that question. I guess I had the right friends and the right teachers. I guess I watched the right TV shows and played the right video games. I dont know. At fifteen, my lifestyle wasnt something I consciously chose. I had no idea what I was doing. On that blurry Tuesday, as my classmates solemnly went about their day, I had this realization- Im especially lucky that they figured this out before it was too late. And for that, Ill always be grateful to Emmanuel Amire. Says Sunday Amire.