Hi,
My name is Debarshi Kundu, and I am a student in Special Education. My story is a long and complex one.
I was once in a magnet program for gifted students in middle school. However, conflicts with my father in the middle of my eighth grade year led to an aggressive altercation, which culminated in my immediate dismissal from the program. This essay explains my situation, and it is my special circumstances essay. Please read the comments afterwards as well.
If you’re in special education, something is wrong with you. I used to believe this dangerously false stereotype.
During 8th grade, I struggled emotionally and socially. After getting into a fight with my father, I was withdrawn from my middle school magnet program for gifted students. I felt that I had lost everything. My friends were a close second family, but now they were suddenly separated from me. Despite my pain, I made my way through the year and advanced to 9th grade.
When I entered high school, I was very optimistic. Many of my old friends would be attending my high school, and I thought I would have my family back once again. However, I was wrong. Many of my old friends avoided me and evaded my attempts to socialize with them. Feelings of hurt, anger, aloofness, and betrayal ravaged in my heart. When UT Health determined that I had Asperger’s Syndrome, the conclusion explained a lot but did nothing to actually help the situation. By the end of freshman year, my social struggles overwhelmed me, and I started failing my classes. Every challenge piled on top of another until finally, I was sent to a residential treatment center to deal with my struggles.
At the treatment center, I had the privilege of meeting many troubled individuals. It broke my heart to see that these kids were unmotivated both in life and education. I tirelessly worked for 8 hours each day sophomore and junior year to get good grades. But both at the treatment center and in public school, those in charge limited my ability to take the honors-level coursework that I wanted, worrying that I would become overwhelmed.
When I became the “special-ed kid,” I realized that many special education students are much smarter and more capable than one might think. Even though educational laws exist to prohibit discrimination, ARD committees usually limit students from taking advanced coursework.
I try to lead by example. Even though I did not receive a gifted education while I was at the treatment center, I want to set a precedent. Even though I was at a disadvantage compared to other honors students, I self-studied for five AP exams. By doing so, I felt that I would not only advocate for other “twice-exceptional” students like me, but also encourage other students to pursue higher level academics. When I came back to Dulles High School, I was accepted into 5 AP/honors courses. I struggled considerably in these courses, but I didn’t let that stop me from being an honors student. My circumstances may have affected my transcript, but I won’t let them limit my dreams.