<p>It’s 3 A.M. and I wrote this in about 45 minutes… keep in mind how late it is lol.
But I kinda like what I wrote, so I wanna share it and see what you guys think</p>
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<p>Coming into Beren Academy in 9th grade, I had no idea what I was in for. My previous schools were almost complete antipodes. In elementary school, I receive a lax Jewish education and was not encouraged to delve into Jewish studies. In middle school, I attended a very religious school that forced its strict religious mission upon its students. Both schools hampered my Jewish growth and identity - one by neglecting to encourage Jewish studies, the other by essentially coercing me to embrace a certain lifestyle. Beren Academy struck the perfect balance between these two extremes, encouraging me to engage in active Jewish and secular educations. Soon enough, my interest for Judaic subjects began to rise and I was readily disposed to learn every day. This eventually led me to challenge myself and attempt to undertake a more rigorous schedule. My sophomore year allowed me to exploit this; I enrolled in the most challenging secular workload and some advanced Judaic classes that I assumed I could handle. This newfound interest in learning and succeeding allowed me to engage in other activities. I joined the Friendship Circle and volunteered weekly to interact with special needs children, since this was an organization that I was very close to and passionate about. Additionally, I found a new home in S.A.G.E., where I had the privilege of spending time with many senior citizens. But I still felt as though something was missing. I needed to truly push myself.
I decided to seize my junior year and push my limits, so I took the most challenging secular and Jewish classes available to me. I explored other interests, such as joining the student council and becoming the host of our local Purim skit, which raised close to $3,000 this year for needy Jewish families in Houston. Being the leader of our performance allowed me to truly appreciate not only the cause we were working for, but also the people who were working alongside me. Today, Ive grown in many ways and matured greatly. Ive learned to take life more seriously, yet still pursue my passions. But most important, Ive learned to not be satisfied until Ive pushed my limits.</p>