In this blog post, I’ll summarize what I learned, focusing on my academic efforts, school activities, and examples of caring and cooperation during my time in high school.
Reflections on Academic Experiences
I became interested in social issues while active as a young person of faith. Upon entering high school, I developed a more critical awareness of the contradictions, flawed systems, and problems in need of correction that exist throughout society, and I believed that striving to resolve these issues was both the proper attitude for a young person and a fundamental tenet of my faith. Therefore, I trained myself to discuss social issues in depth through self-directed essay writing. While discussions with friends were meaningful, I prioritized first firmly establishing my own opinions and arguments.
For example, when addressing the topic of euthanasia, I first chose a position—either for or against—and developed my thoughts from that perspective. Before writing an essay, I made a conscious effort not to focus solely on putting my thoughts into words. Since the essay is the final product, I believed it was more important to first create an outline to organize the flow of my thoughts. Once I decided to take a position against euthanasia, I gathered relevant supporting arguments and evidence to draft an outline, and I used mind maps to branch out my thoughts and collect points of view from various angles.
The rationale I developed was that I oppose euthanasia because it deprives individuals of their right to life. Based on this rationale, I outlined the argument that euthanasia could lead to murder and emphasized the importance of respecting the value of life. After recording the entire flow of my thoughts in the mind map and outline, I wrote the essay while carefully considering the context of each sentence. Since I felt that a piece written on my own required editing, I used an external essay editing service to have it evaluated by an expert and verify the validity of my arguments.
By repeating this process, I was able to systematically organize my arguments on social issues. Above all, I felt that my depth of thought and expressive ability grew together through the training of independently collecting data and constructing logical arguments.
Description of Major School Activities and Reflections
The school I attended provided an education based on Christian doctrine while accommodating many students with special needs in the local community, and it was well-equipped with facilities and classes designed for students with disabilities. In addition to the facilities, special education teachers were effectively assigned to each class, and students in need could receive assistance through the individual support system. I volunteered for this individual support system to assist students with special needs in their daily lives.
The individual assistant program primarily involved helping students with severe physical disabilities or intellectual disabilities. Tasks included providing assistance during physical education classes, helping with meals during lunch, taking notes on their behalf during class, or offering additional explanations of the material. I volunteered for this program with the intention of playing a part, however small, in improving their quality of life.
My one-on-one student, ○○○, had relatively significant physical challenges. It broke my heart to hear that an accident in childhood had left him unable to use his lower body properly, but I was deeply impressed by how he overcame his difficulties and lived his life with such dedication. He was just like any other student his age—diligent in his studies and with the simple dream of becoming a painter through his love of drawing. I began by assisting him with physical education activities.
During PE class, students with disabilities did simple calisthenics or rehabilitation exercises. ○○○ used a wheelchair and mainly did upper-body exercises, but I was told that completely disusing his lower body could lead to problems, so he needed to do at least an hour of rehabilitation exercises a day. During PE class, I would sit ○○○ on a mat, and together we would stretch his legs and engage in physical activity within his limits, enjoying our time together.
In addition, since ○○○ had difficulty using the restroom, I repeatedly took him there about twice a day, and during lunch, I helped with serving meals and clearing away leftovers. As we worked together on these small tasks, we became very close.
Through our conversations, I realized that ○○○ was a teenager just like me. He was a dreamer like any other teenager his age—he loved K-pop idols, wanted to run and play to his heart’s content, and had many places he wanted to visit. He showed me the drawings he had made and talked about his dream of becoming an artist. Not only that, but he also excelled academically through his diligence, even ranking first in his class. Witnessing ○○○’s diligent attitude made me reflect on myself and feel grateful for the life I’ve been given.
Examples of Compassion, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
There were about ten of us friends serving as classroom assistants, and we formed a close-knit community, traveling together to and from the special education classroom. Since the classroom assistant duties were rotated, we cooperated by covering for one another according to our individual schedules. As we grew closer, we learned of a heartbreaking situation involving one of our friends and worked together to find a solution.
Among the students in need of assistance was one who required ongoing outpatient treatment. Because frequent hospital visits caused him to miss school often, he was unable to apply for the individual assistant program. The problem was that the medical expenses were substantial. Since the severity of his disability did not fully align with the extent of his illness, he was unable to fully utilize local welfare services, leaving his family to bear a heavy financial burden.
Upon hearing their story, we were deeply moved and decided to collaborate as peer support assistants to raise funds for the outpatient treatment costs. First, we wrote a detailed account of our friend’s situation, their financial hardships, and the family’s struggle to make ends meet by working part-time jobs to cover medical expenses. We turned that text into a poster, posted it on the school bulletin board, and promoted the fundraiser in each classroom.
Upon hearing that the one-on-one mentors were taking the initiative to support our friend’s outpatient treatment, the homeroom teachers also lent their support. We informed the school community that even small contributions could help with our friend’s treatment, and as a result, we were able to raise a significant amount thanks to the participation of the entire student body. We concluded the campaign by delivering the funds we raised to the family.
Through this experience, I learned that when small acts of care and effort from individuals come together, they can become a powerful force capable of changing someone’s life. I also experienced firsthand that practical help comes when cooperation, communication, and action are combined. Moving forward, I aim to be someone who does not turn a blind eye to the struggles of those around me but works together to resolve them.
