Bianca Maycock

In the chapter where the other Wes Moore had to break the news to his mother about getting Alicia pregnant. I did put myself in his shoes and pictured the shame and disappointment he would feel with giving his mother such devastating news. Personally, I did have to break news to someone where I felt similar to Wes.        In high school ( about sophomore year) I was not doing well in school due to some personal struggles I was going through. This was embarrassing for me at the time since my parents had told me that high school was supposed to be “the best four years of my life” but I felt extremely awkward and out of place which led to mental health issues which led to low grades and social anxiety. I remember at the time trying to hide this information from my parents, especially my mother because she had worked so hard to help provide for my siblings and I with her own success in getting her masters degree. There were a lot of feelings of guilt and shame which...

       Some activities/ hobbies I enjoy that help me cope in difficult situations involve exercise, walks in nature and video editing. Exercise because mainly I’ve witnessed the cons of neglecting health and the consequences that come with that as a person grows older so working out helps me feel more productive and helps me relieve stress. When the weather is nice and I need some time for myself. I prefer to go out for walks in nature, and listen to music. It’s a very simple activity that doesn’t involve much but I personally tend to be more introverted and need times where I can recharge and just be alone so this time to myself helps me especially if I’ve had a rough week or day. Lastly, video editing has been a hobby of mine since I was eleven and throughout the years I’ve been able to grow and expand my knowledge in this particular field. Movies in general have always been fascinating to me so learning how the art all comes together and then making it myself has ...

                   After watching the video of the author briefly explaining his experiences which inspired the book. I took some time to reflect on my own experiences, especially ones that were painful but provoked change. I believe that both statements have truth in them. The first statement states “we are products of our own environment”, personally to some extent we are but not permanently. Childhood trauma can take an individual years to recover from and if someone grew up in a household that lacked their needs being met. Then yes the potential outcome of that in their pre teen years to young adult years will be affected by that upbringing. However, it doesn’t mean the individual is a permanent product of their environment. There is always room to grow and change especially if they gain the knowledge and gain the access to resources and opportunity for healing. Second statement states “we are products of our own expectations” w...