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Thomas Ostrowski
English Composition
Ms. Kane
25 September2014

Narrative Essay
Have you ever had trouble in school and thought everybody was doing better than you
and you feel you are lagging behind? Thats what I felt anyway. I am T.J. I am nineteen years
old and attend the Massachusetts Maritime Academy because my dream is to spend my life on
the water. How I got here is a story to tell. My home is located in Gloucester, MA where I live
in a house built in 1837 on the Mill River. This river opened possibilities to me and gave me my
interest in spending my time on the water. My mother did not want me to go to public school,
so, I began my education in a small Christian school with around ten kids in the class. I only
spent two years there and moved to Florida for a year in a new school only to return back in
Gloucester to Faith Christian for the third grade. I stayed here until the sixth grade and then
went to Beacon Christian Academy. I didnt like it there because I didnt like the kids there, but
it was more than that. There was something about the teachers. Of course it was them, not me!
Then, I went to a Montessori School. I wasnt sure I liked it there either, but of course, it wasnt
me. It wasnt until my English teacher, Tracy, figured out that I was having trouble
academically, that I realized, it was me. She contacted my mother who contacted a speech
pathologist who figured out that I had a language based learning disability. I felt surprised and I
felt bad because now I knew why I was having problems comprehending what I was reading,
talking about what I read, and writing. Oh, how I hate writing. My speech therapist and I
worked on The Bronze Bow. That was my introduction to writing a narrative. I realized I
had trouble remembering all the facts and reading a book that was out of sequence. It was told in

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the present about the past and I could not understand the sequence of events. I did not talk that
much. I didnt realize it was because I had trouble with language and grammar. I could not
organize my thoughts. I needed medication for ADHD. It was horrible! My mother could not
understand why I hated doing my homework. It was one of the worse times of my life, but by
finding out it helped to change the course of my future.
I had to repeat the eighth grade. Of course, my mother did not want to hurt my feelings.
She told me it was a post graduate year, but lets call a spade a spade. I had to repeat the
eighth grade. Then, I did the unthinkable. I went to Gloucester Public High School for my
freshman year. Again, a horrible experience. I was supposed to be a sophomore and here I was,
a freshman. A freshman who had to be tested by school psychologist. He confirmed my learning
disability and could not understand how I got here the way I was. I had to deal with having an
IEP. I didnt mind the school and liked being with Gloucester kids in a normal, Gloucester
school. My mother did not like my friends so she encouraged me to go into St. Johns Prep. The
problem was, no IEP, no help, a lot of work and it was hard. I got through the next three years,
but I needed academic support and went, but not happily, to the speech therapist because I had a
lot of writing to do. I had to learn how to manage my schedule. I also learned, that I have to talk
to write. It is not easy for me to write from my head. I need someones help to talk out my
thoughts and then, put it on paper.
By my final year at St. Johns, I only went to my speech therapist two times. I got to the
point where I could talk in sentences better and organize my thoughts. I also found out that I
have to take my medication because I cant organize my thoughts well without it. I got through
the final term, exams, and my papers on my own. I returned to my speech therapist for the most
important help that I needed. I had to write my essay for Massachusetts Maritime. She helped

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me structure my essay so that I could talk about why it was so important for me to go there. I got
in, but this time, I knew right away that I would need help. The work was harder. I wasnt home
where I could get help when I needed it. I was no longer embarrassed to say I needed help and
went to the Disabilities Compliance Officer to tell them that I had a learning disability and I was
going to need help. She told me I need to get a new evaluation so that I can get accommodations
to help get through my academics.
Up until thirteen I didnt like my schools because it was their fault. At thirteen I found
out it wasnt the schools, it was a problem that I was having. I felt that if I didnt have this
learning disability that I would be able to do my work with ease and be able to hang out with
friends instead of having constant appointments with someone I knew cost a lot of money to help
me instead of just being able to do it on my own. It felt bad, really bad at the time. A disability?
Though, it was the best thing that could have happened. I came to find out I could overcome it
with help and still accomplish my dreams. It is up to me to inform the teachers that I have a
language based learning disability and not be embarrassed about it. I will need to do whatever it
takes.
When you think of ADHD you probably think of a young boy who is bouncing off the
walls all the time and cant keep calm for even a minute. Well, youd be right in some cases, but
many kids and adults alike are calm or have learned to be calm at least on the outside. There are
reportedly four percent of adults who are greatly affected by ADHD, some that cant hold jobs or
relationships. As Canadian comedian, Rick Green once said of himself: I used to suffer from
ADHD. And now I just have it. I would like to also live like this as my goal. Living with
ADHD is not to fight it, but to thrive with it. This is why I am here, it is because I could not
picture myself at a regular college going for a degree I wasnt really into, its about following

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your dreams and going to a place where I could be on the water, in my case, where it all began,
back in Gloucester on the Mill River.