(Written May 3rd, 2024) 

In seventh grade, there is a class called World Studies. World Studies is not only a class but two. Most seventh graders on Green team have Ms. Moffitt for ELA. For the other teams, they have their respective ELA teachers. One small group though, has ELA with Mr. Hawley. These students have Mr. Hawley twice a day, for both Social Studies and ELA. His ELA is… different. Some say advanced. Yes, we learn some English basics like grammar, vocab, and writing rules, but it’s an experience like none other. These students write stories for the school newspaper, the EMS Sound. I will be honest, I had no idea we even had a school newspaper before this class. In addition to learning about Social Studies, we have done many other things. There’s Lit Circles, where you read a novel – this years novels were Refugee, I Am Malala, Journey To Jo”Burg, A Long Walk To Water, and The Bitter Side of Sweet – and have a little book group, discussing the books, and at the end, you reflect on it with a project. The main thing that makes WS different is the story writing. In the beginning, you write about a variety of different things to explore different formats for stories. In the second half, you choose your own beat (topic) to write about; anything you can imagine. There’s food, different sports, instruments, music, singers, life and the universe, nature, cats, dogs, spiders, art, and more. World Studies helped me realize my dream of becoming a writer. I always wrote as a child, in notebooks, any random stories I could come up with. Sometimes I’d watch a movie or read a book and get inspired and start to write, and I never finished the books, but I kept them anyway. All these bits and pieces, making up and molding the start of my writing journey. I only ever finished one of my books, and it wasn’t even good. Regardless, I always loved to read, write, draw, color, and anything on the creativity side. All the things I ever wanted to be, – nurse, doctor, illustrator, author, artist, vet – I had never been that sure of, looking back. I mean, I have many years to go till college but at the moment, my mind is set on majoring in English literature and writing, and minor in psychology. There’s just so much I have to say and I intend to express it till the end. I wrote about my grandpa’s death, soccer, Taylor Swift, Christmas movies, and so much more. I never thought I had so much to say till now. Music is such a big part of my life, I truly cannot understand how there are people who simply don’t listen to music. By. Choice. I feel so lucky to be able to voice that. World Studies is also a challenging class, with reading guides, vocab cards, quick writes, beat stories, and everything in between. We are in this cyclone, but we’re in it together. I can’t say I chose this, but I’m glad I’m here now. Regular ELA wouldn’t be a challenge, but World Studies is a constant struggle, which at times makes you hate it and the work, until you realize it’s what you need. A challenge. It’s an ever expanding experience, and it may sound cheesy, but World Studies Class of 2024 is more than a class, it’s a team. Okay, yes, I know that that sounds cringe, but at least it’s true. As I mentioned, I learned and realized that I wanted to be a writer when I grow up and that I’m gonna fail in life, and that’s okay. I learned that everything is a choice and with choices come incentives and consequences. Failure isn’t something to be afraid of. It’s something to be grateful for. If you never fail, will you ever learn? Life isn’t perfect, don’t treat it like it is or that it can be. Bad things happen, good things happen, and it all starts with a choice. Yeah, you learn useful info that you can apply to your writing but World Studies is full of life lessons, more so than just writing. I found a voice here, I found something that makes me happy. What will I find next? What will you find? The world is yours to explore, to study. I think that’s what World Studies is. Here, you can learn whatever you desire. It’s just a choice or two away.