How far we’ve come.
This year has been a greater test of my academic performance than all the years I’ve been alive, and admittedly a greater test of my willpower. Nine months ago, my family underwent a tremendous, financial blow due to the layoffs in the tech sector earlier this year.
Every day, week, and month since that has presented new stressors that made up the largest mountain I’ve ever needed to climb. This, of course, became a challenge for my academic performance, for it became very difficult to balance the stress of home life and school life, which already had its own stresses.
So many days made me question why I was still doing any of this, and why I shouldn’t drop my bags and give up. However, I realized that the one thing worse than being trampled by hard times is your human conviction being extinguished.
According to an article I found, 109 billion people have lived and died over the course of 192,000 years. Among them were great conquerors like Alexander the Great, and brilliant scientists like Albert Einstein.
Creative masterminds like William Shakespeare, great philosophers like Marcus Aurelius, and countless more have and haven’t had the honor of their names being solidified in history. But what all of these people had in common was that they didn’t allow their conviction to be extinguished by the seemingly unstoppable winds of life.
In a day and age where it’s easier than ever to be who you want to be and achieve your dreams with the aid of school faculty, family, and other support systems, it would’ve been a disservice to lay down and be defeated before graduation.
With that in mind, I chose and still choose to keep moving forward so that one day, I can tell the next kid who’s going through the same thing what the other side of the mountain looks like.
A note from mom:
Through it all, I’ve watched Isaiah persevere pass the FAA knowledge exam, and obtain 20 hours of flight time toward his pilot license.
Isaiah has been commissioned as a public speaker and published author, and even though he has inadequate study space at home, Isaiah has taken numerous AP, Honors, and college classes, maintaining a 4.5 GPA.
He has risen through the ranks in Air Force JROTC to become a Flight leader and Sr. Master Sergeant. And most importantly, he is the best friend, son, grandson, nephew, and cousin that anyone could possibly ask for.
A note from my AP Calculus teacher, Mr. Brandt
Isaiah Suso is exactly the type of person that the student of the month program exists for. I have been working with this incredible young man for the last year and a half in AP calculus and in that time, he has demonstrated such amazing character that, not only does every staff member highly respect him, but so does every student who knows him. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been explaining the student of the month program to my other students, and when they hear that Isaiah is our representative, the response is always the same: pure joy in the smiles of the other students. They all recognize how extraordinary this young man is, and are thrilled that he is getting the recognition he deserves (a recognition he would neither assume, nor ask for mind you). Last year our student body decided to award the “top gentleman of WCA,” and the overwhelming response was really a question: “Who else is there to vote for besides Isaiah?”
This young man embodies kindness and respect. He is always building up his classmates and encouraging them as we struggle with calculus, as well as in every aspect of life. At the same time, it is important that you all understand that Isaiah Suso is not a spineless doormat, but stands up for his convictions. He has learned how to share his opinions while treating others with the dignity they deserve, which allows Isaiah the opportunity to be heard and respected, even if they disagree. That is an extraordinary talent becoming harder to find in this world. Today, he gets the chance to share some of his story that will give you an idea of how he became who he is today.
When I first saw Isaiah the day he was born, I knew he would be extraordinary. I have not been disappointed. No words can express the joy he has brought into our lives. I only regret that his Grandpa did not live to share the Joy and wonder of this child
There are no words for how ridiculously proud of you I am. You have more public speaking experience than most professional people. Your future is so bright 🌞