Garrison R

Milestones

            Throughout my life, I have achieved several milestones, all of which were important, but one milestone stands out to me: being accepted into Governor’s School. This achievement was immense to me, and I believe it will lead to many more accomplishments in the future.

            Ever since day one, I have strived to do my best in school and eventually graduate from a university, specifically Duke University. I have always loved everything about it: the teams, the campus, the prestigiousness of the school, everything. However, it’s prestigious for a reason: it is incredibly tough to get accepted into. With an acceptance rate of a mere 13.4%, I realized the unlikelihood of being accepted. 13.4%: that means fewer than 14 people out of every 100 that applied got in; how could I ever manage that?!   But I was determined to make it happen; determined to do everything in my power to reach that goal and become one of the 14.

            Out of all honesty, I had no idea where to start. The idea of acceptance into Duke was so farfetched; I couldn’t think of a single way to beat the odds. That negative mentality changed one day in seventh grade, when I caught a glimpse of an application to the Roanoke Valley Governor’s School. The applications were everywhere; everyone was trying to get in. I had never heard of it before, never realized what was so great about it. I soon learned that the school was also tough to get into (a miniature Duke in a way), and that it was possibly a foot in the door to Duke University.

            As a seventh grader, I was too young to apply for Governor’s School; only eighth graders could apply. Although I couldn’t begin the application process, the idea sparked a fire of inspiration in my mind. I began doing everything I could to build up my future resume and make my application as exemplary as possible. Even if it required staying up all night studying for tests or doing homework, nothing was going to get in my way and break my determination.

            A year passed, and it was finally time to begin my application. Earlier in the year, I went all out, joined the MathCounts team, and soon found myself at the regional and state competitions, which I believed could increase my chances of being accepted. From then on, I remained studying until the Governor’s School test came and it was time to submit my application. 

            Months passed, and my anxiety levels rose and rose until it was almost unbearable. I just wanted the wait to be over, to figure out whether or not I was accepted. I checked the mailbox day after day, desperately searching for a letter from the school. After all of the waiting, the day finally came. I had just gotten home from track practice when my mom made a small announcement.

“Garrison, something came in the mail for you today,” she said, pointing to a small envelope that was lying on the counter, sealed with the green Governor’s School logo.

            Excitement was rushing through my veins; it was finally time to find out if my application was successful or not. With shaking hands, I carefully opened the envelope and read the first sentence out loud.

            “It is my pleasure to extend to you a formal invitation to join the student body of The Roanoke Valley Governor’s School for Science and Technology.”

            I had done it, I had achieved my goal. Words cannot describe the importance of that day, and I believe it was a small step towards the big goal of being accepted into Duke University.