My name is Dane Smith and I am a former Humanex Academy student. I graduated in 2002 and since then have graduated from Oregon State University and am currently at University of Colorado School of Law. The purpose of this essay is to share my experiences with individuals interested in pursuing opportunities when high school is over.
My experiences at Humanex were very interesting to say the least. Anyone could ask David, Bob, and Tracy to confirm that I was completely out of line my first year in this school. However, through hard work and a little luck, I got my act together and became productive. Looking back at my “career” at Humanex, there were a lot of things I appreciate. First and foremost, I learned what type of individual I was in terms of learning. My teacher Bob would sit down with me every day in class and challenge me to better myself. This was extremely frustrating for me as there were times I wanted to give up. I felt pestered and it really bothered me. However, one day, everything clicked. The level of utter frustration turned into a powerful motivation, a sense of belonging. That sense of belonging matured into productivity. I can’t help to think how lucky I am to have had a teacher push me to learn material I thought I couldn’t learn, or at least in my eyes at the time. Besides that amazing influential moment at Humanex, I learned something equally as important. I learned how to follow a syllabus. If anyone is considering college, a syllabus is exactly what you will be getting. Learning how to manage my time by what the objectives were on the syllabus was very important for me. It helped manage stress, it kept me motivated, and eventually it allowed me to constantly stay on top.
I would like to take a moment and explain that college is tough. It is not easy waking up everyday and going to class, then studying every night. There are good days, and bad days. In college, nobody holds your hand; it is up to you to produce. My first term in college, I received the lowest grades I have ever had in my entire life. I felt I was not “college material.” That image is false; there is no such thing as “college material.” It is qualities within that make the individual, not the institution or the paper that illustrates what you’ve accomplished. It is very important to realize that success comes from all angles. It is not linear; what success or failure you have today does not mean you’ll have it tomorrow. Success or lack of success is not constant but ever changing. There are two quotes that help me:
“Once you’ve reached the mountaintop, then you shall begin to climb.” –Atwul Gawande
“Integrity is not measured by how hard one falls, but by how quickly they get up.” (I don’t know who said that)
To me this illustrates exactly what I have been saying—the work is never done. If an individual has a dream, they should pursue it. No dream is too hard. There will be times where it looks unattainable, but remember tomorrow is a new day. And that is what I have learned in my life, instilled initially by Humanex Academy.