I stepped into the room and a sense of not belonging immediately came over me. It was my fist year in the I.G.C. (The Intelligently Gifted Children's program) at Public School 107, Queens. I was in the fifth grade, but the rest of the children had been in the program since the first year it started, the fourth grade. As you could imagine, the "groups" were already established. This was the defining line of me being the "different" one, and them being the "cool" ones.

Through the year, I dealt with being ridiculed by my fellow students, especially a girl whose name was Janelle. She was a pretty little rich white girl who felt that she was the head of them all. As I would sit at my desk, I'd hear the whispering and quiet giggling, while feeling the cold stares seep through every part of my body. She would tell all the other kids how ugly I was and how stupid I was. I guess she got a kick out of ma

The stress that these teases and taunts caused me, made me sick. See, when I get stressed my defenses go down and I get very, very sick. I was unable to attend school for a few weeks, and my work began to suffer. Being in the I.G.C. became more difficult, and less of an option. It turned out that for the sixth grade I had to be put back in regular classes. I felt even dumber than before.

king me feel below everyone and making me feel stupid.

Then the move finally came and I had to start at a new school. A new school meant new people and a new atmosphere. My parents had told me that I had to do my best or else I'd be punished. Being in this new school also made me care less about what others thought of me. I didn't even want to be friends with any of the kids from my new school. I missed my old neighborhood and my old friends. Thus my attitude, being one of not caring, allowed me to do my best and my hardest.

As the year went on my hard work paid off, and I became one of the best students in my classes. Being myself and not worrying of what others thought, I started to meet more and more students and kept making more and more friends. I joined the cheerleading team and as many other clubs as I could. I had done so well in school that I was a

Some common words found in the essay are:
Public School, Brentwood Island, , Endorsement Diploma, Gifted Children's, honors program, program started, sixth grade,
Approximate Word count = 846
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)