While exploring a number of different individualized high school experiences, I wanted to highlight something I struggled with on my own. 

I knew I hated spelling from a young age. Growing up as an academically gifted child, the majority of people assume that everything academically comes naturally. While my grades speak for themselves, spelling has always been a struggle in my life. 

In elementary school, I dreaded spelling tests.No matter how much practice I did, some words I could just never figure out. Although my mother worked to get me tested, teachers ensured that I was perfectly fine; however, my struggle with spelling remains to this day.

Despite being well-read, my lack of ability to spell makes me feel dumb at times. Last year, I remember being on the verge of tears in honors English because we were having a group spelling contest and my group kept yelling at me for spelling things wrong. This was the first time in a long time where my lack of spelling abilities affected me outside of doing my own school work. 

Although my spelling struggles are just a small example of challenges that academically smart students face, I want to highlight that these small challenges do not define one as a student or person.