An academic purpose

By Anne Le

High school is where students grow the most, both mentally and academically. Experiencing the struggles of maintaining grades while balancing a social life with family and friends isn’t always an experience for someone, but it is still a relatable factor for most students. 

If you’re struggling academically but remain motivated for your own purposes, you’d probably relate to 17-year-old Shawna Tran, who became academic despite obstacles. She is currently a Yerba Buena High School student and has proven countless times that she can educate herself on her own, regardless of what she endured. 

At the beginning of Freshman year, Shawna was unfamiliar with the structure of High School and had to attempt to navigate her way through without failing. The stress from the acceleration of a program she was in, known as ‘CCA,’ known as College Connection Academy, affected her mental health; She felt drained from the amount of work she had to do for every class. 

Shawna:  “...The workload did feel really difficult around finals, and I was struggling a lot with my mental health, which led to me not wanting to study for finals and studying at the last minute.” 

Despite passing finals, she still did not feel accomplished or good about being in CCA. She felt lonely and wanted more than just having good grades. At the beginning of Sophomore year, Shawna decided to drop CCA, giving her a chance to have a different pathway to education. 

While staying on track in classes and with her attendance, she also had to cope with her parents' divorce. This affected her because it meant she would not be able to see her father as frequently as before. Her mother had to work overtime to stay sustainable for the family now, since her father did not condone child support.

Seeing her mother work hard to give Shawna a privileged life despite conflicts gave her a better purpose to become more motivated to grow and learn from her academics, and is a reason for her to do well in school, to go beyond just obtaining a job, and to make her family proud. 

Shawna: “Because I need to get a job, I need to do this; otherwise, her sacrifice would’ve been for nothing, and she constantly calls it a sacrifice because I mean it is a sort of sacrifice.” 

Shawna began taking dual enrollment in the summer after her sophomore year of high school. She has taken Child Development, AP Statistics, AP Calculus classes, and more. Although she has left CCA, she still took the initiative to apply for AP classes. She has taken over six AP classes, passing with straight As. 

While balancing her classes, she has participated in Tennis and kept her mental health high. She made multiple memories with new friends and teachers, made her parents proud, and improved herself for the better.