This is a follow-up story to another recent post, I Just Wish to Be Like Me. The original post was an essay for a college application written by Stern Center alum, Matt Zahn, four years ago. The following is the story of Matt's success, told by him, as he nears college graduation.
Four years is a very long time, particularly for young people. High school, and later college, feel like a lifetime of personal growth. I was recently given the opportunity to review an essay that I wrote for my college application. Now, as a senior at the George Washington University in Washington DC, reading this essay gave me pause to reflect on the challenges that brought me to where I am today.
Much of who I am today came from the experience of not being able to read in the third grade, and my journey with the Stern Center and my "coach," Neil Shapiro. Neil was more than just a teacher for me; he was somebody I identified with as a friend and mentor. He not only taught me how to read and write well, and made math easier, but also turned me on to fun music and TV shows. While it was hard to say goodbye to him when I went to high school, it paled in comparison to when I had heard he died in a car accident. To this day, I can still feel the hole in my heart that his tragic death created. I would not be where I am today were it not for Neil and the Stern Center.
