This document is a reflection by Lacey Desper on her formal and informal educational experiences. It describes her K-12 education, including struggles with adopted siblings and challenges in high school calculus. It details her failed attempt at Baker University due to taking on too many extracurricular activities. It then describes obtaining an associate's degree from Johnson County Community College while starting a family. Desper compares her experiences to those described in an online essay by PrisonerSix about struggles with education. She concludes that overcoming challenges has helped her better understand how she learns and how to approach future education for the benefit of her daughter.

1. Running head: An Aspiration for Education 1
An Aspiration for Education
Lacey Desper
Ottawa University

2. AN ASPIRATION FOR EDUCATION 2
Abstract
This is a brief description of some of the failings and means by which I attempted to get
education through my life; a brief look at my formal and informal education.

3. AN ASPIRATION FOR EDUCATION 3
An Aspiration for Education
Formal Education
I began my education in kindergarten through; it is a period of my life I do not remember.
I have no means to obtain this information as I am adopted and I did not begin to live with the
parents that would adopt me until late into my first grade year. I carried on at Edgerton
Elementary until the fifth grade. I then transferred with the rest of my classmates to Nike Middle
School where I would spend my sixth, seventh and eighth grade school years. I started playing
the flute in the fifth grade; I would continue to play well into college and I started playing
volleyball and running hurdles in track.
The family I lived in put no emphasis on education or good grades as long as you were
passing it was never mentioned. I did not get an inkling of being ahead of the class until I was
asked to take a math assessment class in the sixth grade. It was then recommended to my parents
that I bump up a grade in my math. This followed with a recommendation from my school to
help tutor a few transfer students who spoke only Spanish with learning English.
I left Nike and transferred to Gardner Edgerton High School to finish my experience. I
quick side note I graduate with thirty-five people that I had been in school with since the first
grade. This is unheard of anymore and is quite a unique experience that honestly comes with a
few downsides. Which, I will discuss at length in a bit when I get to my informal education.
High school was where I found myself and begin to become a unique person. I think my
parents felt me pulling away from their views and ways which, is why I think they pulled so
hard. I was in advanced placement in math, science and history. I was involved with the band all
four years of school. I also eventually joined up with the pep band and marching band. I started
debate my freshman year and it quickly became a passion. My sophomore year in high school I

4. AN ASPIRATION FOR EDUCATION 4
quickly dropped track and volleyball because they interfered with debate. At one point I did a
semester of forensics, but I did not enjoy it. I did some casual art competitions with some pieces
I put together in my classes and I won a few prizes. I did a bit with NEDC and the Scholar’s
Bowl class. I was in Calculus and Physics by my junior year in high school. This was the first
learning curve that was thrown at me because I hit my wall at Calculus and it was the first time I
had failing grade. It was a quick blow to the head for me, and I was suddenly under the wrath of
my parents. I was grounded for weeks, told that I was a smarty pants and that a D was
unacceptable, they would not hear that I just did not understand.
All of this leads to me being accepted into Baker University out of high school. I got in
via a specialty recommended application from one of my teachers at school. I decided to go to
this school because my dad had recently been diagnosed with Hepatitis B from the military and I
was attempting to help out; the college was ten minutes from my home. My parents were no help
though, they let me move out and I saw them three times the entire school year. I was in the dark,
nobody to aid me I had no money for books and no money for food besides what was in the
commissary. I attempted to get a part time job but, there just were none in Baldwin and no car
made it impossible. I somehow made it through my first semester passing most of my classes
with no books, but I was lost
I over worked myself with an excess of extra-curricular activities. I had entered the
college on an academic scholarship that required me to be involved in a club. I joined the
College Republicans and was quickly elected their Public Relations Director. This in turn ended
up also becoming an Ambassador to UMKC, JCCC and KU. There was even talk from Jay
McLaughlin about making me the Kansas State Board of College Republicans Public Relations
Director.

5. AN ASPIRATION FOR EDUCATION 5
I obtained a Music scholarship, which required private tutoring as well as concert band. I
obtained a forensics scholarship since there was no debate team that was a mistake. I forgot how
much dislike I had for forensics. I was actively working with one of the Political Science
teachers to get a Policy Debate team on campus. I was on an art scholarship which required me
to attend and submit work to campus art exhibits. I also eventually picked up a part time job
doing stage construction in the theater department. Obviously, this did not work out well with
sixteen credit hours on top. This does not even add in the social life I attempted to have and how
much time I spent at the Zeta Chi house. I think my advisor should have been fired, it should
have been obvious that it was all too much to handle.
I dropped out of school and wondered for years it was not until 2008 that I picked myself
up and wondered over to Johnson County Community College. I walked straight up to the debate
coach and walked out with a full ride for debate, before enrollment. I met my husband in July of
2008 and I was married in December of 2008; my daughter soon followed in November of 2009.
I ended up leaving the Debate team during my nasty pregnancy and was officially financially on
my own. I continued at Johnson County Community College part time every semester, including
summer semesters, until May of 2014. I know find myself at Ottawa University working in this
Cohort program for my Bachelors.
Informal Education
In the first assignment in this course we were asked to take an assessment, Howard
Gardener’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence, the results of this test were no shock to me. It ties
directly into the lessons that I have received about education and my life. In this assessment my
top three areas were self, language and musical. Which, is about what I expected since, the two
loves of my life are debate and flute. At first I was off put by the self, thinking it meant that I was

6. AN ASPIRATION FOR EDUCATION 6
self-centered. Upon, closer it meant that I was in touch with myself; prefer to learn by trial and
error, self-critical it was almost dead on.
When comparing my past learning experiences with this test, it was like my entire past
just clicked together. The first major learning challenge that came to was in debate. My freshman
and sophomore year I was awful. I mean awful won 2-48 rounds. On the last day of class my
sophomore year my debate coach handed me a stack of a hundred papers. She said, “I need a
debate manual made for the freshman class I’m starting can you go through these documents and
compose one for next year.” I spent my summer highlighting, condensing, and creating a twenty
page debate manual for beginners. The season of my junior year I went to state. This soon
followed by placing tenth at state my senior year; my record my senior year was 46-2. I am
unsure why this drastic improvement seemed to happen overnight but, something about
compiling that book sent me down the right path.
My second learning experience that drastically altered my views on education was, you
might be able to guess it, that’s right the epic failure that was Baker University. It was the first
time in my life that I had not accomplished everything I set out to accomplish. It was a
frightening realization that I did not know everything and I could not conquer the world. It left
me in a pretty dark place for a few years. I stopped attending classes and gave up in March of
2005 and just bummed around campus or three months. It then disappeared into overland park
and had three separate room mates in a one year period.
This eventually, led to the low point of my life living with Kelly. She had eight cats,
worked at Mr. Goodscent’s (a restaurant her father bought so she could keep employment.) I
eventually started working for her, after I got pulled over for driving without insurance three
times, from being a poor waitress. This resulted in my license being suspended. While, you

7. AN ASPIRATION FOR EDUCATION 7
might say why she sounds like a great friend to give you employment transfer you from place to
place and be your roommate. I am not disputing her friendship; I am disputing the quality of life
and the complacency that came with it. She had five to ten people over every night to get high
and drunk and then around six am taking Ambien and passing out. I would spend an hour each
morning attempting to drag her out of bed, so her own father would not be forced to fire her. I
am sure I could continue but this story is not about her wakeup call but mine. I eventually started
dating the male version of Kelly one her lifelong friends. We got engaged, and we moved into an
apartment in Olathe. I will not go into too much detail but, it ended in disaster. The result me
begging our landlord to give me an apartment even though I did not met the criteria.
It was about this time that I woke up and realized the quality of the people my life circled
around and I saw my future as bright as day. I immediately headed up to JCCC to see if there
was anything I could do about it. It was three weeks later I was enrolled in courses on the debate
team, while working two waitressing jobs. College was always my future, it is shame it took me
so long to pull my head out of my own butt after my failure at Baker.
Comparing My Experience’s
I read an online essay about a user by the name of PrisonerSix and his life issues with
education. His story touched my heart because I relate to his experience of being ridiculed and
excluded during his early years in education. Those are the only memories I currently retain from
my elementary years. I was treated different because it was very obvious to my peers that my
parents were not my parents. I also had a psychological tick that made me grab at my panties all
day, which I was perversely ridiculed for at school. I cannot even comment on all the names I
was called. This was followed my third grade teacher throwing an adoption party for me in class.
While, this is sweet and generous it did nothing to help my social life at school.

8. AN ASPIRATION FOR EDUCATION 8
It was in the fourth grade that my sister “Angela” came to live with us. We were only
three months apart and in the same grade and the torcher commenced. She spread rumors, a
talent that followed me into high school; she became my source of dread and hatred. I could
write a twenty page paper on the horror that I blessed with by her hand.
While, I relate to PrisonerSix and his educational woes in some means I think I had it
worse. I do not mean to say my pain was worse than his. I almost wish I had the opportunity to
school hop. Going to a small school district and staying in it K-12 being a social outcast is
impossible. Once, you have a reputation no matter what grade it is, it does not leave. My “sister”
did a good job of keeping it ever present in people’s minds. It would seem that PrisonerSix had
similar circumstances. In his essay about his education he mentioned, “At school, our class was
banned from many events, because of a few problem students. That didn’t bother me much, but I
also got discrimination at home. My sister would often brag to people about how I spent my
summers as her slave because I had to drop anything I wanted to do when she wanted to swim,
and often had other students call me “Igor” after the hunchback assistant in the old horror
movies.” I can relate to his story so well; it almost makes me want to cry. Especially, when I
look at the fact this is his real sister not an adopted sibling.
It was not until my eight grade year that I was able to shake my sister and get my own
friends and begin a separate social life. Sadly, my sister began to become the brunt of the joke. I
played flute so she played flute, then in the seventh grade when I out chaired her she quit. I ran
hurdles so she ran hurdles when I set the eighth grade girls record, she quit. She even quit
volleyball the same year I did. Do not even get me started on grades; I will just leave you with
the fact that she scored a fifteen on the ACT. Upon quiet reflection, one could say that most of
the issues I had with my sister were nothing more than the petty jealousy of a child. While, this is

9. AN ASPIRATION FOR EDUCATION 9
most likely the case and it is obvious to me, sometimes I wonder if this reflection is enough to
forgive her.
Conclusion
Inevitably, though it all leads me back to where I am today. It is the battles that I have
overcome and lost that leave me exactly where I am today. I could even go so far to say that if I
had not failed out of Baker I would have never would up back in Johnson County in 2008 which
would have been my senior year. This would have resulted in not meeting my amazing husband,
and the lack of existence of my beautiful daughter. While, I have never been one to believe in
destiny its moments of reflection like this that almost scream it’s true.
My battles, have given me a stronger understand of how I learn and how to precede with
my future education. This is why I was so cautious at Johnson County Community College and
took so long to finish my degree. I was horrified of a repeat of Baker University. While, I might
regret taking so long right now everyone tells me I won’t in the future. I am always told that I
will be happy I stayed home with my daughter the first years of her life, and that my daughter
will be better off for it. Everything I do from this point on is for her so they are probably correct.
It’s time to attempt to teach her the lessons I went through misery to learn and attempt to make it
even a bit better for her then it was for me. Let’s home the apple falls a bit further from the tree
and she does not grow up to be a true “Self” from the multiple intelligences because, then she’s
doomed to follow in my footsteps. Just as the never ending story goes, the cycle just repeats
itself.

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References
Essay about my educational experiences growing up. (2004, August 2). Retrieved August 27,
2014, from http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt462.html
Multiple Intelligences for Adults and Education. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2014, from
http://www.literacynet.org/mi/home.html