The document is a personal narrative written by Isaac Lucio. It summarizes his educational and personal history. It describes his interests in computers, music, and socializing that developed in middle school and high school. It discusses his initial plan to study computer engineering at Texas Tech University but realizing it was not a good fit due to his desire for social interaction. He switched to industrial engineering but had academic struggles following a break up. He is now pursuing a University Studies degree to graduate and reapply to the engineering program. The narrative explores themes of continuity and learning in his life experiences and how they have shaped his goals and self-definition.

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Personal Narrative
Isaac Lucio
Texas Tech University
INTS 3300

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History
I am very new to the University studies program. I attended Cavazos Junior High, the
computer magnet school in Lubbock, Texas. It was here that I developed an interest in computers
and electronic technology. Many of my electives were geared towards programing and building
computers. Cavazos is also where I began my musical career. In addition to learning intensive
music theory, I learned how to play piano for ensembles as well as for individual performances. I
laid a strong foundation for the future at Cavazos. There was a break though. My transition
through high school would feature a new image as well as a new self-confidence. I became very
preoccupied with people, and different group of friends in particular. I avidly grew my love for
people at Lubbock High School. Even outside of school I pursued jobs of social nature. I began
long career in the food service industry at “The 50 Yard Line.” Unfortunately, I did not spend
much time exploring my educational career throughout high school, as much as I explored
music, sports, and women. Now would be a great time to mention my life in the church. I have
made many life long friends from my home church, First Church of the Nazarene. My memories
from the youth group are some of the greatest moments in my life so far. My youth pastors and
friends from the youth group played a very large part of shaping who I am today. Consequently,
I stuck with a group of friends from church when I began attending South Plains College. I
attended SPC for two years as a pre-engineering student with a concentration on computers. I
also took about ten hours of commercial music classes including piano and drums. I would later
transfer to Texas Tech University as a computer-engineering student. It did not take me long to
realize that computer engineering was not for me. I loved the math and general engineering
classes. Conversely, the idea of coding all day long, alone, in front of a computer ruined it for

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me. I realized a desire to interact regularly with people. I felt that my communication and service
skills are my two best assets, neither of which I felt were being used. After many counseling
sessions, I made a difficult decision to convert to an industrial engineering student. My interest
in the field did not come immediately, but I was excited to be learning more about optimization
and management in engineering. It was around this time that I went through a very traumatizing
break up with the love of my life. I made some mistakes that taught me more about myself than
anything else ever had. At TTU, I went on suspension shortly after this event. I began an
academic recovery program, and that is where I am today. I have gotten back into good standing
at school, but my GPA is simply too low to be readmitted into the engineering program. My
academic recovery program advisor recommended a degree in University Studies.
Life’s Trajectory
During the fall of 2013, I attended my first engineering job fair. This was a very
significant event in my life. That day I gained a direction and purpose for where I wanted to go
with an Industrial Engineering degree, and had a momentous instant of discontinuity in my life. I
met a manager that was representing Bell Helicopter, a company that manufactures and builds
helicopters for private and commercial and military use. Bell is based in Arlington Texas, and
has another base in Amarillo Texas. In my short time talking to the representative at the job fair,
and after doing some research of my own, I fell in love with the idea of one day being employed
by Bell Helicopter. Of course, there are many other wonderful places to take an industrial
engineering degree, but it was important for me to create a specific goal that would excite me,
and create motivation for the future. So, now, in order to attain my industrial engineering degree,
I will need to graduate from Texas Tech with a degree of some sort. I will then reapply to the

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engineering program as a graduate. I must take this route because of my previous failure to meet
the requirements of the college of engineering. The plan is to graduate with a degree in
University Studies. Based on the hours that I have already competed in the college of
engineering, my concentrations are math, engineering, and communications. The majority of the
hours I have left to take are in communications. It is imperative, that I do not blow this
opportunity to finish my college career the way that I prefer. These changes in my college career
are having a meaningful effect on my personal life and vice-versa. As I have begun to learn
about thinking as an interdisciplinary, I have gotten to explore myself in many ways. Since high
school I have noticed my desire to obtain knowledge. In studying integrative studies, I have
come to learn that being a lifelong continuous learner is an important characteristic of an
interdisciplinary person. The idea that things learned, change the filters through which we define
ourselves and make decisions, is very exciting to me (Bateson, 1994, p. 79). According to
Bateson (1994), “In all learning, one is changed becoming slightly -or profoundly- different; but
learning is welcome when it affirms a continuing sense of self” (p. 79). This struck a chord with
me because I am a perfectionist. I constantly want to learn or know what I can be doing better in
everything I concentrate on. Soccer and music are wonderful examples of things I am very
meticulous about. In regards to the future, it is a relief to know that being lifetime learner is a
good thing, because it is something for which I have a passion. I hope to apply that passion in
completing my university studies degree and forward into my industrial engineering degree.
Connection
As discontinuous as my life story may be, these events and concepts that are the
puzzle pieces to my story are glued together by a few subtle traits. My Christian background,

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more specifically, my desire to live a life pleasing to the father is a continuity pertaining to my
patterns of behavior. Many of the most important men in my life have lived by the words,
“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” (New International Version, 1 John, 2-6).
In reflecting on the way I have handled tragedy, or decision making, I find myself having held
fast to what I’ve learned in my spiritual relationship with God. Another continuity that
intertwines well with being a man of god is my desire for strong personal relationships with
others. My attention to relationships with others has remained apparent in every avenue that has
brought me to where I am now. Finally, my desire to learn more is the trait that stretches a net
over all of the aspects of my life to bind them together. I am never satisfied with my level of
performance, and therefore I am always trying to learn more about what I could be doing better.
Doing better may pertain to school, personal relationships, or following Christ.
Continuity
I find it ironic that making mistakes in my educational career has led me to a
place where I will be forced to learn more. It is advantageous that I have the opportunity to
broaden my spectrum of higher education. As Bateson said (1994), “Learning is the new
continuity for individuals, innovation the new continuity for business. Each requires a new kind
of self-definition” (p. 83). It is important to me to remain guided by the morals and ideals that
have led me to where I am today. God has a plan for us and if we are seeking him, his plan will
be evident. In hindsight, it is clear that there is a direct relationship in choices that I have made,
and whether or not I was seeking God’s will. God is a mainstay, but it is up to me to seek what
he has for me or to not. God is a perfect example or even definition of continuity to me. To the
extent that my education goes, even though I have left behind computer engineering, and dreams

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of being a famous musician, there is continuity in the way that I learned as much as possible
from those disciplines so that I could shape a figure of what I do want for the rest of my life.
Now after having been to, and come through those checkpoints in the race, I am able to fully see
what the finish line looks like. Furthermore, I can now focus all of my energy on reaching that
finish line with as much knowledge as possible. There is continuity in the way that my decision
for future education has bled into my personal life. Living a life that is pleasing to God, and
being productive in my educational career gives me overwhelming confidence. It’s amazing how
focusing on my relationship with God, moving forward in my life cycle and not dwelling on the
past has helped facilitate consistency and positivity in my relationships with everyone around
me. Like the rope that connects the wood pieces of a bridge to form a complete structure, there is
continuity in my life’s discontinuities through my spiritual relationship with God, through
relationships with people, and through my unquenchable desire to learn more.

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Work Cited
Bateson, M. C. (1994). Peripheral Visions ; Learning along the Way. Constructing
Continuity, 77-94.
Biblica, Inc. Holy Bible. New International Version. (2011)