| A Girl’s Story |
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By Helen Tang Saskatoon, Saskatchewan This summer, I will be traveling to my hometown in China. Looking back, when I was only six, I came to Canada with feelings of doubt. This was a country that spoke English, a language I was not familiar with. I slowly persevered and proved to myself that I was capable of great heights. My earliest memory of school in Toronto was when the teacher asked us how to spell “buy”. My classmates all shouted out the wrong answer, but I knew the right one. I decided to take a risk, and I told the teacher my answer. She said it was correct, and I was very pleased. I couldn’t speak fluently at the time, but I could beat my classmates! Little did I know that this would lead to something bigger. Throughout my childhood, I attended many different schools because my parents studied and worked in different places. The places I lived include Toronto, London, Ottawa, and Saskatoon. For many people, these moves may have negatively affected their learning ability and personality, but I made sure it did not affect mine. A few months after I came to Saskatoon, my grades did not slip, instead, I had been invited into the Academically Talented (AcTal) class. Throughout the 3 years in AcTal so far, I have accomplished many great achievements. For all assignments and tests, I have managed to keep my average in the high nineties and one-hundreds. This year, I successfully applied for a research grant from the BioTalent Challenge. I am studying the genetic and nutritional differences between organic and non-organic wheat. Before, I could have only imagined doing testing of DNA and other exciting work. At school, I am a great leader of the students. From over 150 students, I have been elected to be on the Student Representative Council. There I make decisions that will ultimately benefit the student body and the school. I also plan spirit days and dances throughout the year to enrich student’s lives. My wish is for a school that will respect everyone. Other than doing admirably in school, I am very successful in piano as well. Last year, I won all of my music festival classes, a feat not many can attain. Also, I have won the praise of my teacher and adjudicators from contests. Encouraged by my successes, this year I will give it my all! Besides piano, another of my favourite pastime is “creating the internet”. When I was very young, I liked to draw simple things like houses and flowers. Now I have expanded my skill, to creating art on the computer. I own a site that offers graphics for other people to use. Many visitors come and visit my site each day. I am very proud of the icons and web templates I make on PhotoShop, and plan to continue this project for a long time. To be a good citizen, not just a good student, we need to engage in activities that help the community. I had joined the Teen Advisory Council (TAC) of the Saskatoon Public Library the previous year. I also serve as a liaison between the teen readers and the library, encouraging people like me to read and improve their literacy level. For example, TAC creates promotional material, and teen anthology events. Being a teen myself, I offer constructive suggestions to make the services interesting and enjoyable. Over the years, I have had the great privilege of having friends with different social backgrounds. Because of this, I have learned to relate to different cultures and understand people better. I’m very happy that I live in Canada, a country where cultures prosper. So when I go to tell my grandparents my great experiences, I will have a lot to tell. From a shy little girl, to an outstanding person, I love all of my life! Background InformationHelen Tang is a Grade 7 student in Greystone Heights Public School, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She came to Canada in 2001 when she was six. She likes drawing, painting, and, best of all, creating her own graphic website! This short essay describes her life and achievements over the years in Canada. |
