Personal Narrative: Hidden Oaks Middle School

I walked up the long, stone stairs of Hidden Oaks Middle School. Middle school students were walking up the stairs alongside me and talking with each other. I joined this math club because I wanted to fit in and make new friends. We opened the doors and walked through the long hall filled with posters and works of students. We walked into Mrs. Janasky’s room. I sat down next to my sister and talked with her. The teacher handed us a piece of paper covered in math problems.

“You have 20 minutes to solve the math problems.” Mrs. Janasky says, “You may start now.”

The sound of people helping each other and pencils scribbling on paper filled the air. I looked down at the piece of paper that was given to me. I started filling in the answers as best as I

could. I got stumped on some of the questions. I looked around the table that I sat in.
“Hey,” I said, “do any of you understand this question? I’m confused.”
“Of course!” said one of the people, “Let me help you!”
The people at the table I sat at began helping me with the problem.

We all talked with each other and helped each other. Mrs. Janasky walked to the front of the class at the end of the 20 minutes and writes the answers on the board. I look at the board and check my answers.

“Not bad”, I say to myself, “not bad at all.”

After school ended, I walk to the bus loop. The bus loop is filled with buses. I found my bus and went inside it. The bus was filled with kids from every grade. The bus driver drives the bus to my stop and I get off my bus. I then walk to my house on the sidewalk with my sister. I sit down in a chair in front of my computer and start studying. Every few days, my taught me new concepts that get me confused.

The day of the tryouts for the Math Counts team came quickly; but I was ready to take the test. Quickly, I solved as many of the 30 questions that I could. I look around the room. Kids have their eyes focused on the test. All of the kids were determined to make the team. I stand up from my desk and give my test to Mrs. Janasky.

When Mrs. Janasky dismissed the class, everyone around me started talking about whether they made the team or not and how well they thought they did. I started

worrying.
“Did I make the team? Did I make the team?”
We waited. A whole week passed when I heard the great news from Mrs. Janasky.
“Moojin, you’ve made the Math Counts team. Congratulations.”
Those words helped to boost my self-esteem. I was so excited that I made the team. The leader of the team was David DeCorso, an eighth grader who was kind and smart. Preston Klaus was a tall seventh grader. He was the backup just in case someone on the team doesn’t show up during the competition. My sister, Yerim Ahn, made the team. She is a shy person, but is very smart and kind. My friend, Ryan Mitchell, made the team as well. He’s the youngest person on the team. Starting from that day forward, we practiced together for weeks.
On the day of the competition, we drove and met up at the Indian River State College, where the competition was held. My mom gave my sister and me a hug and wished us good luck. The team walked from the cafeteria to a different building that wasn’t too far. We walk up the stairs to the second floor and open the doors to the hall. The halls were filled with teams from different schools, all of them wearing different T-shirts. The judge brought all of us into a room where the competition would take place. The judge announced the rules to us and had helpers pass out the test to us. The timer began and everyone in the room started solving the math problems. Racing to finish, I grabbed my pencil and began gliding through the problems.
At the end of the competition, I cross my fingers in hope that I make it to the state competition. To go to the state competition, you have to make fourth place or better or you have to be on the winning team.
“The winning team of the competition is Lincoln Middle School!”
“Darn”, I said to myself, “now I have to win fourth place or better. There’s no chance in that happening.”
As soon as I thought that I heard, “The third place winner is Moojin Ahn!”
“Hooray!” I shouted. I couldn’t believe what I just heard. I made it. I made it to the state competition. I went to collect my trophy and everyone in the room congratulated me for my win. I felt so happy that I could die there and be satisfied.
I said to myself, “Watch out Florida, here I come.”