For most of my life, I attended public schools in the Oak Hills Local School District on the west side of Cincinnati, Ohio. The school district had five elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school. Starting in middle school, students were divided between advanced classes and normal classes. Throughout middle school and high school, I remained in the track of advanced classes. This meant that I had a rigorous high school schedule consisting of honors and Advanced Placement classes. The learning environment at schools in the Oak Hills district was very student-oriented. Teachers attempted to teach with a combination of lectures and interactive activities. Because I took honors and Advanced Placement courses, the teachers often assigned high volumes of work and held high expectations for their students.
Throughout my life, my parents have promoted a strong learning environment for my siblings and me. My parents have always encouraged me to be curious and to enjoy learning. I remember that my parents promoted the importance of learning and knowledge even when I was very young. They would read stories with me and come up with word problems so that I could solve simple math problems. This sparked my interest in learning because I realized that learning can be fun. My parents have always had high expectations for my siblings and me in our academic pursuits. However, I never felt overt pressure from my parents. I simply understood that I was expected to always try my best. I really appreciate the fact that my parents never held me to unrealistic expectations and never became overly involved in trying to control my grades. This enabled me to take responsibility for my studying and to develop strong study habits and high expectations for myself.