My Image of Greatness was Temple Grandin. Temple is an extraordinary woman because she has autism. In spite of this, she graduated from college with a doctoral degree and became a household name due to her revolutionary cattle chute design. Temple has proved that mental disabilities don't necessarily limit a person, but can make them unique. I admire Temple because she is brave and does not let other people's opinions. Because she was a woman and autistic, Temple faced lots of judgment and discrimination, but she did not let this stop her from following her dreams. The part of this unit that made me the proudest was my display board. I worked so hard on my exhibit and I'm extremely impressed with the way it came out. The hardest part of IoG was the essay. Although I liked the way my paper came out, it took a long time to type and attempt to perfect it. I have become a more organized and responsible person throughout this unit. Deadlines were very prominent and time flew by. I had to learn how to balance my IoG and my personal life. I think if I could've taken more time on my timeline, I would've. It was a little rushed and I'm still not happy with it, even after re-doing it again. That's probably the perfectionist in me, but it could have been better. The best part of IoG was the portrayal. My nerves kicked in backstage, but once I got on stage, it felt natural. I think I did a great job and seeing everyone trying to figure out who I was portraying was quite entertaining. At the end, I got pretty emotional. Realizing that this was our last thing together as a goal family is heartbreaking, but I'm so proud of everyone. Sharing our riddles after all our hard work was awesome.
My favorite educational part of the Des Moines trip was the art museum. I learned about many new artists and discovered their inspiration. I realized that things I would have previous thought as weird were suddenly unique and modern to me. I find abstract art pretty cool and my favorite painting at the museum happened to be abstract. I also thought the courtyard was beautiful. It was a nice place to relax before heading back to the hotel. I learned the most at the Historical Museum. When I first heard that we had to go on a scavenger hunt, I was annoyed. Turns out, running around three floors of exhibits was pretty fun. I viewed many things and it was eye-opening to see the history of Iowa. The most surprising thing from the trip was the I-MAX movie. I thought it was going to be really boring, but it ended up being AMAZING. The way the screen and speakers were set up made the whole thing super realistic and the soundtrack was extremely catchy. I learned so much watching the engineering movie and actually ended up getting engrossed in the storylines. Under my "Why is This Art" category, I wrote something about cups. Seriously. In the corner of the second floor, there were just 6 cups in a circle sitting on the floor and it was an exhibit. I was so confused. Anyone can place cups in a circle. My group did, in fact, escape out of our escape chamber. I believe this is because we had a very well put-together group. Each and every one of us brought a unique skill or talent to the room. By all working together, we could figure out locks and decipher clues. I think that the breakout room was the best part of the trip. I've wanted to do one for so long and it was great to do it with a talented group. It was surreal, challenging, stressful, and exhilarating, but it was all worth it in the end. I had lots of fun with the Normies. :) (We love you, Lisa.)
The best part of GOAL is the family. Every time I come to GOAL, I feel like I'm in a different place. We all get along and have a truly special bond. I like that we can tease each other and have a good time. I really love having a class where I feel special and important. Advice that I would give to future GOAL students in order to succeed is to be yourself and always have a growth mindset. GOAL is not your average class. It takes a positive attitude to have a good time. Things get harder the more you age, and GOAL is just an example of that. You will get along with other students so much easier if you don't force yourself to fit in. And no one likes a suck up. I would warn future students about History Day. You need, need, need to work your absolute hardest to meet deadlines and complete your project to quality. It is the hardest project of middle school by far. You cannot screw around. Future students should be excited about the experience. GOAL is something truly unique. You need to enjoy every minute you can because it's over before you know it.
I will miss every single thing about GOAL. I am so blessed to have been apart of this family for 4 years. I will always miss Mrs. Edlin and every single one of the students. From mock trials to Images of Greatness, there was never a dull moment. I'll forever love this class and the memories tied to it. GOAL will always have a special place in my heart, and I'm fortunate for this experience.