Miss Spelling

Growing up, kids come home waving their A+ papers in their parents’ faces–from a simple spelling quiz to a big spelling bee. The kid raves about the candy they got for passing their test, along with discussing who passed and who did not. I was one of the few who didn’t go home with an ear-to-ear smile because I didn’t get candy. I came home with slacked shoulders and a frown. That night in bed, I would pray that I could pass the next spelling quiz so I could participate in the upcoming spelling bee. To this day, I still struggle to spell; it’s challenging and a prominent fact about me.

Nevertheless, throughout my education, I have not let incorrect spelling fault me. I have excelled in English. In middle school, I excelled in writing essays and poems; throughout high school, I continued to push myself to improve in my academic writing.

I may not be able to spell, but I can write a good essay.

I never understood why all my classmates could easily spell the words beautifully, especially “curious” (still don’t get why it’s not spelled ker-e-us!?), and even “Wednesday.” It felt like other kids could spell without concerted effort, and while I may have understood the difference between “leaf” and “leave,” I couldn’t spell it. Looking back on it, I would argue with my friends because they received Smarties and a smiley sticker with their spelling test, and all I got was “You got the next one!” written on mine. Even more so, I got sly giggles and fingers pointed at me because I couldn’t pass one of the “easiest” spelling quizzes we got.

However, I decided I wasn’t going to let it stop me—granted, with misspelling, I had technology to edit and correct any spelling errors. I could read any prompt and decide I was going to write that essay. I’d sit down and let it flow.

Throughout my middle school years, I realized that the work I was given was too easy. Misspelling was no longer an issue, as everyone had access to autocorrect. So, I would ask for a different prompt—something deeper and more challenging to argue in an essay. From there, I went on to win a handful of English awards for my essays and poems.

Entering my freshman year, I decided to start with a base-level English Nine course to see how it would play out. It was easy, and while I enjoyed my grade-level class, I knew I could complete more challenging work. My sophomore year, I took AP Seminar; my junior year, I took AP Language; and finally, for my senior year, I am taking AP Literature. Despite spelling being an issue, I thrive in advanced placement English courses, which push me to focus and think more deeply about my work.

Being unable to spell has not stopped me. I’m not ashamed to struggle with my spelling; honestly, it’s become who I am! I am always willing to ask what I can do to improve my writing and my work. I’m confident in my skills and ability to grow and improve. Other kids may not have had to come in early for extra help like I did, but I also experienced how good it feels to improve my reading and writing levels.

Moreover, I pushed past my shame to become better and excellent in my English work; my shame turned into proving to everyone—including myself—that I can be a poised and excellent writer. Misspelling does not stop me from passionately creating any piece of writing.

I’ve learned to separate the struggle from what I know I can accomplish, and that my “faults” are not something to hide; if anything, they make me who I am: confident, flexible, and self-starting. I am me—misspelled words and all.