Tony Truong
Even before entering community college, I constantly struggled with mathematics. My experiences with the struggle of contemplating and trying to answer a simple math formula would haunt me for several semesters and endanger my chances of earning my associate degree for transfer.
When I first took my math assessment (before the placement system in community colleges in California were abolished), I learned that I had to take remedial math classes before I could advance further and register for a CSU/UC transferable course. In that period, much of my academic career was spent taking remedial math courses that were not necessary for me as an English major.
At that time, I began to ponder whether college was right for me. Little by little, I saw my old friends graduating, accomplishing much and flourishing in their careers. Some were getting married and beginning to raise families. Others were starting out on a business and earning from their rewards. Some, like my sister and best friend, were beginning to pursue postgraduate education and beyond. All the while, I was stuck in the mire of my own personal disappointment in my college career, all because of my difficulties with mathematics. On my fourth attempt at trying to pass a class to move onto a transferrable course, I failed yet again, and was deemed educationally disqualified from continuing. In all my frustration, I threw up my hands and gave up on transferring. I then began seeking lower paying work and other career ventures, and ultimately trying to find some meaning in my life by going overseas….and yet, none of those things satisfied what I was ultimately seeking: stability in life, career, and my mental state. I had no idea what I was going to do.
After several therapy sessions in 2019 taken for personal reasons, I decided that I would give college one final shot. Because of the passage of Assembly Bill 705, I was able to bypass the other math courses that I would have had to take before moving onto higher levels of math. Finally, in 2020, after more struggles, I took my final two courses and ultimately took Statistics, where I passed with an A. The opportunity that came in the Fall 2020 semester allowed me to take the last of my Golden Four courses, and amid a pandemic and changing environments to my education, I was able to pass Statistics with ease. I was very ecstatic to learn that, in early February of this year, I was accepted into Cal Poly Pomona as an English major with an emphasis in English Education. I was finally able to transfer.
So where do I go from here? I'm still trying to figure out exactly what will be part of my career path in the next few years. I've given myself some time to think about what that path entails, but since being accepted to Cal Poly Pomona, I am more than optimistic about where the path leads me.
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