It was fourth period, and I was absolutely exhausted. My brain had zero energy to socialize, and I just wanted to nap. Rushing into the AP Calculus BC classroom, my face fell as I realized I barely...

Since I was little, I knew whatever I was going to do would be something that would help others in my community. I thought that the only way to accomplish that was by pursuing a career in the medical field....

In a bustling cafeteria of nose-picking, immature third-graders, I sat with my peanut butter sandwich, quietly nibbling on it, amongst the girls from my class. Macey, a rambunctious basketball...

I sat down to write my last published work at Marcus High School, my senior column, and I was at a loss. I have no clue what to say about my experience these past four years. At first I thought...

Tie-dye is a trend that’s always been around. On 70s day in school, everyone dresses up in shirts with splotches of mixed colors, and in chemistry we choose our favorite colors and design tie-dye t-shirts....

High school isn’t the fairytale movies, books and TV shows make you believe it is. That’s a pretty general statement, and I’m sure a lot of us understand that. However, I’ve learned a few...

Mediocrity has always been my strong suit. I’ve never excelled, yet I haven’t failed. In elementary school I didn’t get picked first for dodgeball, but I wasn’t last. Averageness is the...

The 1966 spaghetti western “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is a movie about an outlaw who teams up with a wandering stranger, played by Clint Eastwood, to scam the law for bounty money. Eventually,...

My Aunt Mimi lives in a recliner in a small house fenced in by 60 foot pine trees outside Cabot, Arkansas. Pulling into her driveway, my dad would wake up me and my sisters, saying we’ve arrived. My...

The first thing I hear on Sunday morning is gospel music blaring in the kitchen. My sister and I are greeted with our parents singing and dancing and the smell of eggs, biscuits, rice, potatoes and...

In elementary school, some boys shoved girls and pulled their hair. Teachers would try to discipline them, but it often ended in giving a defeated shrug and muttering the same four words. “Boys...

Editor’s note: This story was named an honorable mention for personal columns in the 2021 TAJE Best of Texas contest. I’ll love you forever. I’ll like you for always. As long as I’m living...