I'm not quite sure if you'll remember me, but this is Jenny (Hari) Lee. I was a student in your ERWC class about three years ago. I'm not quite sure what prompted me to write you an e-mail, but I think it was a compilation of a lot of things.
I first wanted to thank you, because I remember you as a figure who was of a lot of help to me when I was struggling with familial issues, especially concerning the issues that arose specifically because of college. I can't recall details, but I do still remember that you gave me advice and guided me in the right direction when I was struggling (what with having to apply for college without the knowledge of my mother and all that). I sincerely thank you for that, because I am familiar with how much of a pushover I used to be, and I may not have had the courage to stand up to my mother and decide to go to college if it wasn't, in part, for you.
Second, I wanted to update you on the life of this former student of yours. When I graduated from ACE and started my freshman year at CSULB, I found that I didn't feel like I belonged there. I had amazing professors and attended insightful lectures on a lot of subjects, but I had a lot of trouble socially. I also felt like I wanted to academically challenge myself more, but for some reason, that wasn't ever fulfilled in the classes I took. So, halfway through my second semester at CSULB, I decided to reverse-transfer to community college with the goal of transferring elsewhere. The year I spent at community college was, to simply put it, terrible (not because of the school itself, but because I had to take an overwhelming amount of units in case the units from CSULB didn't transfer to the UCs I was applying to). Somehow, though, I managed to get through 2 semesters there. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into UC Berkeley, which is where I am now. I'm living in the dorms (housing is crazy expensive here!) and I'm gradually getting used to the communal way of life that inevitably comes with dorming. We've already started the semester, and although I know that this is going to be another difficult journey, I'm more excited than nervous.
I think what most influenced me to write to you is a random thought that passed me while I was on the bus. There was a poster in your room above the whiteboard that had a quote with a grammatical error. I think it was something along the lines of "In 20 years, it doesn't matter what you ate, where you went, or the jeans you wore." Not accurate, but the important part is the the last bit. When I pointed out that "the jeans" should rather be "which jeans," you corrected it with a post it. I started to wonder if that post-it is still there, or if the poster itself is still there at all. Then, I started to wonder about what other little marks I had left in the places I had visited during my journey to present day. While I was thinking about that, I missed my bus stop, but I quite enjoyed reminiscing about the past.
Anyway, I'm rambling at this point. I'd like to provide you with some other updates! My sister, Betty, is actually starting her freshman year this September at Stanford. She was having the hardest time choosing between Princeton and Stanford, but she chose Stanford in the end (and even though we're both away from home now, we're not far from each other; in fact, we're only an hour away from one another). I was so, so proud of her, and when she called me while I was at school to say that she had been accepted into those schools (plus Dartmouth, which she didn't even consider), I embarrassingly shed a few tears. I am not sure if you remember Betty, but she was in Mr. Brown's class in sophomore year!
I talk to Cazine and Michelle from time to time, and Cazine is studying abroad in Korea this semester. Something that was really surprising to me was that Cazine became friends with someone that I was friends with at the high school I attended previously to ACE. They're both studying in Korea in the same program, and that made me realize just how small this world really is.
I don't know if this was at all interesting to read, and I hope I didn't take up a lot of your time. I really hope that you're doing well, Mrs. Carpenter. School must have already started in Helendale! I wish you a great academic year (and for there to be no student in any of your classes who just uses words straight out of the thesaurus and doesn't check the definition and context it should be used in before using them! i.e., cadaver should not have been a word used to describe Christopher McCandless' dead body since it's mainly a medical term).
Sincerely,
Jenny
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