I have never had big problems with school. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that I have enjoyed school for most of my life that I have spent attending it. I can't help but believe that my upbringing played a crucial role in shaping my attitude and expectations towards school. Support from family and teachers shaped my positive attitude toward school, and placement in a school like the one I chose shaped my higher hopes and expectations toward school. I was born and raised in Grand Junction, Colorado. My parents instilled in me the importance of listening to and showing respect for authority figures. For a middle class white family, we are very normal. I am incredibly fortunate to have grown up in a family that did not suffer experiences such as divorce, separation, incarceration, addiction, etc. Having family support and stability is significant for academic achievement. As Lareau explains, all parents care about their children's well-being and educational progress, but the difference is seen in how parents of different classes address issues such as “how parents…handled children's complaints about institutions". (Lareau, 163). My parents knew that many educational situations need to be taken care of and had the ability to ensure that outcomes were achieved. Although my parents weren't as aggressive as Brielle's, who had graduated the year before me. After receiving her first B ever, her parents talked to the principal and teacher about finding extra work to change her grade, allowing her to remain valedictorian. We were encouraged to “pressure people in positions of power in institutions to meet (our) needs,” because this gets results. My parents “were often very interventionist, … middle of the road … they think it's so important for students, and it can be easily overlooked (School Day Goals 2). As I begin my third year of my undergraduate studies, I can't believe my time as a student is so close to an end. Of course, teachers never stop being students. Learning is a lifelong process, and even more so for professional educators. There are always ways I can improve my knowledge, my teaching, my learning and my thinking. My educational experiences here at CU Boulder have opened my mind tremendously. Not only am I learning a lot of information from my professors, but from all the interactions with people. Support and school options were key in my educational experiences. Not all students have many options or are treated fairly. Fortunately for me, these were the characteristics that led me to view my educational experiences as positive ones.