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The Story of My Life
An Autobiography
Jimmie King
EDUC 111: Introduction to Teaching
Professor Eastman
October 1, 2009
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Abstract
If I could say one sentence about my life it would be, I have been through tons of ups and downs
but still I will always be the best I can be. As a child I was cared for but not put in the best opportunity
to succeed. I moved to make myself better and also make something of me. While growing up I made
mistakes but always learned from them. Learning from these mistakes I made wonderful grades
throughout high school to get myself into Manchester College. My goal in life is to help people be the
best they can be. I realize that becoming a teacher is going to give me the best opportunity to reach my
goal and be successful in life.
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When I was six years old I moved from Newton, Iowa to Muncie, Indiana. When my dad
and I arrived we took a trip to the all the elementary schools around the area. We found
Grissom. My dad filled out tons of paper work and after he was done the secretary told him
that all of the classes were filled and there was nowhere to put me. Mrs. Stafford walked by
and asked what grade I was in. I told her I was going into the first grade and had no teacher.
She told the secretary to find a desk because she had a new student coming in today. From
that moment on I wanted to be a teacher. To this I day I keep in touch with Mrs. Stafford to let
her know how I am doing and I haven’t changed my mind from that day and I am really happy
with that decision.
I was born on December 12th, 1990. I was born in Newton, Iowa and right after birth I
was transferred to the capital, Des Moines, because I needed surgery. A week later I came
home and started life with my family. I have a mom, Julie, and she spent all day watching me
while my dad, Jim, worked. My dad was the one that watched me at night while my mom
worked. My dad is my best friend and has done everything he can to help me and still does. If
it wasn’t for him I don’t think I would be in the position I am in today.
I spent my first four years of life doing nothing but running around and being a kid.
When I was five I went to the first school ever at the Children of Newton pre-school. At the end
of the summer, right before my first grade year of school, my mom and dad got into a huge
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argument and my dad was ready to move. Two weeks later my aunt and uncle came to get us.
We left during the middle of the night and we arrived around noon the next day. My aunt and
uncle drove my dad and me around looking at schools around the area. When my dad saw
Grissom he was sold and told my uncle to pull in, this is where I was going to school. We
walked in and my dad filled out paper work and when he was done we had a problem and all of
a sudden my first grade teacher walked by and told the secretary that she had a new student.
That was the day when my life had a positive change. When I left Grissom I went to Wilson
Middle School. It was a great experience and also a positive one. My first year of school I did
horrible on my grades and had a bad attitude about it. I was all about making friends and
having fun. When my dad got my report card I got grounded until the next nine weeks was
over and my grades were better. He talked to all my teachers and I had to study two hours a
night. After the nine weeks were over I had all A’s and one B. Ever since then I never made
below a B and I am proud to say that. Three years later I ended up at Muncie Southside High
School. It was the best four years I had and was a really great experience. I made so many
friends and did really well on my grades. I applied to many colleges my senior year and decided
to go to Manchester College and that was the smartest decision I ever made.
In third grade I tried out for wrestling and to this day I love to wrestle and I am wrestling
in college. In the spring of that year I went on to state and placed third and was so excited. In
middle school I wrestled and did alright but had so much fun. Then in high school I wrestled my
first two years and did horrible. My junior year I made it past sectionals for the first time and
went all the way to the ticket round of semi-state. I was one match away from wrestling at
state. My senior year I started the season ranked 3rd in state and did the same thing but I was
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two matches away from state. I also played two other sports. I played football every year from
5th grade all the way up to my senior year. I played on the line every year I played. I also played
baseball. It was my favorite sport until I got to high school when I fell in love with wrestling.
The summer before my senior year I got hit in the mouth with a baseball and lost a tooth. I quit
playing baseball after that because I never felt the same.
My biggest disappointment was not doing the best I could in all the sports I did and not
spending enough time with my grandpa on my mother’s side. I only had seen him once a year
because we lived eight hours away. The same day I lost at semi-state my senior year my dad
told me that my grandpa died and didn’t want to tell me before I wrestled. It was the biggest
loss of my life and I live everyday for him. My biggest victory was moving from Iowa to Indiana
and starting life over. If I would have stayed in Iowa I wouldn’t have been as good a person as I
am today and would not be in college. I struggle a lot with boredom and what people think of
me. I feel like at times I try awful hard to please people so they don’t end up mad at me. I try
to make friends with everyone and it doesn’t always work. I get bored really easily and
sometimes get off track when I am doing small things because I feel like I could have bigger and
better things to do and make changes and correct.
I love to wrestle and just play sports in general. One of my favorite things to do is
hangout and have a great time. I love to make people laugh and I am always in a positive mood
and rarely do you see me not smiling. I absolutely love helping little kids. I would do anything
in this world just to help them and make them a positive thing in society when they get older. I
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really don’t like people that are rude and show no respect. I don’t like when people try harder
to show off then to actually be themselves.
Right after Christmas break my counselor and I spoke for about an hour on colleges I
was looking at. I told her than I was really excited about Manchester College and how
wonderful it looked and how it was perfect size for me and that I was actually going to be
someone besides a number in a classroom full of hundreds of people. I looked at other colleges
but they didn’t provide what I needed and were not right for me. It didn’t feel right when I
went on campus visits to other colleges; like it was when I was here visiting. It has been one of
the best, if not the best, choice I made and will never look back and regret it.
My life has been through many ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change anything about it.
I feel that if you have regrets then you have a problem. Everything happens for a reason and
you just need to take what you got and make the best of it. I feel in the future I will be a great
teacher and provide the most I can to all my children. If I can just make one child as happy as I
did the day Mrs. Stafford took me in then I will feel like life was worth living for.