Allyson O’Grady

Mrs. Gravel

IDS

30 January 2020

My Time at MMSTC

Coming into MMSTC as a freshman was one of the most nerve racking experiences of

my life. I did not have the familiar comfort of my middle school friends, and I did not feel as

though I belonged academically. As each year progressed, however, I grew into a confident

woman who is ready to face the challenges of the real world, and all of this is due to my

experiences at MMSTC. Although I have not reached it yet, I now know the direction I need to

go in order to reach my true potential, and how I can use the family that I gained and the

strategies I have learned to be as successful as I can be.

One of the most important strengths I have gained from attending MMSTC was my

ability to take useful notes, and how I can study them properly. Every teacher that I had

presented their notes a little differently. Mrs. Dewey has us write in our C-Notes, which forced

me to learn how to organize all of the important information given, while Mr. Acre and Mrs.

Tallman just had us write on lined pieces of paper, which labored me into keeping a neat and

organized binder to keep all of my loose papers. From given the opportunity to learn all of these

different note taking techniques, I took a few techniques from each teacher and composed my

own personalized study habits that have been extremely successful, especially in my first

semester of senior year.

 The most beneficial experience gained from attending MMSTC was undoubtedly the

research process. When I was first introduced to the research project, I absolutely petrified, and

completely against the idea of it all together. However, once I started to get the hang of it, I

began to realize how beneficial it actually was. Not only was it an assignment that went into the

grade book, but it taught me valuable life lessons on time management and teamwork. During

research, we were given many different assignments, while also trying to balance the work from

the normal curriculum. It did get challenging a few times, but I learned how to manage my time

in the most effective manner. Research also gave me the opportunity to work with people who

are not as hardworking as me. I was constantly having to communicate with my partner to split

up the work and often found that having a set plan for the week worked most efficiently.

Learning these techniques from research allowed me to improve as a student, and I plan on

continuing these methods when I go to college.

The one thing that has affected me more than anything else in this program was the

family that I made while being a student at MMSTC. The friends that I made from the last 4

years are friends I will have for the rest of my life. We all had to experience the same excessive

amount of homework, the extremely late night study sessions, the difficult projects, and the new

teachers each year. This formed a bond that goes beyond friendship. We are family. The teachers

also made this experience one to remember. Some of the teachers from my home school don’t

genuinely care about our well being. The teachers at MMSTC treat us like their own children and

actually want us to be as successful as possible.

My time here at MMSTC has been one that I will never forget. They prepared us for

college more than I could possibly imagine, and have taught us so many lessons that we can
apply to the real world. I am forever grateful for my time here at MMSTC, and I will miss it with

all of my heart.