Final Draft Educational Narrative.

Peer Pressure- noun; Influence from members of ones peer group. As I’m sure everyone knows what peer pressure is and what it does to the younger aged members of the high school education years. Most people choose to stay out of peer pressure, while others fall subject to the mistakes that can be led from it.

My experience will last a lifetime in my eyes, not everyone gets wrapped up to the extent of peer pressure that lands you in jail, and comes out on top and on the fast track to success. I was once told by the Sargent of Suquamish Police Department,  “The children who get in trouble with the judicial system earlier in life are normally the ones who learn from it, come out with their head on their shoulders. As opposed to the mid to elder age that get in trouble with the law, typically have more or less a troubled future. “ I’m sure many people have proved that statement as incorrect, yet being that the extent of my committed offense was not damaging, nor stealing, other than a mere trespassing, I still learned a very valuable lesson.

It all started one night I had received a text message asking me to sneak out my bedroom window and wear all black. I had no idea as to what we were doing, but was already nervous due to the fact I had never snuck out of my house before this moment. In the pitch black of the night I find myself in a parked car in the woods not a clue as to where we are. We all get out of the car and walk to the brand new high school, the group wanted to “have some fun”. Next comes the ninja rope, which was thrown up on the top of the building only to climb up the side of the building onto the roof.  As of then my mind was flooding with thoughts of delinquency and imprisonment, I was too afraid to call my parents as I was in fear of getting in trouble. We open the door on the roof, climb down the ladder, and we’re in.

As soon as we entered the school, members of the group immediately start rolling around in garbage cans in a childish manner. I on the other hand proceeded to sit against the wall like a frightened puppy while falling subject to this foolishness. I ask myself, is this worth getting in trouble for?  I should probably call my parents.. Yet no, I stay. I stay for fear of waking up my parents at two o’clock in the morning, for a little hope that the authorities will not come and take us away. Looking up at the entrance of the school I see a car outside, I look closer and it appears to be a police car. Thoughts of anxiety and dismay overwhelm me as we run back up to the roof. One of the members of the group had in his possession a police scanner as well as a hack saw and multiple other items which I have forgotten due to how long ago this occurred, in the bag that he had brought. Which made it seem like we were trying to burglarize the place.

One second I find myself and the others hiding in a heating room on the roof waiting for the police to go away, the next second I remember being pulled out of the heat duct with everyone else at gunpoint, with police dogs, all the lights from the fire truck that were used to lift the officers onto the roof. We go back inside from the point of entry on the rooftop and are all handcuffed and taken to the prison.

Upon entering the jail I was fingerprinted, had my picture taken, stripped down to my skivvies, searched from head to toe, had to take a cold shower, put on an orange jump suit, give them my clothes and phone, everything. It was not a lovely sight for me and it was a real eye opener. A call was made to my parents that their daughter was in prison and they needed to come pick her up, my parents went into my room to tell me they were going to pick up my sister from jail only to find pillows stuffed under my sheets and their oh so innocent daughter, not in her bed.. So what did my parents do? They called the jail back, told them to leave me there, teach me lesson, and scare me into never doing it again. They didn’t end up putting me in a cell right away, they put me in their holding room over night, they told me I didn’t seem like I belonged there. There were three days before my 16^th birthday and I remained in a cell until that day. Needless to say I didn’t receive any gifts or presents for my birthday, but I understood. I had my phone, computer, life taken away and was nearly estranged by my parents, I felt like such a disappointment, but it really taught me a great lesson in life and when you make mistakes like I did, you have to suffer the consequences.

Returning back to school I found that I had been removed from all my classes because I hadn’t been for three days with no calls or anything, just vanished within the blink of an eye. A newspaper article was posted that week about the incident with no names mentioned but it stated that a 15-year-old minor was with a group of 18-year-old kids and told the whole story. Being that I was so embarrassed, I didn’t want to tell a soul about my disgrace of a mistake I had made. Come to my surprise someone cared enough to read the newspaper and put two and two together, and confront me about the situation. My athletic medicine teacher called me into his office the day of my return and asked me straight forward, “what’s going on, Megan. I’m guessing that was you I read about in the paper so tell me, what were you thinking?” He went on to ask me what I am going to do with my future and what am I interested in, giving me some parental and teacher-ly advice, we talked longer and decided that since I have always been a fan of medicine I would/ should go to nursing school.

I learned that peer pressure is never a good thing unless they are pressuring you to do better in your schooling or in your life. It was also hard on me because my family had expected so much more from me to do better in life and I had simply just made one mistake and hung out with the wrong crowd for a week or so. I learned that even if life brings you down a road of confusion, and pressure, that anyone and everyone could better their lives and get on the path to greatness by doing what they love. I have my athletic medicine teacher to thank for having faith in me that I could and would do better things in life. This experience, advice, and support, helped me choose my career path and pushed me to do better in my schooling.. If it weren't for my teacher I probably would still be with the wrong crowd of people and be partying every weekend in college and not doing my homework instead of focusing on my long-term goal of medicine. I am so happy to finally have my path figured out, anything can happen I just have to keep my eyes open and subject to anything life throws at me.

This experience was a slap in the face to get my act together. It worked; I am so grateful that I finally have my foot in the door and am working as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) with Martha and Mary Health and Rehab. I am also applying for nursing schools around the state of Washington. I am devoted to school and working towards a greater future. I learned a very valuable lesson.