Jacob Smith

AP Lit-4th

Connely

5/14/15

I Grew up here

What grounds people? What creates the foundation for peoples identies? What is the

anchor for our existence? Our homes and communities those places and spaces that shape our

future actions and create our relations other people. For some people those places aren’t static

and change throughout their life because of the circumstances of the time. For me these Places

can be sectioned into my times in Stillwater , Moore , Dallas and Jenks as our family moved.

Stillwater was the place I grew up and lived in till the 3rd grade and I think one of the

most important places to my development as a person. Most of my time there was either spent

riding my bike or hanging our with my longtime childhood friend Nikki. My Experience in

Stillwater was very different than the college students who inhabitated those same city limits.

The Small college town was ultimately too small for my ambition and plans.

My move to moore was mainly due to my mothers enrollment at OU Law and economic

oppurtunities for my family. My Time there was generally spent either Skate boarding with

friends or playing games with those said friends. The Small suburb feel was definitely helpful in

creating a kid that was both urban but also nice to many people.

Subsequently after my mom graduated law school , we moved to Dallas at the beginning

of 6th grade. Sadly we chose to live in a neighborhood that was filled with a bunch of snobby

kids who weren’t even rich. For some reason even thought we lived In Rowlett we were bussed

out to sachse highschool earlier in the morning. While not being the best school in existence , it

offered me the opportunity to join debate which would shape my highschool appearance.

My last two years of young adulthood have been spent in Jenks Oklahoma and going to

jenks highschool. This was a big jump from a non-comeptitive school to being at one of the

premier insitutions in Oklahoma. While Sachse had a debate team , Jenks had a much more

nationally competitive team that allowed me to travel all across the nation competing against

my peers.