This is the essay I submitted to the NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders (NJCTS) for their 2017 Youth Scholarship Award contest.
DavidC
A major obstacle I had to overcome, and I still deal with, is having Tourette Syndrome. When I started sixth grade, my parents noticed the twitches and grunts continuously emitting from my eyes, mouth and arms, when I watched television. I knew something was wrong long before, but never said anything. I would be in class and my tics annoyed and worried classmates who sat near me. “Is that you?” they would ask. For a long time, I was self-conscious of my actions and hated how there was nothing I could do to stop it. When school got harder, the tics got worse. I also had trouble reading passages in textbooks. My eye doctor said my right eye was weaker than my left, so I had a delayed sensory. I compensated for this by re-reading passages until I understood the text. My doctor said what should have taken 30 minutes to read, would take me up to two hours. It made sense to me, because I studied for long periods of time at home, and often went for extra help before, during and after school. It wasn’t until my junior year that my parents had me classified. The designation allowed me to get extra time for tests and other support. I’m proud that despite the Tourrette, I took AP and High Honors classes and was able to maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. I was able to overcome this disability with sheer will and support from my family, teachers, and friends.
Having a steady hand is crucial in a drawing, but I also know that doing something I enjoy limits the impact of my Tourettes. It’s amazing, but, when I’m drawing I never experience tics. I love to draw and I love creating art. I want to be able to work more with both of those passions and become an animator.
As a child, I loved watching cartoons. That is how my passion for animation and the arts started. I have found what I want to do and that is to become an animator for a major studio or television network and create my own cartoon series. Even with my disorder and my late start in art, I was still able to apply, and get to accepted, to three amazing art schools. They are Ringling College of Art and Design, Savannah College of Art and Design and California College of the Arts. I still have not decided yet where I would like to go, but I know the disorder will still be there. However I will be there too fighting everyday to make sure my dreams can come true and that I can achieve whatever I want. I did it before with my grades in middle school and high school, and I will do it again in college and in the future when I do become an animator. No matter where I end up, my faith makes me confident that I will find success.
