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Over the summer, I planned to have my thesis completed during the fall semester of my senior year. Of course that did not happen. I would find every excuse in the book to prevent me from writing my thesis. When my supervisor was finally on my butt (around December) asking what was going on, I obviously could not put off writing my thesis any longer. When I officially started the process of writing my thesis, I was convinced that I was not going to be able to finish. It just seemed like such a large undertaking that I was not prepared for. Back in January, I remember even telling my friends that I was just going to drop out of Schreyer because I could not (and partially did not) want to write the thesis. I was being lazy.

Now, I have completed my undergraduate thesis, and boy has this process taught me so much! I already knew I was a major procrastinator, but I also learned that I have great difficulty setting deadlines for myself. If I am giving a deadline from someone else, I can meet it without any problem. However, when I told myself I had to finish my thesis by the end of February, that did not happen. No one else was holding me accountable, so I could easily push that deadline back without being penalized. I realize now that this is a problem. I definitely need to get better at being self-accountable, especially if I want to go to law school.

More than what I learned about myself, however, is what I learned through the research I did. My thesis focuses on the school-to-prison pipeline (stpp), specifically in New York City public schools, and how this pipeline negatively impacts African-American students. I decided to change my thesis topic to the stpp during the summer before senior year. I had already been accepted to Teach for America and during the process of preparing for their application and interviews, I learned a little bit about the stpp. I was floored. Sure, I knew then that our education system was severely flawed, but I could not believe that there was really a system in our schools that funneled students out of school and into the criminal justice system. We’ve all heard of suspensions before, and some may have been suspended from school during their days, but the overuse of suspensions, as well as police presence in schools, and high stakes testing are just a few of the ways students are pushed out of school and into prison. When considering racial demographics, the statistics are even more astonishing. Studies have found that Black students in some states are six times as likely to be suspended, compared to white students. In other states, such as Texas, students can face a fine for too many absences from school, and if that fine is unpaid, there is a bench warrant for their arrest. The knowledge that I have gained while writing this thesis has definitely made me even more excited for Teach for America. Knowing what I do now about how easily students are pushed out of schools makes me want to work even harder on behalf of my future students. I want them to succeed and fall in love with education and learning as I have over the course of my life. I want my students to know that someone in their lives believes in them and does not want to see them in jail, but as a doctor or lawyer. This thesis has reaffirmed for me why I wanted to join TFA in the first place.

I am glad that I finally finished my thesis. I cannot wait to ring that gong on Tuesday!