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Entering Adolescence
I developed independence at this age since I was at the school for the deaf, where my teacher and supervisors trusted me to follow their orders that they couldn't find other students reliable. I also discovered a condition, Usher Syndrome. This was the start of my identity journey as a DeafBlind individual. (This was took on my brother's 12th birthday.)m -
2.1 Maturational Timing
My very first best friend is the woman seen in the photo. She had recently transferred to my school when I was in the 7th grade. I realized that once we met, my behavior changed. Both my academic achievement and my attitude toward my mother were declining. At that point, peer pressure was first introduced to me. I started getting into trouble at school and staying up past my curfew just to be on my phone all night. I believe that I was an average maturer. -
3.1 Social Cognition
Personal Fable- I recall my relationship with my mother and peers during middle school. I felt lonely and that I wasn't being heard. My relationship with my mother was complicated in ways I couldn't express better in words. My word choices were limited, and I couldn't understand why my mom was always grouchy and couldn't hang out with my brother and me after she got home from work. I felt neglected—the same way with my peers. When I told them that I felt lonely, my feelings were invalid. -
6.2: Companionship
When I first enrolled at the school for the deaf, my mother worked there and the state school's rules prohibited my friends from visiting me at home. My social life was complicated by the fact that the majority of my friends lived hours away from where I lived. My friends were finally permitted to visit the house after my mom left her job, which allowed us to engage in activities outside of school. -
2.2 Niche-Picking
Niche-picking: children seek out environments that are both stimulating and compatible. After years of going to the same Christian summer camp, I finally found a center surrounded by people who shared the same beliefs as my family and me. I wasn't criticized for my identity, and the LGBTQIA+ community was accepted there. My family raised me to practice religion, and when I brought them to my peers, my peers would judge me, or I would feel ignored. -
3.2 Abstraction
At the time, I realized I was a Christian and wanted to be a good leader and role model for young people. Growing up, I was raised in a religious environment, and I was a devout follower. I prioritized my schooling since I was always taught that a successful person prioritizes school. I possessed decent manners and wished to set an example for others. -
3.3 Social Comparison
Looking back, I wanted to be a popular kid in school because my best friend had a significant social group and I felt left out. She was an athlete and wore trendy clothes that I always wanted to wear. I used to be an athlete but not as good as she was. My closet was full of my mother's selection. When I think about it, I would assume that my mom wanted to keep me from violating the school's dress code because my best friend ended up in school suspension several times. -
4.1 Gender intensification
I attempted to recall when I discovered my sexual identity, but I don't recall it having a role during my adolescence. My mother never told me to dress like a gender stereotype, but she did pass judgment on excessively short clothes or exposed cleavage. I've always identified as a white straight, cisgender female, and I didn't engage in sexual activities or date until I was 18. My friends would engage in sexual activities and explore their identities without their parents knowing. -
7.3 Intrinsic Motivation
In a way I put my mindset to, I usually find my drive in something people don't encourage me. For instance, my teachers and parents always told me the importance of reading books every day, and I didn't motivate myself to do so. I have always enjoyed math because no one told me to love math the way I did. That led to a career. Never once people said I would make a great therapist until I decided to major in psychology. People would always assume I would be a teacher one day. -
6.1- parent adolescent conflict
Authoritarian parenting style- I grew up with a single mother who consistently expected me never to repeat her behaviors. She got pregnant with my brother earlier than anticipated and regretted not finishing school sooner. She ensured I didn't distract myself with boys and stayed on track with school. She never needed to explain herself, so I was frustrated when I couldn't speak freely. I kept in mind to override her expectations when I turned 18, and I did. -
6.3 Stimulation
I led a couple of organizations in my final year of high school and received the valedictorian award. I periodically helped my friends with their homework so they might graduate with me, and one of them continued to work toward graduating as a salutatorian. As the manager of a volleyball team, I frequently traveled with the squad, which grew our bond. -
8.1 Rites Of Passage
Suppose I had to pick one event, my high school graduation. High school graduation is a common tradition in America. I graduated as a valedictorian, which was the most crucial part of high school. I struggled with an identity I discovered later on, and learning what kind of person I wanted to be was not easy. The end of high school felt like a huge accomplishment for me. -
7.1 Transition to College
When I graduated high school, I still saw a boy and knew what career I wanted to pursue. When I enrolled in NTID, I realized it was not something I wanted to follow, and I felt lonely. I was overwhelmed with the courses I took and realized photography major was not just one thing but included graphic design and art courses in which I was not talented. I transferred to community college back home to be close to my ex-boyfriend and finally found a career I wanted to pursue. -
Emerging Adulthood
At the age of 19, I remember experiencing instability and a lack of self-awareness. I didn't know what I wanted to do while still in school. I have just enrolled in my second college to be close to home. I changed majors several times. I was granted an opportunity to interpret an opera concert at one university in the south of Atlanta. That was when my confidence gained.