Cuyler Mosley

Professor Fielding

Writing 103

February 1, 2017

Unequal Opportunities

Growing up my mother always told me that I can be whatever I want to

be, all I had to do was work hard and stay focused. Every child has heard a

version of this speech before. It is widely known as The American Dream,

that every United States citizen has an equal opportunity to attain success,

despite their origin or background (Marin). Is that true? Is America actually

the level playing field that my mom believed it to be? I was also convinced

that equal opportunity was real, until I moved across town with my dad.

I was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, which is generally known for

its exceptional theme parks like Disney World and Universal Studios. These

amusement parks attract all of the attention because they make Orlando a

desirable tourist destination (Auvil). However, there is a whole other side of

the city that only people from Orlando know about. It is kept so concealed

from the rest of the town that even some people from the area might be

unaware of it. I happen to be from that hidden part of the city. West Orlando;

separated from the rest of the city by downtown and Camping World

Stadium, home to several different poverty-stricken but still prideful

neighborhoods like Pine Hills, Ivey Lane, and Richmond Heights. I spent all

my youthful years in Richmond Heights, oblivious to the alternative world

outside of my neighborhood, similar to how the rest of the city was blind to

my surroundings. I assumed everything that was happening in my schools

and my community was typical, I never thought about how there were safer

areas and superior schools on the other side of town. I was in my own world

where the only things that mattered were money and sports. Moving with my

dad opened my eyes to a new world, with different norms.

I relocated across town when I was fourteen, in the midst of my

freshman year of high school. Both my parents had discussed with me the

idea of moving in with my dad for months. They preached to me about the

better opportunities that were available if I went to school on his side of

town. Instinctively, I was against the idea because I didnt want a new start if

it meant abandoning my friends. My parents eventually got through to me

and I agreed to move in with my father.

My first day at the new school was a culture shock for me. Previously I

attended majority African American public schools, but at this new school

there was barely anybody that looked like me. The school was predominantly

white, with a number of different ethnicities sprinkled here and there. The

school was also a lot larger than the high school that I had come from, it had

four different two story buildings that were laid out in a circle with a

courtyard in the center. Just from glancing at the buildings I could tell that

this school had a considerably larger budget than my past school. After I saw

the library and the technology at hand in the classrooms my suspicions were
confirmed, nevertheless I was excited to begin my new journey at this

school.

It didnt take long for me to notice that I was behind on concepts that

seemed like basic knowledge to every other student. In fact, I was behind in

every single one of my classes. I was expected to know information that I

had never even heard of before. I had to work twice as hard to understand

what everyone already knew, so I could eventually grasp the material that I

was being taught. This experience opened my eyes to the fact that my

preceding education was not up to par with the curriculum in the suburbs. I

realized that if I had remained at my original high school I wouldnt have had

the level of schooling that is expected on a college campus.

I learned a lot at during my time at my new high school, academically

and socially. It wasnt hard to notice that I was in a higher caliber area than

Richmond heights. The buildings were nicer, roads were smoother, and the

grass always seemed to be cut to the perfect height. The kids in the suburbs

would hang out differently than the kids where I was from, I was accustomed

to going to the basketball courts or playing video games at a friends house.

But at my new school they would go to the movies, bowling, and go to the

beach. I had done all of those activities before, but it was usually for a

special occasion. At my new school they would do this all the time. By the

end of my sophomore year nearly all the friends I made at my new school

had nice cars to drive. The difference in resources was not hard to notice,

most of my friends in Richmond heights didnt have cars to drive, I didnt

have a car. It smalls examples like that, that made me recognize that

everyone does not have the same opportunities. Some people have to work

harder to get what others are born with.

I was and still am one of those people. But I was never jealous of any

of the people in suburbs. Even after I knew that they had an initial advantage

on me, I always looked at them as equals even though I to struggle to get on

that same level. I wouldnt change a thing about my upbringing because I

learned so much from both situations. Moving to the eastside changed my

life for the better, and showed me the real advantages and disadvantages

that some people are dealt in life and I am forever indebted to my parents.

Works Cited

Auvil, Jennifer Plum. "Orlando's Top 5 Attractions." Travel Channel.

Travel Channel, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

Marin, Carlos. "Reality and the American Dream." Reality and the

American Dream. McKendree University, 9 Mar. 2008. Web. 27 Jan. 2017.

SELFIE:
I chose this as my selfie because these are my two best friends. The one on
the far right is my childhood friend from Richmond Heights (West Orlando),
and my friend in the I met when I moved to the suburbs. Both of them I
consider lifelong friends, and I wouldnt have had the opportunity to grow
with them if I didnt have the experience of moving to the suburbs.