The Pact Essay

Whats the problem with high school students these days? The problem is students today are losing interest to stay in school as study shows 35% kids drop out each day. The problem is happening right now in front of our doors! This problem is very serious, especially for young black males because the majority of them were born and lived in the projects, which was full of negative influence. The problem is still happening because every kid wants to be cool or to fit in, and the only way to do it, is to do drugs or commit crimes with their friends. George, Sam, and Rameck are the three doctors who grew up together in the projects, in the streets of Newark; full of thugs and drug dealers. They made a pact to help each and every one of them to stay and finish college. In fact, Sam is the one who struggled the most. Regardless of his struggle, he managed to make something out of his life. He made a couple of bad decisions but his social life helped and motivated him to stay in school towards becoming a surgeon.

The most important factor is friends. Friends really influence you a lot to become the person that you are as you spend most of your time with them, like during school, after school, and weekends. Friends could go both ways, they could lift you up, or bring you down. Sam didnt realize this until his later years. When Sam was in elementary school, all the boys in his neighborhood thought shoplifting a large icee in a grocery store was the biggest thing. Sam wanted to gratify his friends so he wouldnt feel left out. One day, he decided to steal a large icee with a friend because everyone bragged that it was easy. He walked into a grocery store with his friend and slipped the icee into his shorts. Suddenly, I felt a pair of huge hands on the back of my arm. One of the stores owners, a big, burly Hispanic man over six feet tall, pulled my friend and me to the back of the store (31). As he attempt to walked out with his friend, the stores owner stopped them. The stores owner grabbed his shorts and the icee fell out. The owner brought out two German shepherds and he told them he would let the dogs eat them if they ever tried to steal again. His friend and him immediately ran out of the store. The trouble didnt end here. Sam was still reluctant to break up with them cause he still valued their friendship. Sam was seventeen when his street friends persuaded him to be a robber like them. His street friends and him would only rob inexperiences drug dealers because they were new. Since the plan was only to rob drug dealers, Sam thought he was justified. He also needed money. They succeeded a couple times, but eventually they got caught. Sam was sent to juvenile-detention. Sam said, I felt ashamed. Day and night I sat there thinking, How could I disappoint Moms like this? How could I be dumb enough to participate in a robbery? How could I end up here (88)? During the time when he was in juvenile, he felt disgrace towards his mom because all she ever asked for was for him to get an education and have a bright future. Thats when Sam wants to change his life. He begins to see the main purport, his streets friends only bring him nothing but trouble. It took Sam a lot of valor to break up with them. Although his street friends only brought negativity to his life, it also brought him great import. It made him evaluate his focus on school. On the other hand, Sam had a huge rapport with George and Rameck. None of them need to acted ingratiate. They were just being themselves. Sam can rely on both of them to talk or shared his problems. George called regularly and occasionally drove to Camden to check on me, and Rameck and I still played basketball together (209-210). When Sam failed his first state board exam, George and Rameck gave him moral support. George knew Sam needed friends more than ever, so he always checked on him to make sure he was alright. Rameck played basketball with him to help him stay away from the exam. Eventually, Sam studied hard and passed the exam, but without George and Rameck, he wouldnt be able to believe he could pass the exam. The three doctors commitment to the pact to help each one another to succeed. Many of us have problems, thats why having positive friends, like Sam having George and Rameck, helps him face his problems.

Community plays a huge role on retention because even though the three doctors had the determination to go to college, they needed someone or a program to encourage them whether or not if they should stay in college, because there will always be a sense of doubt. When George, Sam, and Rameck were in University High, they didnt have teachers that were motivated. We had a few dedicated teachers at the high school who pushed us to learn and forced us to do our work, but too many others just didnt know how to reach us and didnt seem to care (59). The teachers dont have the desire to help students or care, therefore, Sam, Rameck, and George's grades drop. This proved how important of a role teachers play on a student's academic life. If the teachers didnt care about their education, how would you expect students to stay in school when the teachers dont care whether they attend or not. However, Sam was lucky to have Carla, the counselor at Seton Hall, who did more things than she should have to motivate the doctors to succeed in college. She feared that if one of us dropped out of the program, she risked losing all three of us. She vowed not to allow that to happen, and she became our angel, guiding, protecting, and pushing us as we traveled blindly form the comforts and dangers of our through the challenging new ones at Seton Hall (122-123). Carla had a strong commitment to nurture the three doctors because she wanted everyone to succeed. Carla was one of the people that Sam trusted to discuss topics concerning his problem. Sam always went to Carla to get help and talk about his problem. People need to have someone to talk about their problems. You cant solve problems if you keep it to yourself. Being in a good community really makes a difference in a student's retention like how Carla never gave up on Sam.

Sam's family also participated in a huge role in his early life bringing him his first step toward success. Sam was eleven years old when his parents divorced. He lost a father figure and the one thing he felt his family was secured from poverty was lost. but when he left, so did his regular paycheck and the security of knowing that all the bills would get paid and that my little brother and I would always have something to eat (21). Even though Sam's parents didnt get along, Sam and his brother never had a problem with money because of his father. Now, Sam needed to find ways to help assist his family. It also made Sam take care of his mother. Mom was leading on me for things she couldnt do, like reading her mail, making deposits at the bank, and helping to write money orders for bills (21). Sam played a parent role when he was very young, which taught him to be responsible and an independent person. However, Sam's mom always pushed Sam to stay in school even though she is illiterate herself. Go to school, Marshall (35). Even when Sam's mom couldn't help him on his homework, she still continued to motivate him to stay in school. She wants her child to succeed. A father figure is very important in most young black men's lives, but their father was gone. But they could use Sam as a role model who managed to succeed and retain in school.

Sam's social life had helped keep him retention in school. Sam's friends were a huge factor. He had friends who were negative but made him more focus on school. His positive friends like George and Rameck, are one of the many people who can help you through tough situation. Friends are one of the many people who can help you through tough situations. Together they encouraged each one another to stay in school.. I would also suggest family, as your parent put all their hopes and dream into you to stay in school in order to succeed in life like Sam's mom. Parents always wish whats best for their children.