Who am I? An Introduction

Let me just say, I am always lost when it comes to writing an autobiography. Autobiographies are difficult to truly convey who you are, especially when you don't understand yourself in the first place. I can only communicate the basics to the audience and even then it seems like an over-generalization. Although, since this is a film review blog, I will orchestrate my background information around my experiences with film and education.

Me, 2016

To begin, my name is Caroline Bertini and I am from Boulder, Colorado. I am 20 years old and currently a junior at Western Colorado University. I am studying to become an Occupational Therapist but my degree is going to be in psychology with an emphasis in clinical and school counseling. I also am receiving a minor in art and biology and I am a member of the honors program here at Western, which should be considered another minor within itself. If you cannot tell, I am a school-oriented person in the sense that learning and academics are one of the most important aspects of my life. I currently have a GPA of 3.95 and have been a member of Western's dean list for my whole college career. Despite my current in-school success, I have not always been as fond of going to school and learning as I am now.

When I was four years old, my parents tested me for any learning disabilities or brain abnormalities that might impair my schooling. I was soon diagnosed with a mild form of Dyslexia. This learning disability didn't impact my learning as much as some people thought it would so consequently, I was placed in a special program at my school. This program though, consisted of students who had severe autism, in the sense that a few could not read or write whatsoever and were physically handicapped. Being placed in that program affected me greatly. Since I had to be taken out of class to go learn something I already knew about, my classmates stigmatized me and thought I wasn't smart. My teachers did the same as well, they didn't believe nor allowed me to read a "harder" book when I could. I spent years with tutors outside of school and countless hours reading out-loud to my mother in order to increase my reading abilities and to make me feel "normal." My elementary years were painful and extremely frustrating not only for the learning aspect but for my socialization. Although, without the pressure of my parents and the devastating affects of the social stigma around learning disabilities, I would not be here today. You could say I proved those guys wrong and yes, I may have overcompensated a little.

In respects to education as a whole, I hold teachers (especially elementary teachers) to a higher standard than most. School effects children more than anyone can imagine. On average, a student spends eight hours, five days a week, for 15+ years inside school walls surrounded by the same students and teachers. Education is extremely important for young people and greatly impacts their beliefs, values, and even to some extent, the formation of their personality.

In respects to film and education, I believe films do not incorporate the harsh realities of school to the extent that they should. Of course, displaying those harsh realities may be too difficult to accomplish. Movies that have captured education in the best way, personally, include 'Dead Poets Society' and the 2018 movie, 'Eighth Grade.' I appreciate these movies because they were able to convey the angst of coming to age while in school. 'Dead Poets Society' entails the story of a group of young private school boys who are motivated academically by their "controversial" English professor. 'Eighth Grade' depicts the story of a young girl growing up with technology in school and the challenges of not only increased self-awareness but social media standards.

'Eighth Grade'

I appreciate these movies and others that are able to capture a snapshot of a person's or group of persons lives to the finest details. Like I mentioned, school impacts people more than some will ever know, and the consequences are not always fixable for they morph a person's values, personality, and how people treat one another. Growing up with dyslexia, social stigmas, and the increased usage of technology, schooling has greatly affected who I am today. Hopefully, with the aid of films, will people, and myself, better understand the education system and challenge the way we think of schooling.