Unnamed

When I was barely 13, one of my friends told me of a magnet school program at Roosevelt High School. The program was called DATA, and as the name might imply, it was heavily based on technology and the use of computers. At the time, I was (as my friends lovingly put it) an internet junkie; I spent my free time in front of my computer, reading and learning about the technological aspects of the world that most people are not even aware of.
	The program seemed like the place to be. It had everything I wanted: computer classes, classes on web design, classes on computer coding, and the best array of teachers I’ve ever met.
Their admissions consisted of a lottery as to who got in, and so I filled out the application and sent it in, hoping for the best. After waiting anxiously for months to hear a response, my letter of acceptance came. That single event affected my life in ways I can’t describe. I’ll never forget my time at DATA, as it quickly became a large emphasis on the direction my life was already going, which was right to college.
I fell in love with the program; it was the only place I had ever heard internet ‘slang’ words such as “lol” (which stands for “laughing out loud”) used instead of actually laughing at a joke. It was a nerd’s paradise, and is has given me a high-school career. I’ve learned, I’ve grown, and I’ve met others like me, computer geeks through and through. DATA is proven that there are good people in the world, and it has prepared me for college. If I had a second chance, I’d do it all over again.