Anushka Naidu

We have the money, we have the time, Yet we are poor without a dime. As middle class we always lose, No matter what path we choose. We are puppets for the rich, And the face of the nation. We will die in a ditch, At their dictation. Some of us are frugal, and some of us are not. But when they play the final bugle, The lot of us will rot.

For over 12 years I have played professionally competitive tennis. At age 12, I was ranked 21 in the state, which was a huge accomplishment for me. My deep commitment to Tennis resulted in my decision to homeschool for 2 years. When I was younger, I played with passion and the drive to win. Now, my competitive senses have slightly dulled, and I view the sport as a fun outlet to be involved at school and make new friends. Although I am less involved in competition, I still hate to lose, but I...

In middle school it became a trend to be blatantly and openly racist to South Asians, in particular, Indians. People who used to surround me began to view me with scornful eyes, as if my existence was a sin. The discrimination I experienced, and still do, negatively affected my self- esteem, placing me in a vulnerable state. I wanted to look like and act like everyone else. Other children would claim my race was the only reason I was smart, and so, although my class rank was higher than...