Personal Statement
My name is Jacob David Stockwell, but I go by J.D. I live with both of my parents in San Diego, CA, and have 3 older sisters. I enjoy music, singing in choir, water polo, time with my friends, boating and some fishing. My family has always spent time volunteering and helping others, so I have also spent a lot of time doing that since I was pretty young. I think it is important to spend time helping others to help give perspective in life. I have grown to enjoy it on many levels.
School has been a challenge for me. I started speech therapy when I was in preschool and continued through 8th grade. In third grade my teacher recommended that I be held back a grade, but my parents convinced them that that there was probably more that wouldn’t be helped by repeating a grade. I was tested and was told I have a processing delay and dyslexic tendencies. Paying attention and staying focused were problems. I also went through 12 months of vision therapy for numerous vision problems that would not be helped with glasses. Since then, I have had an IEP with accommodations for my classes. I have had to learn to advocate for myself with my teachers, and in each class learn what helps me and what doesn’t. I have worked hard been able to take all regular classes,with no remedial courses. My GPA throughout high school has always been eligible for sports.
I played several sports when I was younger. I had trouble with all of them in one way or another. When I was 10, my parents had me try water polo. When I got into the pool and I was constantly moving in the water, things came together; my focus and my coordination. . A few months later, at an IEP meeting, my teachers found out when I had started playing water polo, and traced it back to where a lot of my school issues improved. I have been in the pool in some way several times a week ever since. In addition to becoming physically strong and having physical and mental endurance, playing water polo has helped me with respect for myself and others, self-discipline, and working with others as a team. Some great friendships of mine have also come from my team
I have had some challenges that most of the people I come in contact with would not know of or understand. The difficulties have helped me become stronger in areas that I might not have otherwise. There are a few classes I am currently retaking to bring a D grade up and increase my GPA. I have taken a semester of American Sign Language at the J Cand will be enrolling in a second semester in the Spring. I am pleased that I am at a point in my life that college is a possibility for me, and am looking forward to expanding my education to more specific areas that interest me.
