Roderick Cort is from Guyana and currently a student at Bates College in Maine, USA
“In retrospect, I believe the best thing for anyone to do is to be an active member of whatever community you may belong to.”
Roderick Cort
I was born in Georgetown, Guyana and lived there for seven years until I moved to America with my family on April 3rd 1993. In the years following the move, I really missed home and my friends, even now I still miss what I remember home to be.
I started school in September of 1993 at public school 79 in the Bronx. My first two years at the school were quite rough. I had difficulties adjusting to the American culture and often felt out of place. In addition, I was at the bottom of my class, struggling in reading and math. My family was critical in my academic development. When they realized I was struggling, they pushed me to higher standards by having me read out loud at nights in addition to various other activities. My family helped me to develop my personal motivation for success, which my school and teachers would not do. Towards the end of 3rd grade, my hard work was starting to pay off with obvious signs such as the improvement in my grades. In 4th and 5th grade, I was particularly blessed to have a teacher who pushed and encouraged me to achieve my full potential. By the end of 4th grade, I had one the highest grades in the state and citywide test scores scoring in 99-percentile on both math and reading. In 5th grade, I graduated at the top of my entire grade. This was an amazing accomplishment for me considering where I was when I first entered the school.
From 6th-8th grade I attend in magnet school in the Bronx called Pace Academy. This was another challenging time. The work was not easy and the teachers held us to high standards. During these years I met other motivated kids who helped to fuel the competitive atmosphere of the institution. I did quite well overall at Pace. In my last year when I was considering high schools, my main teacher suggested that I apply to Riverdale Country School, a private high school in New York where the tuition is as high as some colleges. I had no idea such schools even existed! However, interestingly a friend from church, who at the time was an alumna of Pace, was attending RCS. She helped to fill me on the school and such things that I should know. The application process consisted of essays, a standardize exam, and an interview. I believe, for me, the interview was critical in my acceptance. Although I was accepted, I was placed on the financial aid waiting list. When my parents and I saw the tuition was $25,000 we figured that it must be for the entire 4 years. We thought perhaps if they made a large sacrifice, they could pay for it. Then we realized that it was for one year and they would not be able to afford the tuition. Nevertheless, thanks to God, I was at the top of the waiting list and did eventually receive a nice financial package.
My time at RCS was a significant and changing time in my life. It was during that time I was really exposed to a different culture and also realized what life had to offer. At RCS, I was presented with many opportunities and tried to make good use of them. One such opportunity was fencing. I joined the fencing team in 9th grade and was the captain in 12th. RCS really taught me about being independent, being an active member, and taking control of opportunities around me. One such opportunity was being able to travel overseas on a program that my school helped to finance. RCS also opened my eyes to the world around me, it provided the evidence that life for me doesn’t have to stop at 183rd St (my street) as it did for most kids I went to school with at PS79 and even Pace, who had the same exact opportunities / resources (more or less) as I did. By looking at the students at RCS, I realized that my life can be different, not necessarily materialistic, but better than its current state. I saw what I was striving for through by education and how it can provide a mean for me to change my life. In addition, my time at RCS has prepared me for my current career here at Bates College. I am currently studying economics and Spanish. After graduation, I would like to get a job in the finance industry while I continue to develop my own company, which I started with a good friend.
In retrospect, I believe the best thing for anyone to do is to be an active member of whatever community you may belong to. That involves taking advantage of the opportunities around you, whatever they may be.
You sharing your story has shown me so much about the quiet Guyanese-New Yorker I saw around campus. Thank you. "RCS also opened my eyes to the world around me, it provided the evidence that life for me doesn’t have to stop at 183rd St .." I love that. It does not stop here either. God bless Rod, keep at it...
Hi Rod! Great Story--See ya in Cathedrals! :)