Being part of the 2019 Advanced Students’ Forum is just one of the many milestones in my Kumon journey. With this, I am excited and humbled to share with all of you how my journey has been.

Back then, I was not familiar with what Kumon was all about, but my parents thought it would be of great help to me before I moved up to grade school. It was the summer before I entered first grade, and I obediently went to the Kumon Center with my parents for my assessment. I was not scared to take the test, instead, I was more worried about how quiet the entire room was, and that I was fully aware I couldn’t last a minute without speaking. However, my worries immediately disappeared when I saw the signature Kumon blue bag, and I thought it would be a pretty cool accessory. This made me excited.

I was first enrolled in the Kumon Math Program, and then in the Kumon Reading Program. The first few months were a breeze as I was doing well in each level, and reaching the goals set for me. You’re probably wondering if I crammed to finish my worksheets or if I went to the Center with unfinished homework. The answer is – yes. There was even a point where I dreaded going to the Center after a long day in school, but all I did was to rest when these things happened and go back when everything was okay.

My Goal

What helped energize me was the constant reminder on what my worksheet goals were – whether it was to get fewer mistakes, to answer correctly in a short amount of time, or to move on to the next level.

And there was no sweeter way to realize that than the time I received my very first Kumon Advanced Student Honor Roll (ASHR) recognition.

Little did I know that keeping my eyes on the goal meant learning more than just the X and Ys. It was much more than just story contents and sentence structures. Kumon helped me commit to my goals and organize my energies to reach these goals.

And there was no sweeter way to realize that than the time I received my very first Kumon Advanced Student Honor Roll (ASHR) recognition.

Kumon also paved the way for a lot of other firsts

• I became more confident in school and brought home recognition for academic achievements and other school activities.
• I explored my singing abilities and performed in mall shows.
• I earned my belts in Taekwondo.
• I went back to gymnastics and competed in National and International contests.

Little did I know that keeping my eyes on the goal meant learning more than just the X and Y’s. It was much more than just story contents and sentence structures. Kumon helped me commit to my goals and organize my energies to reach these goals.

I am not a tall girl, but Kumon gave me the confidence to FEEL TALL. I did things beyond what others my age can do. Kumon not only stretched me from my comfort zones, but it helped me create new ones too.

My Challenges

When I started feeling that doing my worksheets was dragging, I noticed that I was doing the computations over and over again, and the stories became longer to read. This was manageable during the summer vacation. But during the school year, it felt like it was too much to handle with my regular school work. I even thought of missing my class sessions, and worse, quitting the program!

I am not a tall girl, but Kumon gave me the confidence to FEEL TALL. I did things beyond what others my age can do. Kumon not only stretched me from my comfort zones, but it helped me create new ones too.

Fortunately, my parents were very persistent. They constantly pulled me up and told me to stay focused and to hang on because it would all be worth it.

Since they would see how tired I was from all my activities, they encouraged me to pause and rest, but not to quit – because whether in Kumon or in life, we need to KEEP THE FAITH. We need to keep faith in ourselves, in others, in the purpose of our journey, and in the process. My teachers were also ceaseless in their encouragement and support. It would have been heartbreaking to let them down.

With Kumon, I have come to respect the values of practice and learning. I was determined, more than ever, to become a Completer. And so after four years, I completed the Reading Program in 2019, while I continued my journey in the Math Program. This achievement seemed and felt impossible to reach, but I kept going as I allowed myself to explore and excel in many other endeavors through my learnings.

My Learning-Filled Journey

Kumon taught me a valuable lesson of committing to measurable targets. I learned not to break whenever there are setbacks. Our Kumon journeys are very personal journeys, and mine has been far from easy, but Kumon taught me life
skills that can be utilized in my day-to-day challenges, such as the following:

GOAL SETTING

As I learned to set clear and measurable goals, I was able to narrow down on what I really wanted to do, much like deciding on a purpose. Instead of doing a multitude of activities that were not aligned on what I wanted to achieve, I focused my time and energy on tasks that meet my goals.

CONSISTENCY

I needed to find my pace and keep it steady to get to the finish line. I also learned to stop stressing myself out and comparing myself with others. After all, it is my journey, and not anyone else’s.

COMMITMENT

Without committing to my goals, being consistent, and being organized with my time, distractions would easily get me off-track.

I was always told that I would be anyone I wanted to be for as long as I work hard and commit to my goals. Kumon gave me opportunities to:

1. Gain skills that will continue to serve me well in academics, arts, and sports
2. Become humble, committed, patient, and persevering in life
3. Give back by sharing knowledge and habits with others

To my Kumon teachers and all the Kumon Instructors, thank you for all your patience. Your support in our journey is filled with so much love, and we have learned to embrace learning.

To our dear parents, relatives, and friends, this is as much as your journey as it is ours. Thank you for being our tireless cheerleaders. We celebrate you!

To my fellow Kumon students, our journeys will have seemingly endless challenges – just like in broader life. But we must not quit, because it is the tough times that shape us as self-learners, responsible individuals, and inspiring leaders. It is the difficult times that mold our character. Kumon is just giving us a dry-run of the things to come while equipping us with the right skills to succeed in our chosen paths with heads held high.

Most importantly, let us not forget to recognize the success that comes from commitment, hard work, and perseverance through tough times. Let us not forget to give ourselves a pat on the back every once in a while.

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