“Be willing to do what’s hard now to enjoy what’s beautiful later.”
This has been my life motto ever since my dad shared this quote to me.
For me, knowing how to sacrifice in life is essential on the road to success. If no sacrifice is done, then there’s no work done at all.
I enrolled in Kumon last 2010 and completed the Kumon Math Program last 2017, and the Kumon Reading Program in 2019. I wish to inspire other students to finish the Kumon Program, so here I am to share a small part of my Kumon story.
My mom enrolled me in Kumon after my bestfriend’s mother opened a Kumon Center near our hometown. Most of my friends’ parents decided to let their child enroll too, so I just went with it too. After hearing stories about the Kumon Programs and how it produces successful people, I got really excited.
What I Expected
I didn’t really know what was ahead of me since I started at a very easy level. I thought that everything would be smooth. I felt the first bump of the road when I reached Level B which was vertical addition and subtraction. I got bored in the middle of answering my worksheets and felt as if I wanted to fall asleep. Another challenge for me was when I reached Level D because I was already doing long division, long multiplication, and fractions! I started doubting my previous assumption that my Kumon journey was going to be a smooth road.
Dividing seven-digit numbers by four digit-numbers made my head dizzy just by looking at them. I was used to using scratch paper and counting with my fingers, but Kumon made me practice mental math. My frustration grew, and there were times I would get so tired from doing my worksheets and reviewing for my school quizzes.
Change of Perspective
I started to hide my worksheets so I wouldn’t answer them. If only I knew how Kumon would develop me into becoming a better person back then, then I would’ve taken all my worksheets again and answer them more diligently. All you have to do is to answer each worksheet patiently. With this, Kumon taught me how to manage my time wisely. Even though I thought of quitting before, I still willingly fought through the obstacles and continued. I’m glad that I did. There’s always a reward that can’t be paid with any amount of money – and that is reaching the end of a bumpy road.
My perspective of how I saw the Kumon Programs changed when I realized that I should start seeing the good things. I buried all my complaints and started to focus. It’s never too late to look at Kumon as a superhero!
I can’t explain how happy I was when I found out that I was already a Math and Reading Completer. I’m beyond grateful for Kumon. I am also thankful for the guidance of my parents. Just keep going because everything will be worth it in the end!
Michaela Marie Limson, A.C. Cortes (Mandaue) Center
