It all started in fourth grade when I dropped my water bottle on another student’s foot. The teacher exclaimed, “Austin, why did you throw that at her?”

In response I argued, “I didn’t. I dropped it.”

“Don’t lie to me,” she said sternly. “Go to the office.”

“This is stupid, getting in trouble for something I didn’t do,” I muttered, leaving the room.

As I walked to the office, I realized I was kind of terrified. Actually, I was really terrified. Right away, the principal started yelling at me; his face was bright red, and he wouldn’t let me explain. “If you keep going down this path, you will end up in juvie,” he claimed.

This principal was known to pinch a student’s neck if the kid wasn’t listening. I hated him for that. He was a furious, short man, like Grumpy from Snow White. I was tired of him screaming at me, so when we walked back into his office, I slammed the door in his face. That slam was so loud I felt like the whole world must have heard it. I was suspended.

In the fifth grade, my behavior got worse. Once, I stormed out of a teacher’s class because she bothered me. It was her first year teaching, and my classmates told me that after I left, she cried. I argued with the science teacher all the time, which I felt kind of bad about since it was his first year teaching too.

My worst year was sixth grade; I was suspended a lot. One time I lay next to the door and scared anyone who came in. Another time I made a chair fortress and threw paper at people while I hid behind it. I even locked myself in my locker because I wanted to know what it was like. I used to walk around the halls singing, “I like cows. Cows like to dance. Cows go moo.” People would say that it was my theme song.

In math class one day, my teacher and I started arguing, and he screamed, “You’re going to be a garbage man!”

At first I didn’t hear correctly. “Did you just call me garbage? You know what? You’re garbage!” I yelled. I ended up suspended for that.

I got in so much trouble that I got expelled and had to go to juvenile court, where I was lucky to only end up on probation.

Finally, when I got to high school, I realized that if I kept getting into trouble I wouldn’t get anywhere in life, so I decided to focus on school. I did a 180-degree turn in my behavior. I went from the teacher’s worst nightmare to a student they wanted in their class, and now I don’t get in any trouble. Plus, I work in the office to assist anyone who needs help. I guess I would say that if I hadn’t experienced the trouble I had when I was younger, I probably wouldn’t be the guy I am today.

One day recently, my high school principal told me about a middle schooler who reminded him of me when I was that age. I now mentor that kid, giving him ideas on how to stay out of trouble and helping him make goals for his future.