“The Story of My Success” by Sophie Engle is a piece about a girl describing how she changed throughout her school life. Up to middle school, Sophie and her friends were the elite- they studied the hardest, got the best grades, and were the most popular. She explains how she “approved of others if they were in honors classes- that was the only way to separate the associables from those better left to themselves.” As time passed Sophie realized that people aren’t all on the same level, and it was okay if not everyone studied as hard or got the best grades as her. Finally, she explains to the reader how she’s tried to stop judging others because ‘life is not a competition’ where she succeeds where others fail.
            Sophie’s perspective in the beginning is very relatable, as I too have been quick to judge people because of their grades, how much they study, and whether they are in honors or not. The way the story is written immediately draws readers in and makes them sympathize with the author. Sophie showed the reader how she started out a bit close minded, but ends her story with the knowledge that she is unique and can’t expect others to be just like her, so she should accept the way they are. “The Story of My Success” helped me understand that there are different kinds of people and just because they don’t do things like I do doesn’t mean they’re bad people, or that I shouldn’t be around them. As Sophie says in her article, “Everyone had their own wave. My goals weren’t theirs anymore. No one had fallen off my wave; they had instead been riding their own.”