We The People Bio - Cory Cullimore

About a year and a half ago, my life changed drastically. My older sister's boyfriend, David Heiner, drowned at the bottom of a swimming pool in Raleigh, North Carolina. I had known David since I was 12, and I looked up to him as a hero. He was funny, smart and cool. Up until that point, I had been a perfect kid. I was a 3.9 student, lined up to be leadership in band and debate, and I was generally happy. After David died though, I was devastated. I became unmotivated, lazy and distant. I was struggling to achieve like I used to, and my GPA fell to a 2.8. I got fired from my job, and come around my senior year, I had quit both band and debate and failed two AP exams.

My highschool experience was lackluster at best. I remember people telling me that I had such potential, but I had nothing to show for it. I had achieved nothing in high school, up until AP Government. When I joined, I was intent on experiencing what my friends experienced: good class, and an awesome trip to DC. What I found was a supportive class, a passionate teacher, and a program that fostered this. The We the People competition taught me discipline, like when I had to come to early morning practices everyday, or when I had to read entire books for one passage of information. It also taught me good communication skills, especially when I had to confront the people who I had become so close to. Most importantly, it taught me that life isn't all giggles, and even when life is trash, you can make something of yourself.

We won state. This has wholly and profoundly changed my outlook on high school. It gave me a sense of worth. The feeling is far beyond what I set out to experience. Although we've made it this far, we need help. If you can help send us to Nationals, please email Mike Rigby at mike.rigby.sv@gmail.com. I constantly think back to how poor my life would have been if this program hadn't intervened, and I am so thankful for every supportive friend and teacher who helped me back. This program has changed my life.

"Life only demands from you the strength you possess. Only one feat is possible — not to have run away." -Dag Hammarskjöld