Vlad Emilien

Life As My Teacher Vlad Emilien

"Life as My Teacher" is a book narrated by a young man named Justin Washington. He talks in depth about the stages of his life and the trials and tribulations he had to endure in order to gain perspective on what really matters. Growing up in the inner city, where drugs and violence roamed the streets, his mother protected him and his siblings with many rules and regulations to assure that they don't become a statistic. Though Justin's freedom was limited because he was surrounded by negativity, he was able to find passion for sports, football in particular. As time passed, his mother was able to move the family from the inner city to a better neighborhood. In this time, he lost his best friend to the street violence his mother originally protected him from. Understanding the magnitude of this situation, Justin started to use football as a ticket for the future to a better life. Along the way, he started allowing the sport to define who he was as a person, which was leading him down an unhealthy path. With his family showing constant support and aide along his life journey, he starts to gain perspective of how to define himself in society.