In 2012, 15-year-old Malcolm Sharpe was hanging out with friends at their home when he faced death. His friend, Albert, flipped him from float into a pool.
This caused Malcolm to panic and try to swim away, but Albert kept grabbing him to bring him back into the water. Finally, Malcolm had to choke Albert into submission, allowing him to escape.
“It was traumatizing and made me panic,’’ Sharpe, now 16, said.
The incident taught Sharpe, who attends the Hartford Journalism and Media Academy, a valuable lesson about being too relaxed and unaware of his surroundings. He has a brother, mother and father who care about his well being. He almost lost his life, which would have ended his dream to go to college on a full scholarship.
Despite the scare, Sharpe stills swims when he wants to relax.
He plays as a defender on his high school’s soccer team. He also volunteers at a kitchen in Hartford where they cook and serve homeless people.
Sharpe has won awards for being the most improved student in his class.
Alfred Coney is a senior at Achievement First Amistad High School, New Haven.