College Admissions Essay: Everything I Ever Needed

My Life, I don't know what to do with it… it’s just a mess of this, and that, and the other. All of my life, Horrible, like I should just be tossed aside. I don’t have good grades, I’m not good at any sports. I’m not good at Anything…

Every day, every one, in the world goes through a challenge, big or small. They affect and impact us significantly. They change the way we think, love, act, and approach or do things. Challenges either frighten or motivate us, but they are what make us the person we are today.

Growing up with two brothers was a lot of fun. Whatever they were doing I wanted to do. We played outside a lot. I learned from them to be tough. If I fell off my bike they were there to help me up and tell me to get right back on it. I have watched them both succeed in their dreams.

There are heroes all around us. Some may wear capes or/and a mask while others would like to stay behind the scene. Think of it as a superhero and their sidekick. Everyone admires the superhero but very few recognize their sidekick. So, when I was asked who’s my hero at school, I automatically thought of my favorite teachers or ones who I am close with. But I began to question myself, who is the one that comes by every single classroom and cleans, takes the time to fix any mechanical problems, or cooks enough food to make for over 500 students. And I then discovered who my heroes are; the cafeteria workers, janitors, and maintenance people.

When life gives you the opportunity to be successful, you take it. So, out of every let down or every time you ever ask yourself, “was it worth it?”…, you say “definitely”, persevere, and continue seeking greatness. When I got that opportunity, I hit the ground running. I was hungry to become successful, hungry to graduate from college, hungry to even hear my dad say, “I’m proud of you”. Maybe I could have taken a different route but hey, growing up in a small town like Mullins SC with a high unemployment rate, don’t get you too far. I couldn’t find myself falling into that statistic. Working temp jobs, wondering how I would pay for college…, it was rough, definitely some humble beginnings. This by no means is a message for sympathy.

I have loved sports my whole life, even at a very young age. I would watch it with my dad, and he would take me to sports games. I loved to play basketball in the backyard when I was little. I have always loved cheering for my favorite sports team. I love watching the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two years ago my dad surprised me with Vikings tickets. I was so happy to get to go to a game. Sports has always been a big part of my life. Two years ago, I got a new view of sports when I started umpiring.

Growing up with a wonderful family to support me and have my back in everything I do, has made me become the person that I am today. I have two brothers; one of whom is my twin. Having someone to share your life with you while growing up is truly something unique and special. Going to a new school or trying to make new friends can be really tough, but when you have someone that is always by your side, it makes it easier. My brother and I have done everything together, which has shaped me to be the person that I am today.

I love almost anything that has milk in it. Cream cheese, iced coffee, milkshakes, and cheese . But unfortunately the universe is against me and has decided to make milk irritate my asthma. So whenever I eat something with a reasonable amount of milk product in it, one of two things occurs. Situation one- I am completely fine and can go about my day knowing I have won this round against a weird cow byproduct. Situation two- The strange cow liquid/solid choses to take control of my throat and lungs, causing me unable to breathe normally for a while, and usually ruining a small part of my day. In fact before writing this, I ate a rather small amount of chocolate ice cream that decided to give me a cough and a itchy throat as revenge. Regardless, I have survived to tell the tale and because of my choice, a small part of my life has been improved.

You stumble across the finish line with a time that deeply disappoints you. You beat yourself up mentally, regretting the sleep you missed out on the previous night. The next day you get a grade back from a challenging exam a week before. You’re disappointed. Worry, anxiety and frustration arise while thinking about making it through college in the near future. You're failing grade at the moment seems to be the priority and is deeming complete control over all your emotions. The world sets an almost impossible standard for your looks, performance, and the way one another reflects their personality. But at the midst of all setbacks and disappointments, you have to take a step back and wonder…what truly matters?

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.” These are the words of Eric Thomas, my inspiration, and that of many others. The starting of high school directly coincides with a change in my life; nonetheless, of which both come to be what I call my greatest milestone. From this milestone, I have led a better, more impressive path than I would have if I these words and the many more that continue to inspire me had fallen on the deaf ears of my past self. One of the most important parts of this milestone is the why I started seeking an adjustment; from this why I realized what was holding me hostage to the dreams I endlessly longed for and why they would to me always remain fantasies of a what if lifestyle. There have been many instances in which this refining of my life has benefited me; however, none compare to how far hitting this milestone has assisted me in my school life.

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with life that you feel like you're on your own, and have no one to turn to? Or have you ever been caught in a situation where you knew you were doing wrong, however you still continued to do it anyways? Well I was caught up in both of these situations. I found myself contemplating where to go, and what to do.

The “Seven Secrets of Success” lecture brought an uplifting perspective to what building upon your goals looks like beyond a day-to-day basis. Beginning with the first ‘honest truth,’ living intentionally, having a goal-based attitude can only benefit you when you plan and have a way to reach your desired outcome. The second piece of advice given was to ‘choose the right tribe,’ in other words, the energy you keep around you is the energy you put out into the world. The power of both negative and positive impacts from our friends and peers affect us much more than we realize. A piece of the lecture that particularly resonated with me was the mention of linking one’s identity to a high performing person or group, also called ignition. Our environments (as well as genetics) influence our success.

Some might call it “nosey” or “annoying”, but I've always favored the term “curious”. From a young age, my thirst for knowledge has been unquencable and well-known to those around me. My parents, teachers, and any other adults within an earshot were plagued by my constant questions. By the age of six, I had become obsessed with finances. I felt like I needed to know every last detail of people's fiscal affairs. Unfortunately, my six-year-old self was too young to realize that this was considered distasteful. Often at night, while my dad sat at the dining room table to pay his bills and balance his checkbook, I would accompany him. My interrogation into his finances was unrelenting, and most of the time he would comply. Whether he wanted me

Health, deaths, and lack of confidence. These are obstacles that I have faced in various life events. There are two options on how one can overcome these obstacles: one could try to ignore the pain while the second is to look in the direction of God. Those who choose to go down the path of pain have not experienced that way of God or may not have taken a chance to see what he can do for them. People, like me, who choose to look towards God puts their trust in God and know that he has a plan for them. When family members were dying, a health issue rose and I was lacking confidence, I looked towards verses in the bible that would help me look for the positive outcomes than the negative thoughts. I then noticed God was going to show how he speaks

My brother is not just someone I share blood with but someone I can rely on and look up to. Patrick, my seventeen year old brother, has been by my side since I was a little baby. My youngest memories are of Patrick and I running around in our backyard laughing. As he grew older, I began to look up to him. He was everything I aspired to be: intelligent, passionate, and athletic. Patrick always seemed to know what he wanted in life, and I admired how he chased down his goals. There were points in my life when I was very unmotivated, especially when I was seven years old. Insecure and unsure, I did not believe in myself from a very young age, and Patrick was there for me when no one else was. He made me believe in myself and my own abilities above anything else. I have my big brother to thank for finding the strength to persevere through my struggles and overcoming my obstacles.