College Admissions Essay: Growing Up In Higher Education

Throughout our lives, we make choices and decisions that change our lives and others in positive and/or negative ways. It is these decisions that determine how we will be remembered, our legacy. When I graduate high school, I want to be remembered by the qualities that define me as a person and the good I’ve done for others. Throughout the years, I’ve been often been described by my family and friends as bold, confident, outgoing, and hardworking. Not only are these characteristics important to me, but they are important to my family, as they want to leave a legacy in the name of our family. The qualities I have exhibited are the same qualities past family members have shown and are remembered for. Through always putting out my best effort when it comes to work and school, I have shown my dedication and discipline. Through doing what I can to help others, I have displayed my commitment to world peace, the betterment of the world as a whole, and the yearning to make a difference in someone’s life other than my

Growing up I never envisioned myself to become a part of the medical field. To this day I am still in disbelief this is the direction my life has taken. I remember the first time an at risk teen outreach counselor showed up at an afterschool summer program right before I entered high school and asked what I wanted to be growing up. It was the first time I was legitimately forced to face my future head on. My father left when my mother became ill and was put on disability so I never had any real guidance or previously discussed the issue with anyone prior to that day. I naively replied "CEO of Microsoft"! It was the only thing I could muster up jovially on the spot. His reply has always stuck with me and now has become a motivating force in

Up until high school, I never really knew what I wanted to pursue in. There were so many options and although I did have some idea before entering the 9th grade, I was still waiting to find a subject that I truly enjoyed. During my freshmen year, I finally found that subject – biology.

Growing up I was never the kid who talked too much or got in trouble in the classroom for doing so. In my 18 years of living I have never been considered very talkative or vocal. My father would always tell me that talking too much could land you in a big heap of trouble so I refused to do so. He had a phrase, “One thing guaranteed for a person that talks too much is swollen lips”. Hearing that as a child was kind of funny to me, but as I have gotten older I now realize what he was interpreting. I have seen a lot of people get into altercations for running their mouth’s too much and swollen lips is usually the ending result. Although I don’t talk much, I believe I can hold a pretty decent conversation with someone I have things in common with. I use to avoid talking to strangers, but being put in different settings with nothing but strangers has helped me with that to a

I remember waking up that day and that feeling in my stomach, knowing what was about to happen. Growing up I knew about my father's sickness. My family, I recall, was always supportive. No one ever thinks about how one day, everyone you’re around for years, can just vanish. I cherished my friends as I was growing up. I lived there for a majority of my life, up until fourth grade. I remember sitting at a neighbor's house and having the mother come into the room and inform me that I need to be home swiftly. As I ran home, my head was crowded with thoughts to the point where I could not even think about why I was supposed to be home quickly. That day marked the transition of what would be the biggest change in my life. As by dad became sicker,

Being a first generation student requires more will power than I ever thought I owned. In middle school I was denied by my parents the chance to shadow a pharmacist because they saw this as an unattainable dream. It wasn’t until I began working with disabled children and tried to pursue a nursing degree, that I found the courage and determination to pursue all of my dreams in spite of my upbringing.

Being that I am a first-generation college student, finding guidance as I matriculate through college has been tough. I do not have any family members that have went to college, therefore I solely depend on my university for guidance in my college endeavors and my career path. Due to this, I want to be a part of the TRiO Scholars Program so that I can gain valuable advice, counseling services, and guidance to graduation. The experience that I am seeking in this program is the ability to meet and connect with other students like myself. I believe that to be able to identify with students who have come from various hardships like myself, allows for personal growth and a sense of community. I hope to gain this sense of community by participating

Perseverance is a trait that is needed throughout life. In the book, Call of the Wild, Buck has to adapt to a new lifestyle in the frosty Yukon, unlike his previous life in sunny California. He is put to the test of survival and maturity. Like Buck, my mom has to use perseverance to get through a time in her life where she struggled, but her journey was much less extreme. She went back to college for her master’s degree to become a nurse practitioner, while dealing with her job, money, and more importantly, her family.

Growing up, reading and writing were always a pleasurable experience for me. As a little girl, my mother and grandmother would both tell me stories that they had once been told when they were children in their native country of Cuba. Although the stories they told me weren’t being narrated directly from a book, they motivated me to read some stories on my own. So I began requesting books and taking trips to the library. Those stories inspired me to begin writing and so by the age of 8, I picked up a pencil and embarked on my composing journey. I had countless journals throughout the years and even began writing short stories and poems. My father was the one that encouraged me most when it came to my writing as he genuinely believed I was talented.

Many people, since I was little, pressured me into going to college. My parents didn't mind what I decided, all that mattered is what makes me happy. They would support me no matter what my heart decided to do. Over the years family members tried to persuade me into believing that without a college degree you'll never become successful. To them, college had to be a part of my future which I think is the main reason I decided that college would be for me. Ever since I was told that I started to disagree and pushed myself to realize that I wanted to prove them wrong. I can do anything I want and accomplish any goals I have as long as I set my mind to it. College isn't the only way to become successful, working can get you places you never thought possible.

Growing up, parents are your biggest fans and worst critics. My parents have loved me unconditionally and have tried to give me the world. As their child I tried to give them what they wanted in return. I keep my good grades and excel in athletics. I’ll also be the first person in my family to go to college.There’s a point in your life when you realize that you can’t give them the perfect child. Yes I’ve made mistakes and done things that I shouldn't have. I understand the anger, the hurt, and the disappointment that I’ve caused throughout my upbringing. In the end, some parents are more critical than others, and I got the short straw. Making your kid feel like they’re the reason you’ll leave one day kills. This most recent disappointment might be

When grabbing my assignments off of the printer in the office for high school, something always seems to catch my eye. The bright streetlight shining through the window reflecting off mounted frames with very important pieces of paper inside. I stand there and lean out of the way of the light beaming into the room to read each line. I have done this with my parent’s degrees ever since I was little. I always knew they were important and that someday, I too would have them. Now, I realize how these pieces of paper are much more than a degree; they are hard work, sacrifice and opportunities.

Since I could remember my parents have been working hard to give me the best life they can. Although both of them never finished high school, they have always told me that education should always be my top priority. For many years both of my parents worked but after my little sister was born, my mom devoted herself to taking care of us. It came with positives and negative outcomes. My mom got the chance to help me through my elementary and middle school years with my schoolwork and I always felt like I could count at her at any given moment. But, it hurt our family financially. My dad was the only one working and he got laid off during the recession from his job. Eventually, he found a job, but it didn’t pay as much as his older job. To this day, he is still the only one that works and I thank him for teaching me always be a hard worker and that education is the path to a successful life. It has been hard, especially when you don’t have all the technology that is usually essential when doing schoolwork, but I am glad that I matriculated a way to defeat any of the obstacles that came my way whether it came to schoolwork or in other aspects of my life.

As a kid my mother had a hard time. Her mom was sick so she couldn’t work and that made it really hard on her family. In school she was told that she didn’t try hard enough and that she would never make it to college because of lack of effort. When she got home from her principal telling her that she decided that she would be an all a student by the end of the year. Her mother helped her achieve this goal by coming up with new ways for her to study. To be able to buy clothes and a lot of

What has my journey to graduation been like for me? My journey has been a crazy, fun-filled learning adventure. I met many goals and accomplishments I set for myself but I also faced some challenges on the way. For example, I finally met my goal of graduating with a 4.6 GPA and maintaining it. Also, I accomplished completing my last four years of grade school and now I am on the way to college. My last year has been interesting and there are many goals, accomplishments and challenges I can reflect on.