College Admissions Essay: My Father's Life

Throughout life I’ve experienced a rather unpleasant childhood with the absence of my guiding figures: my parents. Seeing them rush in and out of the house to go to the hospital with my younger brother shaped me in a way nothing else could have. It made me who I am today, as well as aspired me towards what I want to be one day.

It's been almost two years since I lost my dad. Today I sit on his birthday writing this and these words are not enough to describe the pain I feel just thinking of him. People always say it gets easier in time and that is true but don't be fooled by the inspirational quotes, the feeling of loss and emptiness never goes away. My dad was a wonderful, kind man who I shared an irreplaceable bond with. He helped me get through the worst moments of my life without even knowing it. He picked me up, he took care of me and was more of a friend than any of the friends I have ever had growing up. Dad was always there praising me, protecting me and defending me against anyone who put me down. Of course like most good fathers, he was overly protective at times and like most teenagers, I had my rebellious moments. He once caught me drunk and didn't say anything as long as I kept my grades up and didn't get in trouble.

One event that defined a part of my life that involved literacy was when I had to write a

Even though my father never went to college, I have always wanted to go. I knew I wanted to be better and do more than my deadbeat dad did. My father always told me “you are a smart girl”, and to him anything below a C grade wise was utterly unacceptable, well for everyone besides my brother who could never manage more than a D. The amount of punishment he had to endure for that I didn’t want to imagine how much it hurt. I remember the pit in my stomach every time report cards were sent out even though I knew I did well, but the better grades I got the easier it became to keep them up. I thank my father for his strict parenting when it came to education because I know now if I didn’t have rules like that I don’t think I would be where I am now, and better off than him.

I cannot say that growing up in the family I am in hasn't been difficult for me, because it has. However, to say that it is something I'd like to change if I could, I also cannot say. The turbulence and commotion I have experienced has sculpted my character. Had I not grown up the way I did, I would not be as tenacious and ambitious as I am today. Through the struggles I've faced and whom I've faced them with, I have not let them define me, and I have even grown more because of them.

The person who influenced me most into applying to Syracuse University was my dad. My dad graduated with a degree from Syracuse, and has always been hardworking and passionate in everything he does. Going to Syracuse for me correlates with many of the traits my dad possesses, and by going to the same college he got his degree from, I hope that I can develop many of the same traits he possesses. Attending the university where my dad got his degree from would allow me to live up to the expectations my dad has set, for with his degree he was able to acquire a good job that allowed him to move up in life. A Syracuse degree allowed my dad to move out of the projects of the Upper West Side of Manhattan to the suburbs of Long Island, giving us

The connotations associated with living in the south include the idea that family is everything. My family influences a lot of the decisions I make, and through my family I am able to learn a lot about myself. I am given an abundance of opportunities with respect to my family. For example, if it weren’t for my grandparents, I may never have traveled to Colorado and learned what it’s like to be an employee. I owe a lot to my grandparents, especially since they hired me to work in their shop every summer since I was nine. These are the types of special opportunities others don’t have. Opportunities that I cherish each and every day. On my father’s side of the family is where I gain all of my musical knowledge. With a father and a Grandfather

Children, at a very young age, are taught to contemplate about their own future. What do we aspire to be when we grow up? What sport do we want to play? What college will we attend after high school graduation? It is not until we reach the adolescent phase or maybe even adulthood that we stop to think about what difference we can make in other people lives and what impact will we have on the future of others. At least that is how it happened for me. My parents, specifically my father, pressured me about what my grades were like in school, what career path I would choose, what type of significant other would I attract and many other things except the most important part of humanity: what difference will I make in the world?

Have you ever had a hero in your life, someone that is always there for you when you need them? I did, I called him "my dad." My dad was the only person that could make me laugh when I was feeling down. My dad was that person who had so much love for his family. My dad was the person who I could call and he'd always pick up. My dad was the person who would drop everything just to help me. My dad was the biggest hero in my life and to this day, still is.

I tell my father everything. He is the most supportive person in my life and he is always there for me yet, I have been hiding a secret from him ever since I started college. For once, everyone else is in on something that I have not dared to utter to him. I fear I may disappoint him, unfortunately, he is one of the few people who may be able to help me if I were to tell him to truth.

My father passed away in 1991, two weeks before Christmas. I was 25 at the time but until then I had not grown up. I was still an ignorant youth that only cared about finding the next party. My role model was now gone, forcing me to reevaluate the direction my life was heading. I needed to reexamine some of the lessons he taught me through the years.

Since I was young I have always looked up to my dad. The reason why my dad is my role model is because he has always helped me stay on the right path and still does. My dad is strong, independent, determined, motivated, and so much more. Those are the qualities I want. Some I have, some I don’t, but I’m working on it.

"Never forget the past…because it may haunt you forever. Regret all the bad things…cherish the good things. Look ahead always…but don't let the bad things from the past get in your mind." As a young child, there were so many incidents in my life that made me become the person I am today. There were rough times as well as good times. If I were to tell you all of them, I would remember half of them. I think some of my incidents really had some impact, and some were just simple ways of life. To tell you the truth, the incident that had the most impact on me has to be when my real father left me at the age of three. I never knew my father. I mean being a baby, you really have no experience or recognition of somebody else.

In life we make a series of choices and decisions. These will shape our life and influence who we become. However, many of us are unaware of the influences that guide the choices we make. A great deal of who we become is written in our genes. There are numerous things to factor in like culture, media, peers and curiosity.

The quality I believe that has best helped me throughout my academic and personal life is diligence. I've been a part of many different sports teams, organizations, and clubs, all of which taught me the value of persevering in order to achieve success. As an Eagle Scout, I've learned the value of hard work and determination, and have been able to accomplish what I initially set out to achieve as a result. As an athlete, specifically as a tennis player, I'm determined to be as successful as I can and put forth the ultimate effort, whether it be on or off the court. I've seen success as a student as well, and have seen the payoff from staying diligent inside and outside of the classroom at Western Alamance High School. As one of my strongest