College Admissions Essay: The Biggest Things In My Life

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

One of my most cherished thoughts is that all goals are in grasp if you can work hard enought and long enought you can achieve them. I also believe with dedication any person can reach what they dreamed about.

I grew up on a quiet street in Winter Park, Florida in a quaint middle class family of four. My mother has a small law practice with a tangerine tree in the backyard where she brings the family dogs every day, and my father just retired from his position as the most senior judge at the Orange County Courthouse. My older brother was first a competitive golfer and then a national debate champion before he graduated first in his class from Notre Dame and went to work for Bain and Company. Before all that, he was the architect of the forts we built in our backyard and played the Aragorn to my Éowyn. These people, who shaped and instructed my childhood, brought me up on C.S. Lewis and courthouse visits, P.G. Wodehouse and long ethics debates, and craftiness and self-sufficiency. My dad tried taking me to the golf course, which was when I discovered how much I hate mosquitoes and Florida weather, but it was my mom who took me to see our local ballet company. Though I was forced to wear a dress (one of

I was an incoming freshman, two weeks prior to my first day of high school, and I was terrified. I knew that I loved the sport of football, however I had heard stories from my brother about how tough Stepinac’s freshman football coach was. Everything that I was told was true. One of the coaches great lessons that he taught me was that a hardworking disciplined team is typically more successful than a team that has all of the talent in the world, but is not disciplined and does not work hard. That summer was the hardest that I had ever worked up to that point to start in a football game. The hard work never paid off, and I left at the end of that season defeated. I wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t fast enough, and I wasn’t strong enough. I had only played in two of the games, one, for a snap when

The biggest part of my life, that changed me the most, is when I moved to Atlanta from Detroit. I was in the midst of becoming a teenager, going through puberty, and entering high school. It was the biggest decision I have ever made. However, it is not as bad as it sounds. Except for the fact that I had to adjust to a new environment that was nothing like home, with people whom I never met before.

“Be strong, banish fear and doubt, and remember the lord is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 New International Version). Next month on September 28th, will be my 30th birthday, another milestone will be met. As I look forward to celebrate this milestone, I have also taken the time to reflect on who I am today. Throughout the years, I have experienced many obstacles that have influenced me into becoming the person I am currently. Moving to Columbia, South Carolina had great, if not the greatest, influence on me.

As a child, I remember hearing sayings that taught me to hold my tongue, watch my mouth, and that if I don’t have something nice to say, I shouldn’t say anything at all. As I have grown older I have noticed two things: First, no one actually follow these silly sayings, and second, that the teenage world has infinite expectations. Life now seems more and more like a series of unmarked doors, leading me down a path that I will inevitably tread the rest of my life.

I would never have made that decision if asked, but in retrospect, I am glad that the opportunity came up, and that someone made the ultimate decision. If not, life would have been different. Totally different. Why? Because I would never have known that every end had a new beginning.

“Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way. Only one life ‘twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Everyone has a desire of some sort at one point in their life. Some people want to be rich and famous and some people just want a successful, joyous family. I personally have always wanted to be a glorious singer or a veterinarian or anything that would get me rich. But now that I think about it, money isn't the essential thing. What's important is what makes us pleased. Something that would make me happy, something that I desire most is to attend UCLA and to continue being a competitive gymnast and swimmer.

Surprisingly, I did not plan to be an engineer; it was my Dad’s last wish before he passes away. However, I started to love engineering when I worked on my third college year project for the blind. When my team mate and I were done with the project, which was a tactile computer screen for the blind displaying the text in Braille codes, I felt that this was my aha moment. Since then, I volunteered in various projects for the blind and worked for about a year in a company that develops applications for them in Arabic. Unfortunately, the care for the Arab blind is so minor and the governments marginalize them. They live in terrible conditions, isolated from the society, and even in their education, they are restricted

Great things are destined for you honey, you have everything in you, and you have no idea how capable you are, everything is there in you, but you have to want it. I want you to go after it with everything in you because with the proper education there is nothing that can ever stop you. My entire life, I have believed that if I work hard enough, no dreams could ever be out of my reach. My grandmother’s incredible story has always taught me that I can overcome any obstacle that may come my way; my father’s speech was an amazing reminder of why I have worked so hard to make my family proud of me. As I approach the start of my senior year, I cannot help but wonder how my future is going to play out. My life has been filled with significant events that have carved me into a diverse young woman. I owe my family for all the lessons and experiences that I have benefited from, and I truly believe any college would be happy to have all the different aspects of culture that I can bring on their campus.

My family and friends will tell you that I was the most charismatic and friendly child that they have ever met. I was almost too friendly that my parents often worried that I would walk off with a stranger, because I was so willing to communicate and share silly stories with everyone. I have always been interested in people. Learning about someone who has different and unique experiences is like opening my eyes for the first time all over. Although I loved learning about strangers, I even more so enjoyed building the relationships of the people I love. Unfortunately, towards the end of my junior year, my interest in others became consumed by my own ambitions. Instead of paying attention to the people who loved, cared, and supported me, I focused on what I thought was the most important: qualifying for state in track. When I didn’t qualify, I became volatile and

My mind was not set to go to college. I am the first in my family to go to college. In high school, my grades were not the best. The school I went to only put all their focus on students with 3.0 GPA average and up. They barely worked with people under that and my GPA average was 2.5. But my family made me believe I can do whatever I put my mind to. They helped me through my childhood struggles and are now helping me with my adulthood struggles by cause of wanting to watch me excel. I choose Norfolk State due to hearing countless of great commentaries about the school and it is convenient to visit home anytime.

My life has been a roller coaster ride with ups and down, but the best part is that I never gave up and relentlessly struggled through the numerous vicissitudes.Life has been through the phase of dusty piles due to my socioeconomic status and my empirical approach towards complexities has not been without fruit, but even getting up in the first place has been my victory.