College Admissions Essay: The Last 20 Years Of Life

Ask my teachers, friends, coaches, and family, they’ll all tell you that I’m mature. The way I hold myself responsible for my life, my studies, and my activities through the good and bad is a unique quality about me that they admire, but also know little to nothing about.

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.

Rewind fifteen years back, is when I blessed my parents with myself. To be more exact it was the sixteenth of September, also known as the Independence day of Mexico. I remember very keenly that my dad would always be so proud of that, he would even purposefully say my birthday is the Independence day of Mexico, instead of my actual birthdate. I guess considering he is an indigenous Mexican, it’s pretty normal for him to be proud of his ethnic background. I was born into an already large family; I had my mother who is Colombian and dad who is Mexican, my two older sisters, and my one older brother, and my younger sister that came two years subsequently to me. As a young kid the personality traits I acquired were that I was always very shy; I was an introvert all around, as well as a perfectionist (not anymore obviously), I liked making new friends, I liked being helpful , I liked being organized, and strongly believed that every good deed would be rewarded in the future.

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.

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

“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay”. Habakkuk 2:10 NKJV Bible

I was born and raised in Kerala, India, son of an arranged married couple with Indian ancestry. I am the eldest son with one little brother. Because I am the eldest child in the family I have to be little responsible and a good role model for my brother, and my younger cousins. Last four years of my life was like a magic to me. I would say those for the toughest time period I had to face. Some times I wish, “can this all be a dream and go back to my 5th grade year”. I don’t know, fifth grade till my eighth grade was the best years of my life. I could still remember visiting my cousins and family every week, visiting friends, playing cricket, family dinners, and so on. Four years ago, I moved to America. I still remember the exact date-April 18,

I am from a place called home where i have a loving family who can be very wild at times

The ways that time have changed from when punk was at its prime, as my group and I were partying and getting wasted, squatting in whatever rotted, half-demolished, abandoned building we could seek. Obnoxiously we disregarded every single matter or consequence at the point of time, we thought we owned the place. Recklessly striding around streets tormenting everything and everyone that got in our way, sticking up two straight fingers to society. This was our life and we did whatever we wanted. Authorities despised us, never the less we undoubtly knew the police were intimidated

From ages one to five someone was constantly caring for me. Every move I made was watched. No freedom. I was not even my own person. At ages six to ten more freedom and responsibility came. I could pick out my own clothes, feed myself, and decide if I wanted to play barbies or babies. Eleven to fourteen are very confusing ages.I was trying to become my own person, instead of what my parents were. Ages fifteen to eighteen have definitely been the most challenging, but also the most fun years of my life.

She is the answer to my earnest prayers for a wife filled with the qualities I prayed for and one day I hope to marry her in the future. She was really there for me in my hard times.

My last year of highschool has been both the toughest year of my life, and the most enlightening. Not only did it mark the passing of my grandmother, the beginning of my struggle with depression, and the realization of mundane adult life, but it also marked the point where I decided to deviate from the standard.

Everyone at some point in their lives start a journey, whether it’s towards success, love, fame, money, etc. We all had start it somewhere, mines started quite early, maybe around the beginning of the second grade in elementary. I was seven at the time. I still remember the majority of my classmates and my teacher, Mrs. Edwards. Which up to this day, I still think about, her kind manners and those vivid, somewhat aggravating, memories with my class.

I have lived the entirety of my life believing that I am different and special, tragically I am not at all special. My struggle is not different and not unique, but it is my struggle. For the entirety of my life I have felt an immense burden to my family. My parents spent years building up a life in a country where they felt like they belonged and they threw it all away for my brother and me. They sacrificed everything for us: family, friends, and comfort. This burden is killing me; tearing every ligament in body apart. Although it is my bane, it drives me forward. I can never get rid of this burden, but I use it as fuel for everything I have ever done. Everytime I want to give up or take it easier, I remember that I have not payed my debt

When I think about the next five years of my life, I like to think that I will be getting on my feet and succeeding in life. It has taken me a while to figure out what I want to do with my life and what I would like to do for my career. Over the next five years, I am going to have to do a lot in school and outside of school to prepare for my future career .