College Admissions Essay: The Last 7 Years Of My Life

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.

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 .

It was the year 2008, I had just graduated from St. Michael’s School located in Los Angeles, CA. This year was quite exhilarating for me also scary because I was going to attend an all-girls high school. Los Angeles was my birth place also a place where I called home. One day, I came home to hearing my parents talking about moving to Mississippi. I remained devastated, not only we were moving to the south, I’m moving away from childhood friends. I was worried I wouldn’t see them again and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to make new friends in Mississippi.

Looking back at the years that I have completed in high school is a funny but a true life changer. If I was to go back to one year of high school I would want to go back to freshman year. One reason why I would want to go back to freshman year is to talk to myself. Another reason I would want to go back it tell myself to listen more. The last reason would to see if I could improve myself in any way.

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.

I believe the turning point of my life began with the separation of my parents. I had always imagined myself living in my native homeland of the Dominican Republic. Yet, my life would drastically change as a consequence of my parents divorce. A few weeks after my parent’s divorce, my mother and I arrived undocumented in Boston, Massachusetts. Thus, at the age of fourteen, I found myself in a new country with few family and friends. The following chapter of my life would require me to not only make sacrifices but also become more independent. The meaning and value for me becoming independent at a young age was twofold: (1) I was able to help my mother financially and (2) I learned the meaning of hard work and perseverance. I recognize that my tangible core values cannot be measured by test scores—though I have done well academically—but by my desire and perseverance to become a successful Latina.

I was always different from the other kids in my class. I was reserved and quiet. Most would tell me that I always look like I was in deep thought. Well that's because I was. I always thought that I thought deeper and viewed the world differently than other people my age. I had a great interest in people, in fact they fascinated me. I greatly enjoyed meeting new people and listening to their life or things they like. So I guess one could say my interest in Anthropology dates back to grade school. History was always my best subject, I would always sit at the front of the class "bright eyed and bushy tailed". But I especially loved when they talked about different civilizations of people and the thing they did. When it was time to decide where I wanted to go to college and

“Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation's compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.”

When I ponder the first 17 years of my life, I realize that I have taken my life for granted. I’ve never actually thought about how soon my life could end, not seeing my loved ones ever again, and never being able to enjoy life’s glorious moments. Having a miraculous, close encounter with death has changed how I view life. I pay attention to the details of my life more, and the small things in life don’t seem to aggravate me as much as they did in the past.

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,

Two years later I received the "Presidents Awards for Educational Excellence." With this new experience in hand I moved into high school where I was an honor roll student and where I decided on my career. I took a pharmacy internship position at Walgreen's that was provided by my school and I loved it.

“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

As a seventeen-year-old high school student, a lot of pressure is being placed on my shoulders to decide upon my future plans and goals. All these decisions that are going to shape the rest of my life looming closer by the day, both an exciting and altogether terrifying prospect. Everyone seems to have an idea of how my life should play out; society says finish high school, go to college or university, enter the workforce, purchase a house, and have two point five children. Our society wants us to conform, to follow the typical path in life and contribute to the country collectively. My parents, on the other hand, want my happiness, but they would also like for me to do well in life, a tricky combination. Job titles like doctor, lawyer and politician are thrown around constantly in conversations regarding where I am headed, as if saying these things repeatedly will somehow make them a reality. Myself, I’m just focused on graduating high school, the idea that soon my life will be changing so drastically still hasn’t really sunk in yet. The truth is, I don’t know where I’m going thus far, which makes this essay a good start in figuring that out.

During the latter part of my 15-year career, the Lord blessed me with opportunities to grow in my leadership and public speaking skills. I managed a staff of seven, a budget of several million dollars and made presentations to professional boards and potential business partners. After the Lord called me to be home with my children full time, I struggled with the meaning and usefulness of the opportunities I had been blessed to experience. They felt wasted in light of the carpool driving, diaper changing and house cleaning duties that were now the staples of my new “career” at home. After a semester in my church’s MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group, I was asked to co-lead the steering team. This invitation was definitely from the Lord, as I

Every person on the planet Earth has been through hardships in one form or another, whether it be financial or personal. However, it is the way an individual handles these hardships that sets them apart: those who succeed, and those who fail. In my life, I have been through financial and personal hardships and have found that both hardships have left me as a stronger, more motivated person. My perseverance during times of adversity has made me a more driven individual, ready to face any challenge the world has to throw at me. Growing up, I was the kid who had it all.