College Admissions Essay: The Person Who Changed My Life

All little sisters look up to their big brothers, and I was no exception to the rule. I remember watching my brother Brandon, cheering him on at his high school football games, golf matches, and basketball tournaments. I was only six or seven at the time, so of course I wanted to be just like him. I proudly yelled his name in the bleachers, dressed in his big cotton sweatshirts. My little eyes saw Brandon as a superhero out there, on the courts, fields, and everywhere I saw him. I have forever held that notion in my mind, ultimately holding him on a high pedestal. Even though I regarded him as my utmost favorite human on earth, something happened that changed me and him.

I am a fortunate soul. I have two loving parents who raised me in a Christian home. We went to church every Sunday, both my parents worked, and they gave me everything I needed. My mother and father both gave me everything that I wanted, or better yet everything I asked for they tried to get. They didn’t just give me anything, no questions asked, there was discipline, respect, love, and humility. They thought I deserved the world and they tried to provide it. Was that so bad?

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 can do it.” Although it may seem like a simple phrase, these four words comprise the root and core of my character. It makes me smile that the strength behind these four words came from a three-year old boy, my older brother Anthony. Anthony was born with a double right outlet and ventricular septal defect, meaning that he had twice the difficulty performing the same activities as any other three year old. He never let this ailment get in the way of enjoying the pleasures of childhood. He would say “I can do it” and sure enough conquer any task that was presented to him. He even uttered his saying before open-heart surgery and ultimately survived the procedure. Although Anthony passed away a year later from cardiac arrest, it is the strength of those words and the confidence embedded in his character that allow me to understand the wisdom in his

“You know Kwesi, I only came to this country with forty bucks in my pocket and the clothes on my back and look where I am today.” -- words from my father I thought to myself the first time I saw a rifle plummet down to my head.

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.

“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.

Throughout my youth I was surrounded by people that influenced me to be the best I can be at anything.  My biggest influential people were my parents they pushed me to always be on top of my school work and extra-curricular activities.  Such as times I wanted to give up on something my parents would always encourage me to keep trying but to never up on a dream that I’ve wanted to accomplish since I was a young kid.  With their help they continue to support me through every aspect of both my education and my passion for sports.

In the drug-infested streets of North Highlands, adversity ran the gamut. In a place where individuals were treated more like statistics than human beings, it was very difficult to feel any hope or purpose. As I grew up, I found purpose in the hopes of escaping from the adversity. However, I found my true purpose, as well as hope, back where I started.

Most people have impacted my life, but one person particularly has impacted my life greatly. My granddad was the person that has impacted my life ever since I was born. Even though my grandpa has been dead for 10 years going on 11 he still impacts my life daily. Since we had a close relationship I always knew when he is around even though he is gone. He would have inspired me in ways that most people never didn’t. I miss him plenty, but luckily his spirit is still with us no matter what happens.

"Youth is everlasting if you feed your soul with much love and many adventures," a phrase I have claimed my entire life. I have traveled across the seven seas, from the white sand beaches and crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, to the snowy tundra of the Italian alps. I have studied traditional Indian art and learned to play the tabula under the tree canopies of Karola, India. I have hiked to a cliff's edge to watch humpback whales migrate through Queensland, Australia. I have payed homage to my religious ancestors at the western wall in Jerusalem, Israel. I mention a few of the places I have traveled not because they describes who I am, but because my adventures have created the person you see today. Seeing the world has struck passion in my heart and curiosity in my mind.

Education has not been an option for me, growing up in an African household. Many children would have been bothered by this request, however I took it upon myself to implement it in everyway that I could. That I thank my mother for. As a person who values education as a key to having a successful life, I also know that simply believing in yourself will lead to bigger and better moments. I was once told that “Highschool is like a door of opportunities. All that you do will lead to a door either opening or closing.” It stuck with me and I have since been thankful for it because it allowed me to see what and how I wanted to live my life, even at such a young age. Loving myself for who I am, and knowing that education is power kept me on track and intack to achieving fulfillment within myself. And in the moment I cut all of my hair off, my sophomore year in highschool, I knew that this one little change of my appearance would bring loads of realization to my life.

I never knew the day I got hired at Cooper County Memorial Hospital my life would forever change. I didn’t know, at this point that I had just met the person who would change my life and inspired me to be a nurse and further my education in the “Health Science Field”. This person inspired me to not only better myself but, to better others with my knowledge and kindness. The person that changed my life was, Candace Parkhurst. She inspired me with her nobility to be kind, helpful, a great leader, a wonderful nurse, most caring person I know, and the list could go on forever. Candace gave me a reason to want to go to work and help others. Candace did more than just inspire me to be a nurse; she inspired me to have a voice and stand up for things

Since before I can remember, I’ve been characterized by my sense of independence and will to see things through. At a young age, these particular traits coalesced into quite the stubborn personality- I was the child that found his “replacement” stuffed rabbit (in case the first one went missing) in the top of the closet, and the child who dragged his parents back to the park hours after leaving to reclaim said animals after they were misplaced. As I proceeded into adolescence, this tenacity manifested itself in ways that saw no end to my parent’s frustration. After I had my computer taken away because of a conflict with a sibling, my mother found me clicking away late at night on a ramshackle setup I had pieced together from a barely serviceable

For years, students are brought up and inspired by the adults in their lives. When thinking back on all the people that have helped me strive to be the person I am today, and the person I eventually want to be, I’m instantly reminded of all of the teachers that have left a mark on me. Specifically my eleventh grade algebra teacher, Mr. Hart. He showed me that there is nothing wrong with having a love of math. Ever since grade school I've enjoyed puzzles and numbers and the “ah ha” moment when it all finally came together, but anytime I tell someone I enjoy math, they look at me with a look of disgust. It seems to be known that math is supposed to me the “most hated subject” and I’d love to change the way students and even adults see it. Spending the majority of my life in the school systems I have seen that teachers have a societal responsibility to shape their students into who they will become in the real world, and that is what I am going to strive to achieve.