College Admissions Essay: The Teacher Who Changed 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

Breathing heavily, a million things run through my mind. I’m dying. I can’t feel my feet. My lungs aren’t taking in oxygen fast enough. However, the finish line and the satisfaction of knowing that I had gotten myself through three miles loom ahead. Clenching my fists, I force myself through the indoor track at JCC. The excitement and pride that I feel when I finally achieve my goal is indescribable.

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.

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.

My Mom, Dad, and younger brother survived. If it's not medicine, my family would not have lived.

It was halfway through my sophomore year when my mom and two older sisters sprints down the stairs and storms out the house. Confused and worried, continuing to curl my hair. My mom walks back in towards me with a gruesome look in her eyes. With so many ideas already running through my head, I was notified that my grandmother was killed by my uncle. I cannot even describe my sense of emotion at the time. Confusion, hatred, and hopelessness all merged into one. And all I could think about was just giving up on everything. That is until my pastor said these words that I will always remember; “You're going to get through this, just have faith.” I took in those words and began to put his words into action

I grew up with very little confidence hardly looked people in the eye and never really spoke to anyone. My parents signed me up for endless sport teams in hopes that I’d gain confidence. I soon came across the sport Rowing. Out of all the races I’ve rowed, one especially changed my perspective on life. I realized that rowing is a place where I can be myself and no one will care, where I can scream at the top of my lungs and not get in trouble, or where I can wear mismatched outfits and no one will judge

I grew up in one of the wealthiest families in Minnesota and I was constantly reminded by the many family get togethers that were held at one of my uncle’s houses. You see, in my family the term wealth does not have the same definition as that of the one in the dictionary. Instead of riches and an abundance of money, I was born into a massive and united family that has supported each other throughout each others lives’. In truth, my family has been through extremely tough times financially, especially so in this last year with the loss of our main source of income, my mother’s job. With a roofing, seasonal working father and a year full of rain, there wasn’t much money to be spared for anything other than the essentials and even then those

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.

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?

During both my fourth and fifth grade years of elementary school, I participated in our math club that annually competed in the math pentathlon in Indianapolis. Although I had always enjoyed math in general, I never really understood how the concepts behind it could apply to real life. Becoming a part of this talented group of students and preparing for the competition by playing a variety of different logic-based puzzle games really allowed me to see math as well as the world in a new light. Through my experiences, I discovered a love of problem solving and a passion for finding logical solutions. I also uncovered an irreplaceable comradery with the rest of my team through working so hard together to become the best we could be. Math club and the many things I learned

Let’s be honest, thinking of a teacher that was memorable for reasons that don’t include, giving F’s, giving homework, or giving detentions … is kinda tricky. But there was one teacher who impacted my life in ways I never thought were possible.

I come from a fairly average family. Fortunately, I reside in a suburb of Round Rock in a fairly wealthy neighborhood. Both of my parents have college degress with my father having graduated from A&M Corpus Christi and mother from UT Austin. They are employed and have well-paying jobs and are able to provide a great deal of things to me. From this, I have had not to sustain any job aside of just doing my one job: performing well academically. While my life may not seem extraordinary by any stretch of the imagination, it is the one person in my life who has helped me have such privileges, my mother.