How I Changed My Life

I first met Dr. Wes Grebski when I was in eleventh grade. The first day of class, he walked in and immediately started teaching the class some basics of engineering. This set the tone for the rest of his face paced teaching style. However, Dr. Grebski was an honorable teacher; he made it extremely clear that he was here to help any student learn. Dr. Grebski liked to call me by my last name, Matuszkiewicz. He was the only person in my school that could actually pronounce my last name. He told me

While sitting in a new class with new students and a new teacher, my mind swarmed with anticipation for the new school year. To which, my first ever African-American teacher entered the room with a bellowing loud sneeze. John Doe appeared, and while he was a tall and athletic, he also was very inspiring to be around. For when one sat in his class, there was never a dull moment; from all the soccer tricks, he was a professional soccer player at one point, to the brute memorization of everybody’s birthday, encouraged student to learn more than what was in a textbook.

Narrowing down one specific event is rather difficult. If I had to decide, it would be the Sunday morning that I stood in pool of water with my wife Amber holding my hand. Together, we were baptized in front of our congregation at a small church in Elizabethtown, KY. In order to understand why this event is so significant, and why it will influence my academic goals at CCU, it’s imperative that you know my back story. I’ve served 12 years as a military police soldier for the United States Army. I started my journey in the Army, as a young, inexperienced 18 year old young man. I ended my career as a Sergeant, with memories of experiences I will forever hold in my heart. Most of these memories are difficult to even talk about, but being a soldier

As I am writing/typing this journal based on a life event, which changed my outlook on life, I

I am Elisabeth Ocegueda, a freshman at Harrisburg High School with a, hopefully, bright future. When I first met Mr. Hartzler I was a little, lost twelve year old girl in middle school who didn’t quite know were she belonged. Mr Hartzler was one of the first teachers I had come to know that had enough energy to make an English class fun. Mr. Hartzler let me express myself and even though he might not know it, he is one of my favorite teachers because I knew that in contrast to other teachers, he actually cared about me and my future. I was never judged in his classroom and I was slowly but surely able to find myself. Over all, Mr. Hartzler will always be a teacher that I respect and that I will remember for my whole life. Thanks to him, I know who I am and what is right.

January 14, 1997: Immigrating to Canada from Jordan and settling down in the city of Halifax as a child dramatically changed my life. As I grew older, I started to question the purpose behind immigrating to Canada. After seeing my parents’ daily struggles to provide the best living conditions, I began to understand the motivation behind the move that forever changed my life. The immigration to Canada promised a brighter future. Wrapped around this reviving realization, I began to elevate myself out of loneliness, helplessness, and discomfort. This led me to my greatest accomplishment where I achieved my undergraduate degree of finance at the age of 19. Being young has always been an underestimation of my abilities and determination. I believe that age does not define or limit our capabilities, yet it is the mind that defines our age.

Where do I even start? I wish you could come back and teach here at school! I miss your class and the way you teach. I hope your wife is doing better, your brother as well. I hope you’re doing okay too. When you left, I remember you telling the class everything you were going through, and it was a lot. I just wanted to let you know that you were dearly missed after you left. Many students kept asking when you would be returning to class, including myself. Even though I didn't get to have you as a teacher for a full semester, the short time I did have you impacted my life greatly. I still think about your presence a lot while at school, especially your road time sessions. Those were my favorite! I often think about what your reaction was to

It was one life-changing experience I was seven years old when I became grateful for the things that I had. I remember packing for this big trip my parents were planning for a year now. I precisely recall my mother telling me to go through my closet and pick clothes I did not use to give away, I didn't know why, but I didn't ask, I just did it. As the day got closer I remember my parents had accumulated a great amount of things to give away. I quite didn't understand why they were gathering so many things and for what reason.

There have been a lot of experiences that have defined me and fundamentally changed who I am, whether it metastasized into negativity or cultivated itself into positivity, it drove my core until the very present. Even as I continue to grow, I find myself constantly being challenged in different aptitudes, fighting against forces consciously unknown to me as a child. One experience in particular that I remember, was when I was younger I had been bullied quite a bit. It was actually several racist remarks that had made me cry home to my father, whom was no help to me at all. At the time, I would like to think I knew what racism was. I knew the idea, the concept, and that that concept had rejected my being as something not equal to those who chastised

Moving from place to place not much other than family remain constant and that too takes a different shape with time and makes me both accustomed to change and more importantly, prepared for it. Moving every few years is a gift and a curse, giving you a clean slate when you both need it and when you do not want it. It is always difficult to move away from good friends, teaching me to remember all those who left a mark on me .

I changed, I didn’t' even realize that I did, till now when I had to write about it. Throughout my years of living, I never payed much attention to myself, I've always been caring about others and making them smile and happy and comfortable . Looking back I realized throughout those years I've been helping others my characteristic been evolving me changing me without me realizing it adapting me to my environment. That changed made me better, looking back and seeing how much I helped others without realizing it made me smile a little.

I moved from Albany, NY to Rochester, NY before 7th grade and have called Upstate NY “home” my entire life. My father is a gastroenterologist and transplant hepatologist at URMC and my mother is a housewife. I have two younger sisters (21, 16) and one younger brother (17). The older sister currently works in a Psychology Lab at Yale University. From September 2014 to May 2015, I worked as a crew member at a Chipotle. I minored in economics in college and have an affinity for the ideas of Friedrich von Hayek. If asked, I’d consider myself a classic liberal, a classification rarely used nowadays. I enjoy listening to podcasts. Most of these are sports-related; however, my favorite podcast is Econtalk. I enjoy watching movies and TV shows, but

Daddy took you took time out of your day to teach me: how to change a tire, Get the best prices on item by doing research and too drive on empty until the gas price was right. I if I can do without than I don't need to buy it. Thanks for supporting with my goat, sheep, and llamas projects. Thanks for getting all hours of the night to walk out to the goat pen when I was afraid of meeting the skunk. Thank you for helping me to castrate a goat or burn off their horns even when you didn't clue how to do it. Also remember when I got the llamas and they were due for their first worming injects and how Snotty decided she had a enough of you spitted one side of your face green slime. But you just took and went on. I am also very grateful that you

There are drastic events that occur throughout our lives that we recognize to change us individually. It could be something as big as getting married, or as simple as buying our first car. Two people could make a decision to be wedded, and each person would have to adjust to the others living style. When I first bought my car I found a new sense of freedom, but there are always certain consequences to driving a car. I have to take consideration of other people on the road, because my choices on the road may make life-changing effects on somebody else. Drastic events are the most obvious examples of something that changes our lives, however, the most important thing to change my life isn’t an event. It is the people who help guide me through the events. Without our friends and loved ones, we wouldn’t have a reason to create and enjoy our life changing events.

I like to myself agnostic, even though I was brought up to be Jewish my whole life. I would like to start from the very beginning. My father was brought up reformed Jewish. My mother’s parents are Jewish even though she was not brought up Jewish. When my mother became older her religion became a lot more important to her, and by association it would be forced to be important to me.