Written for an application for Student of the Year. A work in progree. Will edit any errors and make corrections later.
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As a young woman with over seventeen years of life, I have had my share of good and bad experiences that have shaped the person I have become and the person I strive to be. Each step of the way, obstacles have come up in my life, whether it be the result of uncontrollable circumstances or my own decisions, and I have had to overcome them in what I found to be the best possible way at the time. Every achievement as well as every mistake I have made has given me understanding and knowledge. It has made me value abstract ideas and bonds as opposed to material wealth and power. Every aspect of my life up to this point has defined my opinions of myself and the world around me and molded my perspective and personality into someone I am proud to be.
My mother has played a great role in instilling me with hope and making me work hard for what I want. From about the age of 8, her mother wasn’t around much, and she was left with her father, who wasn’t a sufficient guardian. She mostly had to take care of herself, and at the age of 13, she was forced to drop out of school in the eighth grade to get a job as a waitress and support herself. For the next twenty years, she mostly waitressed and worked as a bartender. No matter what circumstances we were in, no matter the consequences we dealt with from bad decisions, my mother always worked hard enough to get us by. She never gave up, and I really admire that. She even studied hard on her own and received her GED last year. My mother, at the age of 37, finally received her high school education, and it has helped her move up to government jobs. This is a great example of how, with effort and determination, you can achieve your dreams.
As a child, my family didn't have much money, as it still doesn't today. We had enough for all necessities and sometimes a little extra, but not much. Because of this, I learned to value the things we had and not to ask for extravagant things. My family also moved around a lot. In my first fourteen years, I moved from house to house about nine times and changed schools about six. This made it hard for me to make lasting friendships, but it also allowed me to meet and get to know many different people from different places. The different schools allowed me to try new things, like band, art, and languages, and, despite the constant moving, my grades and progress in school were never hindered. Additionally, when I was nine, my godfather committed suicide, and, though a very tragic and sad experience, it helped me learn how to cope with loss and realize how suddenly death can happen. These and other factors contributed to providing me with an unsheltered childhood that has prepared me for and allowed me to grasp the real world.
For the first time in my life, I have lived in the same area, the same home, for four years. I have been able to attend high school at the same school, which has allowed me to get to know my classmates and teachers, and has given me lifelong friendships. The friends I have made and kept thus far since my freshman year in high school have taught me a lot about myself and have helped me be a good person. We are all sort of outcasts in my school. We all share many interests, yet have qualities and interests that make us unique in our group. They accept me for who I am and give me someone to depend on. My friends have taught me to stand up for myself and my beliefs and to not be afraid of anyone that discriminates us because of our styles and attitudes, because we are different. They have helped me to find who I really am; they have helped me shine. I wouldn’t be the same person that I am today if it were not for my friends.
As I mentioned, I’ve been able to get used to and get to know many of the teachers at my high school since I’ve been there for four straight years. They, also, have helped me become who I am. They have helped me strive for excellence and go beyond what I can do easily to achieve greater things with more effort and challenge. In particular, being enrolled in Academic Decathlon for the past three years has really made me push myself. With its college curriculum and cutthroat competition, I have had to study harder than ever before to make the Academic Decathlon team and compete at state competition with other schools across Louisiana. Unlike most of the other classes at my high school, this is the only class that really challenges me and keeps me focused. I am really thankful to have Academic Decathlon to keep me learning and struggling.
Other classes have really impacted me. Taking German and Latin classes has sparked my interest in foreign languages and has also assisted me in the grammar and structure of English as well. My Gifted English class and teacher has helped and encouraged me in writing, and I have been writing poetry for a couple years now. Writing has become a passion for me as of late, and it is something I wish to continue doing into the far future. American and World History, more specifically, the teachers that taught me those classes, have really gotten me interested in history. They teach it so well and so enthusiastically, the subject now really captivates me. With all of these sudden interests in different areas, I’m left with a problem, however. I don’t have a completely planned out future.
With high school so close to closure and college creeping up, I’ve been having trouble deciding what to study. However, I’ve come to the decision that I will attend the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for a Liberal Arts Degree majoring in English Creative Writing and perhaps minoring in History. For a while, I was set on going to college for Accounting, because I am great in math and it would be easy. However, after really thinking about that choice and talking it over with many people, I decided that I would rather not go to college for something I wouldn’t enjoy doing for the rest of my life simply because it would be easy for me. I find that going to college for Liberal Arts, even though I am not certain at this point where I will end up, would be very beneficial to me and would meet my mind’s curiosity. It would allow me to take classes in a more broad area in which I may discover my true passion. I also now accept that life need not be perfectly planned out, but that sometimes people must find themselves and their right path along the way.
It is with this in mind that I will embark on my journey from high school student to an undergraduate in college, from teenager to adult. If there is one thing I have learned in my life thus far, it is that life will always throw obstacles in your way and nothing is ever completely certain, but if you are willing to try hard enough, you can always overcome them.