...Four years ago, I bought a one-way ticket from Hong Kong to Detroit; I told myself I will not be returning until I am done with university. I will be strong and I will be independent. I will not be homesick, I will not miss my friends back home and I will not cry. I have said all the good byes and I have packed up everything and there was no turning back. Within the first week of school, I was proven wrong. I missed home, I missed family and friends and I missed the familiarity that I once took for granted. After my first year of college, I went home. I am an international student. My parents both grew up in a traditional Chinese household, where hard work demonstrated by success and obedient without questioning was considered the correct attitude. I will not deny the fact my parents loved my older sister and me when we were young, but their methods have really shaped who I was when I came to college. Under the British education system, I had little room for creativity, the education system discourages students to think out of the box, but rather to focus on becoming very successful within...
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...Growing up, my parents never recounted their college days. Not once did they reminisce with fond, nostalgic voices about the memories of life on campus: cheering in the student section at a game, relaxing in their dorm rooms on a Sunday afternoon, sitting eagerly in the class of their most admired teacher, nor proudly donning their university’s regalia. Once it came time for me to embark on my own college search, I questioned my parents on their secrecy. They divulged to me that they never had the true college experience. They commuted to class, never spending more than a couple hours on campus. As a result, I more clearly defined what I was seeking- an university that not only would give me the tools to grow and prosper, but also the transformative adventures of student life....
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...only occasionally see my dad since he now lives on the other side of the country, but I still feel very lucky to have a supportive, if spread out, family behind me. What makes me different from the rest of the crowd though is how I choose to fill my time away from school. I come from a middle income background so I knew I’d have to get a job in the summers and/or after school to help fund college, but instead of getting the easiest job I could find like many of my friends, I purposely sought work that would teach me new skills as well as give me a sense of fulfillment, which is why I turned to coaching soccer and working as a camp counselor. I know that every summer I am out there I’m helping the kids in my community, not only by watching to make sure they are playing with skill and determination, but also by helping them learn invaluable life lessons, like how to be a good teammate and friend, and how to settle disputes fairly and efficiently. I also have now added the title of waitress to my resume and while at first glance this job may not seem to offer me skills useful in pursuing a college degree, I have found it to offer incomparable training in multi-tasking, responsibility, money-management, perseverance and compassion for others. My grades have always been high and I am especially proud of this because I don’t naturally excel in all subjects. Writing has always been a challenge for me because I find grammar to often be confusing, spelling too, but I have learned through...
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...my life, but one in particular comes to mind: writing essays. For some people, writing is a chance to let their ideas and opinions flow on a piece of paper. Yet to others, like me, writing is difficult and I find it hard to let go and obtain a rhythm of words. As I write essays, I constantly stop to think of the best way to express my thoughts and use the right words to explain them; it doesn’t just come to me. That’s why when my English teacher, Ms. Poth, told us we’d be writing an in-class essay, I freaked. I immediately started to doubt myself and became frustrated because I told myself I wasn’t going to be able to do this. I kept thinking these thoughts until a few minutes later when I recognized how negative I was being. At that point, I decided to turn my attitude around and not give up that easily. I realized that with a positive mental attitude and some preparation for the task ahead of me, I could actually get through this essay with at least a B. After Ms. Poth had told us about our in-class essay, she explained to the class that she wouldn’t let us know the question on which we were to write about. However, she did give us some hints to what the topic would be about. She emphasized that we should review the stories of the Angle-Saxon Period and the Medieval Period. That was when the light bulb turned on in my head; I was going to review the literature of those time periods to better prepare myself for this essay. By doing this, I will know what I’m talking about and...
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...My college education has been founded on the principle of empowerment. I am here because of those who have helped and supported me. Consequently, I am able to do the same for others. When I think of the support I have received, I think of recent scholarships such as the Milwaukee Chapter of Links, Incorporated and Wisconsin scholarships, which have sponsored the past three years of my college education. I also think of my single mother who successfully raised my eight siblings and me while unemployed and with little financial support. Lastly, I think of the numerous individuals who have spoken over, prayed for and believed in my success. Simply, I would not be here without them. With the aforementioned thought in mind, I am exceedingly grateful...
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...Carine Green College Essay For years, I sulked and cried at the absence of my father. Whenever I saw him or thought of him I could only feel abandonment in the place of his paternal position. I yearned to be closer. I yearned to know him; I prayed. I waited. I cried. Finally, my prayer was answered. I was given the opportunity to live with dad. I thought that my life would would change for the better until I realized that he was not my savior, the savior that I prayed for, longed for and hoped for. This realization came not long after living with him. My father judged me. He questioned my masculinity and he imposed upon my personality, my lifestyle. He made fun of me for his own entertainment. He hurt me, both physically and mentally. The constant teasing...
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...High school, it sucks. In my family, it has always just been a given rule that the children will do good in school and go onto college. My parents always wanted my brother and I to go to college, since they never had the chance to. My dad would always say, “I want better for you guys than I had for myself”. One way to accomplish that, was to get good grades in high school and move onto college. So it was not a big shock to my family when I said I wanted to graduate my Junior year of high school, a whole year earlier than my graduating class. I was set on going to college, I needed a reason to get out of my hometown of Council Bluffs and a way to do that, was by going to college. Now my brother was already an expert at the whole college thing....
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...As a student at Perry County High School I am very active. Since my freshman year I have been elected class president, and will peruse that my senior year. I also have been Vice President and President of the Perry County FFA Chapter, currently holding the President position. I am a proud participant in Lads to Leaders, a program my church takes part of, and I am currently in the Girls Speech Winners Circle. I am an experienced competitive shooter and I have taken a leadership role by coaching younger shooters. The statements above describe who I am, and that I have a great ambition to be a strong leader, but where do I get this drive? The Bible is my life’s rulebook, and I try my best to be the best Christian I can be. Because of this I am guided by the will to always do what is right and continue down the straight and narrow path. I work hard to be my best, not only because that is how I am raised, but also because I want people, young and old, to look up to me. One could say I have strong morals, or ethics, about me. I believe that my Christian religion influences my decisions and it most definitely dominates my life. I think that following God is a very important part of leading a good, successful life. Doing so has worked out well for my parents and grandparents, and I strive to live my life similar to theirs. Another reason I find it so important to be so strongly grounded in my ethics is because as a leader, I know others will follow. I have three younger siblings,...
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...In our lives, we all have a niche. Some people enjoy cooking, some enjoy playing chess, and some love delving into a good book. Though I have had a hand in several activities throughout my life, I have found my niche to be playing the trombone. I began playing the trombone when I entered the sixth grade. As a twelve year old, playing an instrument was a trying task. The night I brought my instrument home, I assembled it and made the most atrocious sounds anyone had ever heard. I had no idea what I was doing or even how to hold the tangled brass tubing, but as time went on, and I suffered through the ear-piercing first semester of sixth grade band, playing the trombone became second nature to me. I sat first chair throughout my middle school years. I auditioned and earned a spot in the Davidson County All-County Middle School band as a young seventh grader. In eighth grade, after placing in the county band once again, I auditioned for a position in the North Carolina Northwest All-District Band, and I made first chair. Knowing that I was dubbed "the best in my district" made me yearn for more. I began to practice more often and more thoroughly, I asked my band director for harder music to improve my overall performance, I joined my school's jazz band, and I student-taught other students. The school auditorium became an ecosystem that I thrived in all throughout my middle school years. I found peace and comfort there, but it was also a place that many great life lessons were taught...
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...I have learned a lot in my first year of college, academically and socially. More importantly though, I learned a lot about myself. To be more specific, I learned what values are important to me. In my first year of college I lacked, personal and intimate relationships and learning environments, a space to practice and grow into my religion, and the exposure to a student population with diversity. It was in recognizing that I was missing these things that I realized Loyola University would be a great fit for a student such as myself. Personal and meaningful relationships are very important to me. I grew up in a very close family of eight children, raised by parents who stressed the importance of having a tight familial bond. I graduated from a high school of only 36 girls, where I learned not only the benefits and importance of a small group of trusted friends and companions but the academic advantages as well. But my college experience thus far has not supplied me with the personal and meaningful relationships I so eagerly wish to have. I want to go to a school that values a small environment for it’s educational, developmental, and social benefits. A school that pushes its students to engage with each other in meaningful and powerful ways in and out of the class room. I believe that attending Loyola may supply me with this opportunity....
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...Before my horse, I had never even dreamed of public speaking or approaching new people. Freddie made me an outgoing, passionate, and energetic person that I never thought I could have become. He did so much more than teach me how to become a better rider and horseman; he taught me to not be afraid of what other people think. When I first got him, I didn’t judge him by his appearance, and he didn’t judge me by mine. He taught me to open up and make new friends and relationships. I learned how to discover the new and amazing things life has to offer. My hard work ethic, compassionate personality, and curious approach will follow me in my next big adventures. I am excited to utilize these gifts in my college experience, in and out of...
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...Often I lie sleepless in my bed at night, not moving, too exhausted even to check my phone. My alarm clock is turned away from me, the sheets are warm and comfortable, and the only noise is that of the ceiling fan humming, yet I do not sleep. For hours, I am lost in deep thought, my mind continually weaving threads of thought together in unusual patterns. I quietly drift in the darkness through a landscape of intangible ideas, groping for meaning behind the veil of existence. What is it to be? I have spent my life with this question, privately deliberating, searching for its nature, for the shape of its answer. I have been truly haunted by Being. Thus philosophy was a personal matter for me at first; a lingering, erratic cogitation by day and a dream forced into my head by night. The thoughts arose unprovoked from the vacancy, and continued in their steady hold on my mind. Slowly, with the rise of the internet and my usage of it, I learned that some had asked themselves these same questions, that they had spent their lives looking for the answers, and that, most importantly, they left a written record of their search for meaning. Great minds throughout the past had left a legacy which I could follow, changing my unsolvable reflections into a legitimate, possibly lifelong exploration. As curiosity demanded, I studied philosophy, reading whatever I came across, often in a binge of web diving and occasionally involving a stop by the library. Thus, my quest for the essence of Being...
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...To start off with, I would love to be able to use the unmarked vehicles, as I'm certain that patrolling in one of these gives a huge advantage in catching the road law breakers - there's the element of surprise, they don't expect a random car to be a cop car. I've been patrolling with my good friend Kelly Macares and she taught me some good places to camp where very oftenly people don't yield at intersections - camping it with a cruiser makes them stop beforehand and it loses the point, they would just break the same law on the next intersection. Additionally, I would regularly perform a MARY patrol as I've been really keen to motorcycles for a long time and know how to drive them, also considering that you do not see a lot of them in the city. Next off, I would also love to use the Tow Truck, as I see a lot of cars that are parked up in a way that they are just clogging the traffic and there's rarely an available TOM to call for a pickup. I, as a Traffic Officer, would contribute most, if not all of my duty-time on this Division, performing all kinds of traffic-related duties and most importantly be a helping hand to the bigger operations, such as DUI checkpoints. I've noticed that there are not a lot of Traffic Officers on-duty at times when they're needed the most and my good friend, mentioned above, Police Officer III Kelly Macares recommended me to join this division. I consider myself working efficiently as a part of the Police Department team at all times when I'm on-duty...
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...The Wellesley Effect. I heard this phrase a few days ago and it inspired me to rewrite this essay. I watched the video for the campaign and it brought shivers down my spine as I realized everything the Wellesley women were saying is something I would like to get out of college. Wellesley “is the place” where I will be able to become a woman of science and art and sport. Wellesley’s liberal arts education will give me the opportunity to become a well-rounded individual. I will be able to explore my passion for science through the innovative and accessible state-of-the-art equipment, which will allow me to better examine the intricate anatomy of the body, and the complex networks and structures of the brain that fascinate me. After learning about biology, my enthusiasm towards science grew, which drove me to...
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...“Hello, welcome to Payless!” I would say with a big smile as another new face walked through the glass doors. The summer before my senior year I spent much of my time working for Payless ShoeSource as a Sales Associate. My coworkers and I would follow the same routine every day; greet the customer, discuss our promotions, offer assistance of any kind, and hopefully make that huge sale. I learned a lot from working retail and believe it has prepared me for my future goal of working in marketing. Sophomore year, my friends and I were coming to that dreadful age of 16. Some had big parties while others were given cars, however, when I turned 16 I got my first job. It took quite a bit of looking since the town I live in is small and my choices were limited to one of the many fast foods or Mexican restaurants. I earned my first job as a carhop at Sonic Drive-In, where I learned many useful skills in communication with coworkers and customers. I have always been an active worker whether at church, in my job, or in school. At a young age, I was taught to work hard. My mother would always bring us to our church or other types of organizations for community service work. I always enjoyed the social part of working especially when I was able to play with young children. Talking to customers and getting to know them was one of the best parts of working. Every year it seemed I would dream up a new future profession. When I was a child I dreamed of being a Vet; I remember going to the library...
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