College Admissions Essay: My Journey To College

Former baseball player Tommy Lasorda once said, “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” The journey of our life is full of winding paths and concrete obstacles whose sole goal is to slow us down, and to attempt to block us from reaching our ultimate goal in life, whatever that may be. These barriers are there for several different reasons, whether it be mental or physical. Sometimes these obstacles are motivated by fear, other times they exist simply because we have to make a decision, and that decision can be life changing. But through our determination, and through our perseverance, we can achieve what these barriers told us was impossible, and can pursue the path in our life that leads us to our ultimate self. Throughout my life, I have had thousands of barriers stand in my path. And the only way I was able to defeat them was through conquering my fears, and breaking my limits in order to achieve excellence.

Initially after high school I decided to move across the country in order to find myself, my passions, and my career goals. I attended WW-P South in Princeton Junction where many of my friends chose TCNJ. I always loved TCNJ but I knew I wasn't academically ready to be part of the community just yet. I started at a private university in California which turned out to be an amazing experience but also a lesson learned that it was not for me. Everything was new and overwhelming and it was the first time being completely on my own. After completing my freshmen year, I moved to a community college to do better academically and work a little on the side. My passion for pursing a degree boosted during my second community college that I attended.

I am a first-generation, Chicano and will soon finish my last semester before I transfer to a four year university in the upcoming fall. Coming from a first-generation household, I have had to overcome many obstacles to be in the position that I am now in. Community college has been a valuable resource that has allowed me to pursue an amazing education at a low price which has eased the burden of high tuition on my parents. Sometimes it is the cost of education that impedes those that seek it and scholarships are one avenue in which they become easier to travel down the path to success. Coming out of Gilroy High School years ago, I was unsure of what I wanted to major in and devote myself to but I had the amazing opportunity of enrolling in University of California, Merced.

My parents think of themselves as primarily self-sufficient. Because of this, we live on the peak of a hill in the middle of nowhere, far away from the hustle and bustle of our old home in the city. Although this is their ideal life, they realized that it may prevent me from expanding my own horizons. They have always encouraged me to follow my interests, even when it meant moving away from home at sixteen to go to college. Throughout my entire childhood, they have done everything in their power to ensure that I am prepared for the future. I believe that my parents have crafted me into a well-rounded individual by proving to me that any person can define their own version of success.

Moving to college was one of the biggest and most terrifying moments of my life so far. I was absolutely terrified to move out on my own and move away from the life I had always known. But moving away to college has been the best decision I have ever made. I have had an amazing college experience so far. I have met so many people and have been challenged in ways I never even thought possible. I have accomplished some great things like joining Sigma Eta Rho which is a professional fraternity for health professions. I also received the opportunity to become a part of their leadership team. I have joined a group on campus called StuMo, which stands for student mobilization. The goal of this group is to build spiritual leaders for Christ from the college campuses of the world. These things are only a preview of all the things college has brought me, but one of the

Many people, since I was little, pressured me into going to college. My parents didn't mind what I decided, all that mattered is what makes me happy. They would support me no matter what my heart decided to do. Over the years family members tried to persuade me into believing that without a college degree you'll never become successful. To them, college had to be a part of my future which I think is the main reason I decided that college would be for me. Ever since I was told that I started to disagree and pushed myself to realize that I wanted to prove them wrong. I can do anything I want and accomplish any goals I have as long as I set my mind to it. College isn't the only way to become successful, working can get you places you never thought possible.

Ever since I was able to reach the sink, I have helped to clean the dishes. My family takes longer to wash dishes than most because we wash every recyclable before putting it in the bin. I always threw a fit because I did not understand why we had to wash our garbage, and it was not until later that I learned it was so that everything we put in our bin would be accepted by the recycling plant.

Education is something that is often taken for granted. The pursuit of learning is not always met with energy and excitement and I have understood the challenges that school can bring. The challenging parts of school, however, are necessary to personal growth. Throughout my years of schooling through middle school and through high school I noticed how I would sometimes have to push myself harder than other people to be on the same level as others, and would often become frustrated in my efforts. As I have graduated and aspire to become a doctor, I have realized how important frustration and struggle is to education.

“Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation's compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.”

To bottle the essence in this premier moment- the liquid of success and pride, the raw emotion in that moment that has propelled my character to it's actualized state of being- would have been a fantasy amongst reality. I open my tear dotted eyes as my ears resonate the echoes of confetti cannons and cheers from the arena. My muscles ache with joy, and my mind is chasing the realization that is at hand. I have just won a midwestern color guard championship. The golden haze of chaos that ensues is one that has forever imprinted on my mind, a haze that lingers in my peripheral vision, in constant search of a worthy emotion to compare to. The prime success in this moment alone- has been the sole fuel in the flame of my determination and strive for achieved ambitions.

When I ponder the first 17 years of my life, I realize that I have taken my life for granted. I’ve never actually thought about how soon my life could end, not seeing my loved ones ever again, and never being able to enjoy life’s glorious moments. Having a miraculous, close encounter with death has changed how I view life. I pay attention to the details of my life more, and the small things in life don’t seem to aggravate me as much as they did in the past.

Everyone at some point in their lives start a journey, whether it’s towards success, love, fame, money, etc. We all had start it somewhere, mines started quite early, maybe around the beginning of the second grade in elementary. I was seven at the time. I still remember the majority of my classmates and my teacher, Mrs. Edwards. Which up to this day, I still think about, her kind manners and those vivid, somewhat aggravating, memories with my class.

According to a Thomas Nelson Web site, only 15.7 percent of students were able to complete their degree in 2010. This statistic is shocking because not many students are graduating. I am attending Thomas Nelson now in a two-year program. In addition, I hope I will be part of the 15.7 percent who graduates and earns my degree in two years. Although college is difficult, I will be successful by seeking advice from experts and by developing effective strategies for success.

Every kids goal is graduate from high school, go off to college, and live the luxurious life they have always dreamed of. They don't realize all of the hard work they need to put forth, and obstacles to overcome in order to fulfill those dreams. Over the last 4 years, I have set myself certain goals so I can be the first of my family to earn a high school diploma, and move on to pursue a higher education. Some of those goals included; maintaining above a 4.0 cumulative GPA, ranking #1 in my class, and becoming extremely over involved in extracurricular activities. I have accomplished all of these, setting myself well above where I expected to be. Now that I am a senior, ready to start making my own dreams reality, I have made a whole new set of goal to work for. But with these goals comes patience, and effort. Since freshman year, I have worked for my grades, and have had the ambition, and strive, to become who I am today. This wasn’t easy, nor was it a quick process. So for this, the most important lesson i’ve learned up to this point in my life is that success is not handed to you, and that it takes hard work, as well as patience, to really become all that you would like to be.

“We’re all just kids who grew up way too fast.” (unknown) Life is about learning lessons, survival techniques and most importantly knowing who you are. Being a young child you could not possibly fathom what life will be like as a teen growing into an adult. Thinking I knew who I was and what I wanted, but boy was I so wrong. Still finding myself and in the past four months I have picked to my core. Knowing my strengths as being reliable, patient, independent, caring and loving (too much sometimes), brave, trustworthy, dedicated, compassionate, determined, and I hold a lot of leadership positions. In nine months I will be walking with the class 2018; we all will be starting the journey we have always dreamed. Venturing off and grow as an individual, getting a fresh start and to accomplish the dreams I have always dreamed; heading towards the Elementary Education program through Pittsburg State University. Knowing yourself, accepting life and finding your purpose are the key essentials to success.