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Personal Narrative: Determination

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Every single second of every single day, people all over the world content themselves with mediocrity. In the words of the legendary Steve Prefontaine, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” That is why, every second of my life I put forth an unmatched effort and dogged work ethic in everything I endeavor to do. However, I have found that throughout my life my determination goes completely unnoticed. Regardless of the fact that my drive regularly goes unnoticed, it is a quality that is integral to my character; furthermore, determination has been, and continues to be a defining characteristic in my life.
I have exhibited unmatched resolve in achieving my goals from my earliest days, and I can attribute this quality to the examples my parent set for me. I am a first generation Nigerian immigrant in the United States. My father comes from the rural town of Awkuzu in eastern Nigeria, and my mother is from Port Harcourt in southern Nigeria. The lives of my parents are lives marked by obstacles, and defined by faith. Nothing in either of their lives was ever handed to them. From their earliest school days, it was obligatory …show more content…

In my life, as in anybody else’s, the possibilities for success and utter failure have been innumerable. From my earliest days my peers, my instructors, and myself have taken notice of my giftedness in the classroom. By this I mean, I have always been an above average student, and without putting in effort, I could probably get through school with ease. However, to content myself with this would not only show disregard for my potential, it would be the ultimate disrespect to the sacrifices that were necessary to bring me to where I am today. My parents were able to instill a tradition of excellence in me early on, and it is now a tradition I carry on by myself proudly regardless of what it brings

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