College Essay Final Draft
UC Berkeley
PROMPT #1: Describe the world you come from—for example, your family, community or school—and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
The world that I lived in for a very long time was very self centered and indolent. Everyone around me would be taking time out of their schedules just to help me with incidental problems. It really seemed as if the world revolved around me. However, all of this changed during the 8th grade when I got hit by a brick wall. That experience changed me in many ways for the better. Not only did I learn to be more accountable for my actions, but I also realized what I could truly accomplish if I just focused and put my mind to something. Still, this is not the only thing that helped shape me into the person that I am today. There is my family, school, friends, etc. which have helped me to realize that it is never too late to change.
Family means everything to me. Ever since I was a young boy, I learned to respect and care for my family because they are the ones that get you through thick and thin. My family pushes me into unlocking my hidden potential. I remember when I was in elementary school and I would never want to do my homework. My grandma would sit with me for hours trying to calm me down and keep me focused. She sacrificed so much of her time to try and steer me in the right path. I remember all those times I had to write essays for class, she would sit with me for a minimum of three hours teaching me sentence structures and vocabulary. Looking back at it now, I caused her a lot of meaningless stress but she never gave up on me and that helped me to believe in myself. My parents, they do so so much for me and I can’t stress that enough, but I think that their lectures have made the biggest impact. When I quit the judo team, my dad sat me down asking me what was the reason for me quitting. When I explained to him that I just didn’t like the sport, he said that he didn’t have a problem with me not liking the sport (even though he was the whole reason that I joined) he told me that you never quit halfway. Other than that they just help me with everything especially when it comes to responsibility. They gave me a ton of chores and different tasks to do when I was younger helping me to become more independent. These life lessons have been instilled in me and help me today with the current things that I am in like paddling and high school because no matter how hard the challenge, you never back down.
Friends are like the sun on a rainy day. Cheering me up by making me laugh. They’re the ones who got your back and can have meaningless conversations with. Throughout middle school I didn’t like a few of my teachers, so some days I would just mope and groan to my parents that I didn’t want to go to school, but on the contrary I still wanted to see my friends so I would end up changing my mind anyways. When it came to sports, it was always a competition, especially with them. I remember one time when we were playing basketball. I could have sworn that we were out there for at least two hours going back and forth because both teams didn’t want to lose. One of my friends also helped me to succeed academically because we used to see who could get the better grade and the winner would get bragging rights. Trust me, I don’t like to lose in anything. They put me in a very comfortable environment because they would never make any bad decisions like drugs, smoking, or etc. so that helped me to not get into those types of things. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be as upbeat and caring of a person that I am today. Friends do a lot for you in their own way, but it is their moral support whenever you need it that makes them truly special.
Moanalua is a place of serenity. I have been going to school in the moanalua district ever since preschool. There has not been any kind criminal activity in this area as I recall. Also at every level of schooling, there are security guards walking around or monitoring the campus at all times. During school, most of the kids are very disciplined however you always have those troublemakers. The school is not very lenient when it comes to the breaking of rules, depending on what you did, and that’s good because it will help you stay away from those kinds of derogatory actions. In addition to that, there campus is pretty clean and in the high school they have such things as campus beautification day. That shows that the school board cares and respects the campus and they want us to too. Where I live, in Moanalua Gardens, all of the neighbors are really kind. We exchange gifts all the time. Since the area is so calm, from time to time you just want to take a nice relaxing jog to cool down or relieve stress. The schools and the area have really opened up my eyes and helped me to find myself as an individual because this is basically my life. Where I have met all my friends, caring teachers, etc. Without this place, I don’t know what I would be like.
All of these things have played a factor into the person that I am today. They have helped me to discover my dreams and aspirations. My family always helps me with my decision making, especially when it comes to looking for what I want to do in the future. They discuss with me the details on which jobs have the brightest future as well as the ones that can’t be replaced by machines. My friends encourage me by telling me that anything is possible, and to set the bar high because who knows what the future holds. Lastly, the schooling district and area play a big role because all of my teachers have prepared me for that next level and were always there for me when I needed it. As the world around us is slowly evolving so are we. My dream is to graduate from college while majoring in the scientific field. Then possibly continuing my schooling and getting a doctor's degree. After that I want to get married and start a family. Possibly here in Hawaii but who knows. As of now the possibilities are endless, and it is up to the decisions that I make that will decide my future, so I, will have to make it happen.
