College Essay

As I near the end of my high school career, I realize that I am not the same person who began 3 years ago as a freshman. While my teachers instilled the fundamental aspects of a well-rounded education, I learned through my own experience that education extends beyond the classroom. My activities in academics, athletics, community service and work experience, have instilled qualities in me that will prepare me for the immediate future of college and beyond. My unique educational environment of a school has allowed me the opportunity to form close relationships with teachers and students alike, enabling me to interact with people of various backgrounds and ages. These experiences prepared me for my encounters beyond the realm of the classroom. Within this environment, I planned my class' junior and senior trips. These experiences provided me with an opportunity to represent my classmates while fostering communication between the faculty and students. Currently, I participate in a class called . Twice a week, and I get together to read, review his homework, talk about current events, and share our life experiences. While this seemed intimidating at first, I learned that he depended on me to help with his work. No longer was I just ‘helping out', but I had a responsibility to to assist with his learning and be a positive role model in his life. With these recent school experiences, I have learned how communication and compassion can instill responsibility and be a person's most valuable allies. My work experience has revealed the importance of discipline in life. While I have only worked for a few people, I have come to realize that whatever you are doing, no matter how menial the task may seem, there is always something to be learned. The first time I realized the importance of discipline occurred the summer of my Junior year when I had a pseudo-internship with my father at our family owned and operated manufacturing business in At the work was not only physically demanding, but mentally challenging as well. I learned the various facets that go into owning, operating, and maintaining a business. Through business trips to Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, my father showed me the workings of the business from the top down and the rest of the time, I worked from the bottom-up. By viewing both sides of the business, I gained an appreciation for the work and effort put in by each individual and a realization that businesses, like most experiences in life, require team effort.
Throughout my life, my participation in team sports has awakened my competitive drive and taught me the importance of reliability. As with any community endeavor, the success of the team depends on the dedication of each individual player. In order to be a contributing member to the team, I work out and practice religiously. Luckily this hard work has paid off. This year will be my third year on the Varsity Lacrosse team and my second year as the number two player on our Varsity Golf team. Both the Lacrosse and Golf teams have allowed me to meet new people and work with them towards a common goal. My involvement in sports has further revealed the importance of group effort and the individual satisfaction that accompanies not only success, but just working together to accomplish a common goal.
I have always been described as a people person and my high school experience has helped me develop the skills necessary to reach out to many people and develop my own skills in order to be a person who can lead instead of follow. My parents have always taught me to learn through past experience. I think my past experiences reveal me as a true team player, with discipline, community orientation, leadership and communication skills. These are only a few of the numerous ways in which I will be able to contribute to the As I learned through my work experience, all of life involves participation from both sides: for the many ways in which I will contribute to the community at I will gain just as much if not more from in return, furthering my personal development of character and instilling the knowledge that results from extended education.