College Essay About Perseverance
I feel that my greatest skill is perseverance. When I was 9, I left brick and mortar education to pursue one of my greatest passions: figure skating. It was my dream to go the 2018 Winter Olympic Games representing the United States of America. Many years later, fractures in both of my knees ended that dream. I thought that I'd be able to return, and would have a fantastic comeback story, but the knee pain never left. I was never able to return to the sport.
Refusing to dwell in the past, I reinvented myself. I set my sights on academic success. Sure, being able to return to skating would have been a brilliant comeback story - but I was okay with settling for "turned into child genius" instead. Unfortunately, my plans and life’s plans did not
see eye to eye. Just before my Fall Semester at UCI, my family was evicted from our apartment. I developed depression, and spent more time crying in the Langson Library restroom stalls than studying for Calculus. It reflected in my grades, and I failed my courses.
Fueled by determination, I retook the classes I had failed the following semester. I pushed through my depression, and pulled myself above water long enough to pass them. For the next year and a half, I would continue to push through my depression – always trying to pull myself above water long enough to function, to complete my high school coursework, to volunteer on weekends, and to be there for friends when they needed me.
Even after moving into a house, I still struggle with staying afloat. I do not mind, nor do I see it as a weakness. I take pride in my ability to struggle, in my determination to never allow myself to sink. No matter how hard things get, my perseverance helps me stay strong. It is a quality that has pulled me through my darkest moments, and will carry my through my brightest.
Refusing to dwell in the past, I reinvented myself. I set my sights on academic success. Sure, being able to return to skating would have been a brilliant comeback story - but I was okay with settling for "turned into child genius" instead. Unfortunately, my plans and life’s plans did not
see eye to eye. Just before my Fall Semester at UCI, my family was evicted from our apartment. I developed depression, and spent more time crying in the Langson Library restroom stalls than studying for Calculus. It reflected in my grades, and I failed my courses.
Fueled by determination, I retook the classes I had failed the following semester. I pushed through my depression, and pulled myself above water long enough to pass them. For the next year and a half, I would continue to push through my depression – always trying to pull myself above water long enough to function, to complete my high school coursework, to volunteer on weekends, and to be there for friends when they needed me.
Even after moving into a house, I still struggle with staying afloat. I do not mind, nor do I see it as a weakness. I take pride in my ability to struggle, in my determination to never allow myself to sink. No matter how hard things get, my perseverance helps me stay strong. It is a quality that has pulled me through my darkest moments, and will carry my through my brightest.