Personal Narrative: My Experience With Adversity

Adversity is something that all individuals encounter in various ways throughout their lives. One of my favorite teachers always used to say, " Life is not always a matter of holding good cards; on occasion, it requires being able to play a poor hand well." As a sophomore in high school, I had to face my first real challenge with adversity. My parents had to leave me on my own for multiple weeks on end to help support another sibling in a different state. Adversity had hit me in this stage of my life, because I was in a position where I had to mature faster than most of my peers. Because of this situation, my parents were not around to check on me academically, so I began to fall behind.
I never understood what my teacher meant when he talked
about being able to play with a poor hand.
It wasn't until later in the year that those words truly impacted my actions and attitude towards my academics. As many teenagers go through an " I don't care" phase mine began with the absence of my parents. My work ethic and drive to excel in school began to diminish. I understood my actions had a negative impact, but the continuation of my friends dictating my new-found freedom led me down an egregious path. My grades began to plummet and I was blinded to the reality of how this could have potentially effected my future.
At the end of my sophomore year, my teacher's words suddenly proved to be meaningful. It was finally clear to me that if I did not attempt to persevere through the void of parental guidance, I was surely not on track to be accepted to any of my preferred colleges. Due to this sudden realization, school began to be my overwhelming priority. My grades started improving, and I began to make more adult-like decisions. I no longer let the poor hand I was dealt influence my potential future. In learning to deal with this adversity, I came to the conclusion that my life always needs a difficult challenge to grow as a student and person.
For the rest of high school, adversity that I faced no longer intimidated me, it
actually started to make me realize life is full of difficult situations. It also led me to believe that my failures double as my successes. My experience with adversity will overall benefit me later in life, because in college and years to come I will already know how to be independent and push myself as a single force. Many first time college students will be transitioning with the adversity that I myself have already faced, and this will give me the upper hand to excel early. Although it was difficult, I have truly learned to respect my parents for their decision to leave me and trust me on my own. It has led me to mature and will continue to allow me to prosper in various aspects of my life. Wabash is a school that I personally believe would be a great fit for me. It has all the qualities in a school that any student could possibly need to become successful. Wabash's mission statement almost perfectly describes what I have been trying to accomplish in life.
Wabash College educates men to think critically, act responsibly, lead effectively, and live humanely. The adversities, struggles, failures, and endless hours that were spent building myself have led me to be the person I am today. I believe deep down that I am a perfectly suitable choice for Wabash College, and I hope to someday call myself a Wabash Man.