Personal Narrative: My Sense Of Honor

“Honor! Courtesy! Integrity! Perseverance! Self-control! Courage! Community!” Every Tae Kwon Do class began and ended with the recitation of these tenants. Because of my small stature and extreme shyness, I became a victim of bullying at a very young age. My father enrolled me in a local Tae Kwon Do academy in hopes of instilling courage and self-esteem, but I learned so much more.
These valuable lessons did not remain inside the doors of the dojo. I carried them outside to my community and world at large. My sense of honor and integrity aided me in resisting the peer pressure I encountered in my high school years. Through much perseverance, I was able to secure employment at a time when jobs were very scarce in my community. This enabled me to assist my family when my father was first laid off and later became disabled. The courage I developed in my years of Tae Kwon Do from sparring opponents much larger than myself (and picking myself up off the mat more often than not) is the same courage that allowed me to face each day not knowing how my family would be able to meet our needs for that week. The sense of community that I enjoyed inside my Tae Kwon Do class encouraged me to step out and become involved in my community government by serving as an active member of the Athens Area Youth Council. I helped host dances, Easter egg hunts, and various other functions designed to bring our youth and adult communities together.
In my hometown or in the global community, the world needs leaders who share the same values as both the University of Knoxville, Tennessee and myself. “Honor! Courtesy! Integrity! Perseverance! Self-control! Courage! Community!” These are words not only to live by but also to learn by at Middle Tennessee State