Everyone has something or someone

Everyone has something or someone that is their drive in life; here is how I found mines. Every few Sundays my mother would take me and my younger brother to the library for a new book. I was never really a big fan of reading as a kid, but mysteries were my favorite. I knew that when every time I would come home with a new book to the series of Nancy Drew. Now that I look back I see how mysteries are what made learning very interesting for me. Whether it was from never wanting to accept an answer to a math question without explanation or simply wondering how the kid with no training wheels never fell of his bike. Mystery creates the wonder that drives me to keep wanting to learn inside and outside of the classroom. My interest in mysteries complements my biggest strengths which include: compassion, being goal-oriented, and brave.

There is something mysterious about everyone whether or not they know it themselves. This is what naturally draws me to loving to meet new people. College is a great opportunity for that, to discover new faces and more importantly to discover yourself. In the 7th grade a girl in my Language Arts class suddenly stopped showing up in school. Day after day the teacher would call her name with no response besides the people that would yell out "she obviously dropped out". Everyone wondered what happened to her until we all eventually started to believe maybe she did drop out. A few weeks later one of her friends told what happened. Her mother was killed in a motorcycle accident and her dad left in the hospital with severe injuries. My perspective was never the same, it opened my eyes to a different world and impacted  who I was as a whole. The more I learn about people and what many of them face in life makes me more appreciative of what I have. It made me realize there is something different and unique about everyone. It has taught me to be selfless, compassionate and has impacted who I am as a person. Figuring out the answer to a mystery can come with many life lessons; those of which have influenced my thoughts and judgments.  

Besides mysteries I have a love for setting goals for myself to achieve. One of my most memorable goals that I've had set for myself was playing volleyball. At the end of my freshman year I set a goal for myself that I would make the volleyball team even though I had never touched a volleyball a day in my life. Throughout the summer, I practiced everyday I had the chance with a friend who was trying out with me. Tryouts finally came and after a week of tryouts I stepped into the room full of coaches and was told I had made the team. For the next year I set the standards even higher for myself; I wanted varsity and I was willing to work for it. Making the varsity team my junior year was one of my most exciting accomplishments. In transition from never touching a volleyball to making varsity made me believe I could really do anything I wanted if I put hard work and dedication to it. I have goals that I want to pursue in college and I have high hopes and the motivation to achieve them. 

Being apart of the volleyball team my sophomore year encouraged me to join more extracurricular activities in my school. I joined clubs that have greatly impacted my life such as H.O.S.A (medical competitions), yearbook club, R.I.S.K Club, and Key Club. Continuing in the Medical Academy since my freshman year influence my vision of my career and helped me become better prepared for my future along with my experience in  R.I.S.K Club. The community service I have done was inspired from joining Key Club; it  has encouraged me to do more. It motivated me to not only volunteer around my school but my community as well such as the local nursing home and assisting teachers at my old elementary school. While earning a job outside of school, juggling all of these task taught me things I can apply throughout my college experience. My sophomore year was also the most difficult year I had while in high school. My grandmother had a stroke leaving her with dementia that year which affected me emotionally and eventually in my academics. While I may have hit a "bump in the road" I overcame. That is what this experience has taught me, to overcome all the challenges and drive to be successful. 

I am brave. I am not afraid of failure because I know if I never try again I will never know what I could have accomplished; the mystery would thus remain in my mind forever and I choose to live a life of no regrets. I am brave enough to take on new challenges and learn from my mistakes. New challenges that would open my eyes to something new and exciting, because I am brave I am not afraid to go after what I want and I refuse to never figure out my own mystery. Bravery, compassion and being goal-oriented are key aspects that I hope to continue applying throughout my journey. To be brave enough to take chances and learn from experience, to consider others and act selfless, and to stay motivated to reach my highest dreams and aspirations. This is apart of who I am and what drives me everyday. Everyone's biggest mystery is who they are as a whole, I hope to figure out the rest of my story as I grow in life.