Undergraduate / What was the environment in which you were raised? APPLY TEXAS ESSAY A [3]

Prompt: What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.

-i know this is long, but I had too much to say. My other essays are about 400 words and this one is 850.

the times I try to forget

The most memorable moments in my life are times I try to forget. Nevertheless, I am grateful for all the pain. Whenever I have doubts in myself, the pain triggers the thought of my parents, then my doubts are overcome by motivation and confidence.

I have been lucky enough to grow up with parents who never separated. I am the middle child of three and have lived in poor neighborhoods up until three years ago since we got a new home. At the foundation of my family is the sport basketball. My dad has played his whole life and had us play since we were all four years old. My dad loves the sport in a way that may be viewed as unhealthy, but it is what keeps our family together. We have played our whole life together, so most of our communication revolves around basketball. Because of this, I had the opportunity to be coached by several great people who taught me many values that I will carry through my life. However, all my coaches do not equate to the unique impact my mom and dad have had on me.

At an early age I did not like my dad because I felt mistreated. He will always be my biggest critic. As I grew up, my mom helped me realize that he is extremely strict because he wants the best for me. I remember a time when I was fifteen and I gave up in the last minute of a basketball game before the game was over. As a result, my dad cursed me out, took my phone, and grounded me for a month. In the moment I did not understand why his punishment was so unproportionable to what I did. Over the years I began to realize that he was teaching me that whatever I decide to do in life, I must give 100% effort and never give up. In simpler terms, my dad is someone who I respect for teaching me the value of dedication. He is really someone I inspire to be because of his commitment to practicing what he preaches. He has characteristics that I dislike; however, if I learn to adopt his positive traits, then I am confident that if I apply myself, I will achieve my goals.

Acceptance and understanding is how I would describe my mom. No matter their race, sexuality, or religion, my mother we are all equal. A thought I will carry to my grave is her favorite line, "be nice to someone new today". These are the words my brothers and I heard every single morning when my mom drops us off at school. She represents everything in a person that I want to become someday. Because of her, I try to be kind to everyone. However, like everyone, she isn't perfect. I've never talked to anyone about this, but my mom had a drug problem. With the help of a program, she has been clean for over four years. When I found out, I was uncontrollably angry and sad. I didn't understand how someone so strong and wonderful could do that, but as years went by I believe I processed it well. Although I don't know what it is like to have financial problems, three children, and a stubborn husband, I do understand that even the best people can make mistakes. All of this has really expanded my horizon of compassion and understanding. I have grown tremendously as a person for it. I find myself critically thinking about issues from different perspectives. Along with this experience, she has given me insight into the kind of person that I want to be, which is open minded.

There were times I was sad because my parents would yell and argue with each other every day. Despite that, they never separated. After weeks of arguing, they sat me down and explained that they will work it out eventually. They explained that in life I will face problems that may feel overwhelming, but the worst thing any person can do is give up. Because of these kinds of moments, I am confident that when I reach college I will have the abilities to overcome any challenge I face. Seeing my parents repair their relationship has made me mentally tougher. If I want something bad enough, I know with the right mindset and dedication anything is possible. Growing up with around this has helped me conceptualize that it may be easier to give up, but overcoming adversity is possible with a relentless mindset.

A seventeen-year-old knows very little about life. I'm no different, however, my parents have put me on the right path by giving me all the tools I need to achieve my goals. I have learned from my dad that discipline and dedication are essential not only for college, but life as well. With the world that we live in today, my mom has showed me that empathy is the greatest virtue. I aspire to reflect the positive qualities each of my parents have because I know they continue to make me the person I want to be.

Undergraduate / "Run!" "Get up!" Mandatory practices with my dad. Apply Texas Essay B [3]

an identity, interest or talent

Here is my prompt:
most students have an identity an interest or a talent that defines them in an essential way essay. Tell us about yourself.

"Run!"

My dad's patience erupts. The sweat drips from my face as I try to control my breath. I dribble around every cone and miss again and again. The fatigue caused me to lose all confidence. I collapse.

"Get up!"

I glance at my brother, but he too had no energy. I get up, but I have no choice. Mandatory practices with my dad were always distressing.

Since the age of four, this is how I was introduced to basketball. Fast forwarding to today, I developed a love and appreciation for the sport. Not only have my brothers and I loved playing our whole life, it also is the foundation of our family.

Like most people that have played sports their whole life it has helped them to develop special qualities. Basketball has gave me the ability to be a better teammate, student, and leader. Along with that, it has put me through one of the most difficult times in my life.

As a freshman I was the leader of the varsity basketball team. Most people recognized me as the guy who was really good at basketball, which I took pride in. I am 5'7" and have never been a great athlete with natural talent, but I practiced relentlessly in order to fulfill my life goal of playing for a college. Basketball was the one thing in my life that released me from all my stress. If I lost the privilege to play, I would begin to lose my sense of myself. Then it happened.

During my Junior year I tore my Anterior Cruciate Ligament. This is the worst ligament injury an athlete can suffer because the recovery time is typically eight months. At this point, I had lost all hope. I felt like my lifelong dreams of playing college basketball were over. Every google search of the injury put me a little closer to depression. Although I began physical therapy a week after my injury, I was truly dispirited to even begin my recovery.

A few weeks went by and my physical therapist gave me hope that I thought was forever lost. She was insistent every session that I would make a full recovery. All her positivity helped me see that there were more opportunities than just playing college basketball. At this point, I began visualizing myself in different careers. Then it clicked. Why not become a Physical Therapist? I love talking to and helping people. Plus, the support I got made me happy again and I would love to be that support to give to others. Not only did I research and ask questions, but I was able to see first-hand what her job was like. My injury playing basketball has changed my life goal into becoming a Physical Therapist. Basketball is the reason I had this injury, and my injury is the only reason my eyes were opened into looking at different career paths. This made me understand that although people have an idea of how they want their life to play out, the reality is that things can unexpectedly change at the blink of an eye. My plans of playing college basketball changed. However, the importance is recognizing that where one door closes, another door opens.

I have sacrificed and devoted my teenage years to practicing basketball since I thought it would fulfill my dream of playing in college. All the hard work I put in taught me the values of leadership and discipline, but most importantly it has helped taken me through a time when I felt lost. The adversity of suffering a tear to my ACL helped me understand that some things are out of your control, so when life takes you down an unexpected road, look for the bright side and you may just find what you have been looking for all along.