Undergraduate / 'Emergency rooms; I was attacked' - UCF topic number 1 [11]

Emergency rooms are full of emotion. Sometimes the happy family of a newborn baby. Sometimes the loss of a family member or friend. But in one particular patient I saw something different. A teenage girl who sat in a bed accompanied by her sister and father, showed no emotion at all. She sat upright in her bed, staring straight forward, expressionless. I asked a few of the other RN's what had happened and their reply was simple, "school fight". They didn't seem uneasy about the girl's situation as I did. I approached the blonde girl with a puffy lip, and a bruised eye, and asked her what happened. She stared blankly for a moment then opened her mouth; no words came out...tears welled in her eyes. The girl's father spoke to me in private. The girl had been blacked out, choked, and beaten in the school bathroom. I cleaned up her cuts and iced her bruises; she barely flinched. I knew something else was wrong, I just didn't know what. Attack victims often have security issues and feel the need to always be around someone after their attack. They feel scared when they are alone, and feel nervously paranoid. I pulled the girl aside. I could see the sadness within her eyes and we just sat in silence...then she spoke. She said "it hurts" and put her hand on her chest. I asked the girl if she had been hit there and she replied "no, my heart hurts." The tears began to well up again. The only thing I could do was hold her. I just wanted to make her feel safe again. Tears ran down her face as she hysterically told me her best friend and boyfriend of two years cheated on her. She said the worst part wasn't that he cheated but was that the girl who had done this to her was his new girlfriend. She waited and waited for him to come down the hallway to come see if she was okay, but he never showed. He never even called. The girl who had found herself so happy at the beach a few days earlier with a guy that she trusted with her life and heart now felt so depressed, betrayed, and alone. I, Amber Patchell, was physically assaulted. April 2009 nine was the hardest month of my life. I felt like life wasn't worth living anymore. I felt that if maybe I took my own life, maybe then he'd miss me. My amazing family stuck right by me every step of the way. And for that, I thank them for making my life worth living again. Today September 25, 2009 I am a stronger person and have the strength and determination to make it through anything. I did not let this "bump in the road" end my life, instead it allowed me to live my life with the knowledge that I am as strong as I allow myself to be.

Undergraduate / 'Be a part of our team and family' - ucf- determination [6]

What qualities or unique characteristics do you possess that would allow you to contribute to the UCF community?

When you are part of a team, you are a part of a family. Four months ago our school lost their second baseman in a car accident, and we lost our sister. The next game was tough. Ally's spot on the field remained empty. We started the game that night without a second baseman in remembrance of our beloved friend. The determination I had to win that game for Ally, empowered the rest of the team, and we served Ally proud that night. Determination gets me through everything in life, it is my greatest quality.

Undergraduate / "you can suprise yourself with your own determination" - fsu [5]

For almost one hundred years, the Latin words, "Vires, Artes, Mores" have been the guiding philosophy behind Florida State University. Vires signifies strength of all kinds - moral, physical, and intellectual; Artes alludes to the beauty of intellectual pursuits as exemplified in skill, craft, or art; and Mores refers to character, custom, or tradition. Describe how one or more of the values embodied in these concepts are reflected in your life.

The desire to exceed is one that truly empowers a person from the inside out. Each time we face our fears, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing. Anyone can give up. It is the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength. When you can suprise yourself with your own determination, you can surprise anyone.

Last year I found myself being woken up by a strange girl at school. I was lying on the bathroom floor, covered in blood. I had been blacked out, choked, and beaten. My head was spinning with questions. All of which could not be answered. I had been attacked and did not see the person's face. I felt scared, empty, and alone. I can not remember feeling more scared than I did on that day. I no longer felt safe at school. Even when I was surrounded by a sea of people, I felt as if I was alone.

"A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her." (David Brinkley) I believe your struggles develop your strengths and "Vires", strength of all kinds, has strongly influenced the person I am today. I attended school one day later and was no longer than weak girl. I walked through the halls with audacity. I had been attacked. But I did not let it define me.

needs a lot of work! help!

Undergraduate / "i was covered in blood" - florida state university [3]

Florida State University
For almost one hundred years, the Latin words, "Vires, Artes, Mores" have been the guiding philosophy behind Florida State University. Vires signifies strength of all kinds - moral, physical, and intellectual; Artes alludes to the beauty of intellectual pursuits as exemplified in skill, craft, or art; and Mores refers to character, custom, or tradition. Describe how one or more of the values embodied in these concepts are reflected in your life.

The desire to succeed is one that truly empowers a person from the inside out. Each time we face our fears, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing. Giving up is the easiest thing in the world to do, but holding together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, shows true strength. When I surprised myself with my own determination, I realized that I could surprise anyone.

Why was I laying on the school's bathroom floor? Why could I not remember anything? Why was I covered in blood? My head was spinning with millions of questions. All of which could not be answered. I felt scared, empty, and alone. I felt lost, yet everything felt vaguely familiar. I was attacked at school and had not seen the person's face. Nothing was said, nothing was taken, except my pride. I no longer felt safe at school. Even when I was surrounded by a sea of people, I felt as if I was alone.

I stood my ground, faced my fears, and headed into the eye of the storm. I attended school one day later and was no longer that weak girl who had once found herself lying on the bathroom floor but I was a strong, determined woman. Your struggles develop your strengths and "Vires", strengths of all kind, has strongly influenced the person I am today. I had been attacked. But I did not let it define me.