Undergraduate / 'Real people' - UT at Austin topic essay A. Important person [8]

Write an essay in which you tell us about someone who has made an impact on your life and explain how and why this person is important to you

The early teenage years are, for most people, a crossroads. They are the years in which most of us make decisions that will ultimately shape our lives and what we will become. It was during this time in my life that I was, like most teenagers, confused about life and where I was headed. Fortunately, I was attending church at the time and it was at my church that I met a man by the name of David Mercer, our new youth minister. When I met David I was sort of on the fringe in my church youth group - going to some functions, skipping others, and never really being involved with anything. I was basically just existing. Little did I know, David's character was going to propel me forward in life.

It is hard these days to find real people. I don't mean real in the sense that they are animate and not mannequins, but real in the sense that they are themselves - no matter who is around or where they happen to be. David was the epitome of a "real" person. At first glance, David seemed like one of those stereotypical Sunday church-goers; those common breed of people that are the perfect example of hypocrisy. But oddly enough, when I got to know the man, he was the antithesis of this fraud. Through talking with him about his life and listening to him share detailed life experiences that aren't usually expressed by a church youth minister, I quickly came to admire him. Thanks to his realism, care about what was going in my life, and sheer candor, I started to get heavily involved in the youth group at church, even going on a mission trip to Louisiana. With my increased church involvement, came my growing relationship with God, something which has been both indescribable and monumental to me and my future. David's personality inevitably helped me not only become a stronger Christian but grow as a person through those tough early teenage years.

Alas, the growing as just begun. As I step out of my small town in east Texas and move onwards into a bigger world, (hopefully your fine establishment) David's experiences, advice and shining integrity will be as a lighthouse directing my path. Who knows when land is near?

Thanks for reading and for any comments/help. I need them... haha :]

Undergraduate / UT App Essay B obesity [6]

Choose an issue of importance to you-the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope-and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

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For me, it all started when I was 7 while watching the movie Matilda. The scene I most
remember, one that has been dominant in my memory ever since, is the one in which the highly obese kid is forced to eat a humongous chocolate cake. I vividly remember the child scarfing down this whole cake while I watched on, absolutely horrified! Tears began to roll down my face at the sight of his sheer helplessness. It was during this time, though I had no idea at that moment, that I began to develop a passion for obesity - particularly child obesity.

Obesity is a very serious health concern in America for both adults and adolescents. According to the CDC, prevalence of obesity has, in children 2-5 years old, increased from 5% in 1976 to 12.4% in 2006. Even worse, the prevalence of obesity increased from 4.0% to 17.0% in children 6-11 years old. These are appalling statistics to say the least. Almost one out of every five 6-11 year old kids in America are obese and what's worse is that many of these obese kids remain heavily overweight as they grow into adults. This obesity leaves them more susceptible to other types of illness such as adult diabetes, heart disease, and even (according to research by the European Cancer Organization) cancer in some cases. Obesity should never be overlooked as a serious health concern in America and it is highly important to raise awareness about obesity, not to mention, the health risks that accompany it. The health of my generation and future generations depends on what measures we take towards curbing this growing disease.

It is of utmost importance to me that I do my part in helping bring obesity to an end. The more one knows about obesity, the more power one has over it. I hope to gain as much knowledge that I have about not only obesity but other health concerns and use this gained knowledge to help make America a healthier place.

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suggestions? criticism? grammar mistakes? let me know. :] Thanks in advance. Should it be of greater length?