Undergraduate / my scoliosis - UC prompt #2 [4]

Prompt #2

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

The wait was interminable and the atmosphere somber, then finally my name was called. The nurse escorted us to Dr. Brookenthal's office where he confirmed his suspicions, and so began my life with scoliosis. Since the age of three I have studied dance and gymnastics. I was a competitive dancer for eleven years, and now had to contemplate a life without the activities I felt defined my identity. The treatment for my scoliosis involved wearing a hard plastic brace, and the trick was making it look like I wasn't. With severe restrictions on my physical activity, I had quite a bit of free time on my hands.

While I have worked with various causes throughout the years, I decided to channel my energies to one in particular. My mother has several friends who were diagnosed with breast cancer which prompted her to volunteer in support of her friends. Since these were women I knew well I thought what a great way to help and work with mother as well. The organization is called the Circle of Hope and it provides both emotional and financial support to breast cancer patients who live in the Santa Clarita Valley. Throughout my countless volunteer hours I met women of all ages, nationalities and income levels. I sat and listened to women who just needed to talk with someone or a shoulder to cry on. At times I ran errands for them or just sat quietly with them. As the months went on I spent as much free time as I could to help with fund raising, flyer distribution and basically any other project where they needed an extra set of hands.

I realized that while my scoliosis prevented me from doing the activities I loved, my life would still go on. These women however, could not always say the same. I think that this was a turning point in my life. It brought me to a level of maturity that enabled me to see past my limitations and resentment for my diagnosis. I've been living with scoliosis now for three years and while it is not always pain free, it is manageable. Scoliosis, as it turned out was not the end of my world but actually the beginning of a new direction in my life. It has renewed my strength of character and made me realize how much I take for granted. It is amazing how in only three short years my perspective on what is really important has changed. I can now understand the phrase "every cloud has a silver lining" or in this case, a pretty pink lining.

Thanks!

Undergraduate / 'more fortunate than my mother' - UC prompt #1- My World [2]

Describe the world you come from for example, your family, community or school and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

While thinking about the world I come from a quote from Richard Bach comes to mind, "Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof." This quote seems to apply perfectly to my life because my sister and I did not grow up under the same roof as my parents did.

My mother was born and raised in the housing projects of Brooklyn, New York where she constantly feared for her safety. Her family had very little money and she was only provided with the basic necessities. She was unable to participate in any sports or activities that required payment. My mother developed a survival instinct as a result of growing up in an unsafe neighborhood. Even though she could not participate in any extracurricular activities, she worked very hard at school and made the honor roll all throughout school. She had a driving force to excel at all she did. My mother knew that she wanted to go to college and needed to find a way to pay the tuition. She began working in high school and saved every penny she earned. She chose not to spend her paychecks on the luxuries she had gone without, but to just save and save. She promised herself that she would work hard to ensure that her future family had more than she did. My mother finished college and has worked hard ever since that day almost 30 years ago. She continues to work hard at her career and was recently promoted to Vice President of the company where she remains today.

I, on the other hand, am much more fortunate. I live in a beautiful house in a safe neighborhood and have been provided wonderful opportunities. I have taken dance lessons and competed professionally, taken gymnastics lessons, and was a cheerleader for my school. I also do not have the same survivor instinct as my mother since there was no need to develop that. We not only have the basic necessities but the luxuries as well. While I do work as a babysitter; the money I earn is mine to keep. My college education will be paid for by my parents and my biggest responsibility is my school work. I carry my mother's ambition and determination when it comes to school, however, for different reasons. I work hard in an attempt to challenge myself and continue to push myself to do better.

Throughout my education I have constantly thought about the sacrifices my mother made. That knowledge inspired me to set lofty goals for my future. Although I am not yet sure of the type of profession I want to pursue, I know I want to work with children from impoverished areas. Knowing all of the pain and suffering my mother had to go through makes me really appreciate what I have today. It also makes me realize that there are many people out there growing up as my mother did. I had the opportunity to participate in a mission sponsored by the New Wine Christian Center and traveled to Mexico. We worked with underprivileged families in poverty stricken neighborhoods, and helped them build homes to live in. To say this was truly inspirational does not even do it justice. The joy in the children's eyes made it all worthwhile. This experience is what inspired me to want to work with children who are less fortunate.