Undergraduate / UCF Admissions essay - one obstacle I've overcome- NEED to cut A LOT out. [3]

When asked, what is one obstacle I have overcome in my life to make me who I am, there is one main thing that sticks out and that would be the loss of my mom when I was ten. It was a Monday, two days after my tenth birthday. I was at school and it was normal day and then the call came to my classroom to stay after school in the office and not go home on the bus. I could not figure out why but I put the idea aside and went along with my day like normal. After school I sat in the office awaiting the arrival of my aunt, because I knew my mom was still in the hospital she had been for a while. Her being in and out of hospitals and nursing homes was becoming normal. I made small talk with my guidance counselor Mrs. Brandeberry while I helped her stuff envelopes, but nothing could prepare me for the news I was about to receive. My aunt walked in the office in a rush, but unusually calm, and right when I looked in her eyes I knew. There was a sadness there I had never seen.

She broke the news gently, saying "I'm sorry", and "they did all they could" It made no difference to me though. No amount of "I'm sorry"s would ever make it better. After standing there crying with her arms around me for what seemed like my entire life, we left the school and picked up my sister. We met up with the rest of the family at the hospital and tears were all I saw. We said a prayer for her and reminisced a little. Other than that, the day is mostly a blur to me. This day changed me forever.

As much as a shock as it was to my life, we all knew it was coming for some time. I remember the day she told me she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. After she broke the news that she would be having surgery on April 12, which was a good ways away, I went to my room, took a piece of paper back to her room and attempted to write up a will for her. I said to her "Mom, you never know what could happen, and what if something bad does happen?" She just laughed and hugged me and said "Kirstin, don't be ridiculous. I'll be around forever. No matter what, I promise I'm not going anywhere. Even if I'm in a wheelchair, I'll wheelchair you down that aisle on your wedding day, and cheer for you at your graduation". Her obvious optimism and the fact that she was taken so quickly from me was the one thing that has changed me for the rest of my life. She taught me a lot in the time she did have, and I matured a lot, becoming more responsible and more mature than most my age, but her passing taught me the biggest lesson I have ever learned:Carpe Diem. Seize the day. Live life to the fullest and always appreciate what you are given because you never know when something can be taken away so quickly from you.

Undergraduate / UCF Admissions Essay- how my environment has influenced who i am today. [5]

After the passing of my mom, I moved in with my aunt and uncle who had always lived about 10 minutes away. They had two daughters of their own, one about to graduate high school and the other a sophomore in high school. It was generous of them to take us in when they did, but it didn't feel like home. I wasn't comfortable at first and felt very on the outside. They had this tight-knit family, and I felt so much on the outside. They had this tight-knit family, and I felt so much on the outside. I knew they all loved me but I just didn't feel right. This experience helped make me the person I am today.

I met new friends in a new Girl Scout troupe, in a new elementary school. I became very outgoing and still have this quality today. Not only did I make new friends, but I gained a quick ability to adapt to a new environment. I learned how to live with two other girls, and how to make relationships with them; how to get along in a new environment and how to make myself comfortable. But to be honest, the most important thing I have gained from this experience is the idea of having pride in me, and the people I associate with. Being proud of the person I have become and not putting myself in shady situations, or around shady people, is the main thing my aunt and uncle have taught me. Because I associated with people with higher standards for themselves I have the confidence and ability to make good decisions in my life.