Undergraduate / 'My determined and independent grandfather' - person who had a significant influence [2]

Could you, please, check my essay?
Thank you.

The morning started with such promise. My Grandfather and I woke up at the break of dawn and excitedly packed our fishing gear and lunches. For days we had planned this trip, a fishing excursion that we expected to yield a great bounty of fish, enough to feed the whole family. However, the only thing we managed to catch after six hours of work was a single crawfish. Just when I was ready to give up, my grandfather, like always, came up with a solution to save the day. On the way home we made a little detour and bought a pair of catfish to present to the family as our catch of the day. After leaving the store, my grandfather explained to me that I could always achieve my goals through perseverance. I have never forgotten the lesson my grandfather taught me that day, a lesson that I apply here in the United States.

My Grandfather is a quiet man who seldom speaks much, usually preferring to keep his thoughts and opinions to himself. Perhaps he has always been this way, but I believe that the long hard years of living in the former Soviet Union changed him. The most prominent feature I can remember is his eyes, one sea green and the other sky blue. I could never tell which was his real eye. I heard it had happened at the age of ten when the Nazis occupied his hometown during World War II, but he never spoke about it.

My Grandfather inspires me with his independence and determination. Even with one eye, he has accomplished many things in his life. With his powerful hands, he built a summer home out of stone on the family farm, where he grew everything from potatoes to grapes. He also put his brilliant mind to work and became a champion with crossword puzzles, winning a flat screen television in a nationwide competition. From him I learned that one could overcome anything, and I put that knowledge to use when I took AP English III. Writing had not been one of my strengths, so at first, I struggled in that class. However, I did not give up and eventually overcame my difficulty, scoring well on essays.

What also inspires me about my Grandfather is how he always perseveres to achieve his goals. Admiring his father, he followed in his footsteps by becoming an engineer. Even though many people tried to persuade him to choose an easier career, he would never give up. He began working towards his dream from an early age, reading books about engineering well beyond his level. After years of hard work, he graduated from Donetsk Polytechnic University with an engineering degree. My Grandfather worked in the engineering field for twenty years, for a metallurgical plant. Never satisfied with his past achievements, my Grandfather constantly sought to improve his abilities as an engineer, even though under Communist rule every worker was paid the same, so there was no point in working harder than other people. My grandfather was driven by his joy for learning. My Grandfather eventually retired and went on to teach at a metallurgical college, a job he still proudly holds today.

Just like him, I strive to achieve excellence in classes, activities, and groups to which I belong. Every English, science, and history class I have taken in high school has been upper level or AP. Even now in my senior year, when most of my classmates are taking it easy, I continue to take the harder classes. I have also been accepted to the Kitty Hawk Honor Society in my JROTC unit for my grades. In addition, my hard work and determination led to my promotion to an officer within my JROTC unit. I will bring these same traits with me to college, where I will determinedly pursue my dream of a degree in Computer Engineering.

Because of my grandfather's example, I feel devoted to learning and constantly seek improvement within myself. My Grandfather developed new techniques that increased productivity in metallurgical engineering and I want to do the same in the field of computer engineering. My Grandfather taught me to follow my dreams, to never give up, and give it my all, a lesson I learned at an early age and still apply today.

Undergraduate / Describe a significant experience or achievement (the Corps) - essay [2]

Please review/correct my essay.
Thank you.

High school students should take JROTC in order to excel at any job as well as in life, whether or not they are going into the military.

From the two years I have been with the Corps, I have gained much experience in leading, organizing and managing that will be useful in college and work situations. From the moment I stepped into the Corps classroom I was given responsibility. My first job consisted of looking out for three other cadets as their element leader. I would call them on the night before uniform day to remind them to wear their uniforms and make sure they had all of the proper items. It was also my responsibility to make sure they were doing their homework as well as keeping up in all of their classes. This kind of coordination is seen in basic management jobs.

My leadership experience further expanded when I went to Summer Leadership School before my senior year and took responsibility for thirty cadets. As their flight commander, I made decisions on what their tasks where for the day, as well as made sure they reached all of their classes on time. It took much coordination and time management to do to keep up with all of the events of the day, especially when no watches where allowed at the camp. My biggest jobs came during my senior year when I served on the student staff as the logistics and personnel officer. Being in charge of logistics, it was my duty to know the Corp's inventory, be responsible for all uniforms and items, and make sure all cadets received the proper equipment. As personnel officer I kept track of all ranks and wrote the orders for promotions. These experiences greatly contributed to my leadership, organization and management skills. High school students are seldom given the opportunity for that kind of responsibility in their daily lives, therefore they should participate in JROTC so they are better prepared for jobs and life experiences.

JROTC motivates cadets to take part in their communities, volunteer for charities and work diligently. I have participated in numerous volunteer events because of JROTC. It is rare when a week goes by without some opportunity to support the community. The Corps instills the cadets with the value of service before self. In no other classroom have I seen as many hands go up to volunteer for community service than I have in JROTC. Cadets show themselves to be more motivated than any other group of students. Cadets approach their assignments and jobs with a positive attitude. I have never heard a cadet complain about a job; instead they come back asking for more. At my job with Kroger, half of the people I work with are cadets from JROTC. While many of the other employees complain about their job, the cadets work hard and maintain their positive attitudes. JROTC greatly improves teamwork, work ethic, commitment and attitude. JROTC helps students acquire these positive traits and excel at any job.

The Corps has taught me much about leadership and other useful traits needed to succeed in life. I know I am a better person because of the program. I believe that JROTC would have the same impact on other high school students. Students would find drastic improvement in their leadership abilities, management skills, and attitudes if them took JROTC.