jabbathehut99
Sep 7, 2015
Undergraduate / Rising above the occasion - my leadership qualities, inside and outside out sports - UC Statement [4]
Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?
Above Average
Growing up, I have always observed rather than partook in conversations and social activities outside of my household. During all of elementary and middle school, I was just the average Joe. I never felt the joy of being praised or liked by others because nobody knew who I was or what amazing things I could do, including myself. At family gatherings, I would always hear in butchered English, "You're still so skinny!" or "You haven't grown at all!" My parents would defensively respond, "Nathan is very smart in school though." In truth, I was not very smart, but average. I wanted my parents to brag about me like any other parents who are proud of their children for being amazing at sports or being brilliant inside and outside of school. So when I moved to Irvine, I was given a clean slate to create an identity for myself.
In my first year of high school, my brother forced me to try out for the volleyball team even though I was short and skinny. Surprisingly at the summer camp, my coach told me that I had a natural talent for volleyball. I was skeptical at first because I never had a natural talent for anything, but slowly over the year before tryouts, I observed my fundamental skills to be above average. Over the course of my freshman season on junior varsity, I excelled in all the fundamental skills volleyball had to offer. As a result, I made varsity my sophomore year. My junior year, I was given the role to captain my team where half of the players were at least two years older than me. My coach wanted me to display leadership through skill and work ethic, because I was not the typical strong-voiced motivational speaker.
For half a season, I was doing what my coach wanted me to do, to lead by example. But I felt like I was being the average Joe of captains. Extra pressure was put onto our team when one of our games attracted more students than the bleachers can account for. The first two sets was a battle, but our team managed to win both. There's honestly no way we can lose this, I thought confidently. But there was a momentum shift and we lost the next two sets by a huge margin. Before the start of the fifth set, the looks of weary from my coach and teammates prompted me to raise my voice and take control. My unexpected rise in voice caused my teammates to go above and beyond what was expected as I did with my leadership in the fifth set. Motivational words translated into superb play and teamwork, giving us the fifth set and the game win.
The multiple sequences of rising above what was normal for me lead me to realize that I had leadership qualities, inside and outside out sports. My experiences of rising above the occasion has lead me to realize that how you are defined as a person is never set in stone and that the potential you have to go above and beyond pressures and challenges is what helps you define yourself.
This is my first write up on the spot. Any help is appreciated.
Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?
Above Average
Growing up, I have always observed rather than partook in conversations and social activities outside of my household. During all of elementary and middle school, I was just the average Joe. I never felt the joy of being praised or liked by others because nobody knew who I was or what amazing things I could do, including myself. At family gatherings, I would always hear in butchered English, "You're still so skinny!" or "You haven't grown at all!" My parents would defensively respond, "Nathan is very smart in school though." In truth, I was not very smart, but average. I wanted my parents to brag about me like any other parents who are proud of their children for being amazing at sports or being brilliant inside and outside of school. So when I moved to Irvine, I was given a clean slate to create an identity for myself.
In my first year of high school, my brother forced me to try out for the volleyball team even though I was short and skinny. Surprisingly at the summer camp, my coach told me that I had a natural talent for volleyball. I was skeptical at first because I never had a natural talent for anything, but slowly over the year before tryouts, I observed my fundamental skills to be above average. Over the course of my freshman season on junior varsity, I excelled in all the fundamental skills volleyball had to offer. As a result, I made varsity my sophomore year. My junior year, I was given the role to captain my team where half of the players were at least two years older than me. My coach wanted me to display leadership through skill and work ethic, because I was not the typical strong-voiced motivational speaker.
For half a season, I was doing what my coach wanted me to do, to lead by example. But I felt like I was being the average Joe of captains. Extra pressure was put onto our team when one of our games attracted more students than the bleachers can account for. The first two sets was a battle, but our team managed to win both. There's honestly no way we can lose this, I thought confidently. But there was a momentum shift and we lost the next two sets by a huge margin. Before the start of the fifth set, the looks of weary from my coach and teammates prompted me to raise my voice and take control. My unexpected rise in voice caused my teammates to go above and beyond what was expected as I did with my leadership in the fifth set. Motivational words translated into superb play and teamwork, giving us the fifth set and the game win.
The multiple sequences of rising above what was normal for me lead me to realize that I had leadership qualities, inside and outside out sports. My experiences of rising above the occasion has lead me to realize that how you are defined as a person is never set in stone and that the potential you have to go above and beyond pressures and challenges is what helps you define yourself.
This is my first write up on the spot. Any help is appreciated.