Undergraduate / 'Im a nole - SMARTER AND SURER' - FSU ESSAY [11]

Hi and thanks for reviewing my essay and helping me cut and improve. I want to go to FSU and have a 34 ACT and B+ grades at top public school and fair resume but mostly centered on football. Hope to play inter murals in college and plan to be in the stands gameday. Believe I have good chance but want to make sure with essay. Have overworked on this essay and want to submit and wrap up my application now as I will be on campus for Miami game. Thanks

This is the prompt: For almost one hundred years, the Latin words, "Vires, Artes, Mores" have been the guiding philosophy behind Florida State University. Vires signifies strength of all kinds - moral, physical, and intellectual; Artes alludes to the beauty of intellectual pursuits as exemplified in skill, craft, or art; and Mores refers to character, custom, or tradition. Describe how one or more of the values embodied in these concepts are reflected in your life.

442 words and probably still shallow..cutting is harder than writing for me!

I was born a NOLE. "Vires, Artes, Mores" is in my DNA. My mom graduated from FSU and my dad was a professor at FSU early in his career and they have exemplified these values in their lives and mine. Strength, skill and character has been a big part of my value and belief system as far back as I can remember.

I am not a fan of Latin mottos, but I do believe mottos can provide guidance for our lives. My motto, is a blend of FSU's and the Olympics Motto and it has given me strength, guidance and purpose.

"STRONGER, SMARTER, SWIFTER, SURER...TO SERVE " is my motto and it is repeated eac morning before I hop or crawl out of bed . "STRONGER, SMARTER, SWIFTER, SURER...TO SERVE" is repeated many times in my run and sometimes even when walking but most of all when the pressure is on it help me cope. I know I am strong, smart and will deliver as I have a character, mental and a conditioning edge.

This past week I went to Cornell's football camp in Ithaca and my team was in the final championship 7 on 7 game the last night. We had won 6 of 8 games and we were playing the only undefeated team at the camp who had gone 8 and 0 and beaten us badly earlier. I had a horrible game the first encounter as I was matched against a much bigger, faster and stronger wide receiver that was going for a scholarship and he deserved one.

I found myself repeating my motto every play but most of all I played SMARTER AND SURER and I convinced my team to modify our defense in the second half, by dropping a player to help me in deep coverage and letting one of their offensive linemen who was slow and could not catch go free. The extra support worked and we were one TD ahead with one play remaining and they went to my man as I expected. He was unstoppable and he made an incredible catch but it ended up one yard short as I had jammed him repeatedly and hit him the moment he had caught the ball.

We celebrated the last night of camp in my room long after curfew but most of all what I will remember about the game and that night was my teammates chanting my motto while we relived our short season. Just as I was impacted by my parents and their FSU experience, I had impacted my teammates with my beliefs and values and most of all my actions. I AM A NOLE.