Undergraduate / 'Being the oldest of three offspring' - UF essay... critque [2]

In the space provided, please write a concise narrative in which you describe a meaningful event, experience or accomplishment in your life and how it will affect your college experience or your contribution to the UF campus community. You may want to reflect on your ideas about student responsibility, academic integrity, campus citizenship or a call to service.

There are an assortment of advantages and disadvantages of been the oldest of three offspring, but when it comes to school particularly college, there is a heap of anxiety. Having a mother who started but could not further her education, since she was a single parent at the time and a father who kicks himself on a daily basis for not taking a free opportunity at The University of Miami is traumatic and nerve wrecking. My life, my thoughts, and my potential revolve around: college. Considered the computer nerd in the family and amongst my stimulating acquaintances it will only be proper to develop into a computer engineer.

Summerbridge Miami (SB) is not a program I expected to be in for the simple fact, school in the summer is as tedious as school in the fall. From the moment, I stepped off the bus to the time I got back on, there were young, energetic, uplifting individuals, who I thought were my peers; conversely they were the teachers/ mentors. The teachers were students mentoring younger students that have a future and crave to pursue their imaginings as doctors, dentists, lawyers, and engineers. There was a curriculum called after school activities, which helped a young athlete with a hobby of rapping feel more comfortable and uplifted. Learning how to be myself at first was challenging, and motivated me to have more confidence in my work ethics and any given task I take on. Reminiscing about SB, I distinguish the impact I had on the program, and unforgettably the major impact SB had on my now well-rounded life. Starting out as a juvenile girl that only knew me and me, and supercilious at times was not the path I sought to be headed on. SB started to nurture, console, and inspire a young teen that sought out to be as inspirational as Oprah Winfrey herself. The life altering experience is noticed in my high school life, how I deal with day-by-day challenges, and how I take on each one as a sink or swim situation.

My college experience at The University of Florida will be no different to how I carry myself in high school, given that SB skilled me on how to gain knowledge, how to take on numerous diverse challenges which is thinking outside the box. SB brought the ingenious side of me out, which helped me express myself more freely on projects, and homework, which I had the propensity to overlook. I will be an asset to the U.F. environment because of my ingenious customs that will allow me to give back to the kids; my social skills will contribute to perhaps me begin a tutor to my fellow peers and becoming head of class as in President or speaker. Giving back and keeping U.F. on the top of all schools is what I will focus on, especially since that is what SB did for me.

Undergraduate / 'Being a product of my environment' - Florida State essay VIRES [3]

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.

Vires is the moral, mental, and physical strength to act with confidence, advancing our state, our nation, and our world; for vires to be as strong as they are you have to have skills. Skills are developed through complete immersion, discovery, and appreciation of the arts, humanities, sciences, and the professions. A skilled individual cannot be too skilled without character. Character begins with compassion, respect, and a deep sense of social responsibility. A young individual with these torches will be sure to have a successful life, from a higher education to powerful position in the career field.

As a seventeen-year-old female, almost one year away from my high school graduation, I am a product of my environment; all three torches resign in side me, and will help me with me soon to be adult life. As a varsity basketball player I have to have strength to face my different opponents, mentally and physically. Basketball and all other sports are more than just being physical; you have to be mentally prepared to able to take upon anything that comes your way. Schoolwork, careers, sports, music, and all other activities have to be done with confidence, so much confidence that will help you into helping our state, our nation, and our world.

Vires is the strength in us we need to become better citizens, but you have to have artes in order to have the confidence in yourself, that you can and will be the best in the state, nation, or even world. Artes are developed through and appreciated through me begin a student athlete, I have to appreciate the art of the game, as if it is my profession because it shows my competitiveness towards myself, and a situation that is set in front of me. My skills are not only expressed through basketball, but through my work in the classroom, and outside of school. How I us my skill is how I get in contact with my inner side, also known was the real me, and known to others as my character.

Without a doubt, something has to lead to another; vires, and artes lead to mores, which is the most important torch of the three because mores begins with compassion, respect, and a deep sense of social responsibility. I have learned all people do not have mores because it is something you cannot be taught it is something you learn on your own as a young individual. Mores is what made me a better person for the society; I had to be willing to take responsibility for my actions.

Beholding the three torches makes me more than a qualified Seminole. These things make the leadership capabilities that are in me shine, brighter than any other individual I know. My driving passion to help others is not only concentrated in the computer engineering field. The experience I gained being a leader, and taking the next step forward has led to a kind of free form education that has helped solidify in my mind what I am capable of accomplishing and where my interest truly lie.