Undergraduate / "Haiti's capital earthquake" - UCF essay (short) [4]

If there has been some obstacle or "bump in the road," in your academic or personal life, please explain the circumstances.

On January 12, 2010, a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck in a town near Haiti's capital. The effect of the earthquake was disastrous. It left hundreds of thousands dead and many more injured. The aftermath had emotional impact on not only the nation but the world. But the calamity had a more personal effect on me. Not only was this my family's country of origin, but on that day my father was in Port au Prince, the nations capital. It was horrifying to not know where he was, if he was safe and sound, and the thought of him not being in my life any longer was mortifying.

Thankfully on January 15th we received a call from him that he was in good health and had reached an airport. He was flown back home by a US rescue airliner. The experience has brought my family closer together and has changed my life for the better. I now value life more than ever.

Undergraduate / Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. The issue of my concern. [6]

Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
250 words
um essay

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.

For the past eight months, I have dedicated my spare time in providing assistance to an organization called Life Impact. Life Impact sends out supplies for the millions of people affected by the earthquake in Haiti. I have discovered that just an hour of service can help hundreds to thousands of unaided people receive food, health care, and daily supplies needed to survive life in an area devastated by a horrifying disaster.

My father was in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and it was devastating not knowing where he was or if he was even alive. For three days my family and I were concerned about his condition and location. On the fourth day, we received a call from a family member in Haiti that he was alive and being escorted to a plane that was sending U.S. citizens back to America. From that day and on my family and I have put our concern on providing for the Haitian people. Things we take for granted here can be highly valuable to someone with not even clothes to wear. We've learned that just a little gesture of generosity and love can go a long way.