Undergraduate / "Ty Lehman" - Influential people in my life.. My Best Friend Ty [4]

Prompt: Who are the influential people in your life? How have they contributed to your development as a person?

This was a bit of a toughie because I could only have a maximum of 250 words and I wanted to explain more. Also, I realize that the prompt states PEOPLE and not PERSON. That said, should I go back and add more people who are involved in my life? It will probably be a drag but I gotta do what i gotta do :/ Anyway...

Ty Lehman influenced my life more than I thought anyone ever could in such a short amount of time. Not only do I consider him to be my best friend but also one of the most crucial elements to the evolution of my personality and the way I go about my day-to-day life. When I first met Ty in high school, I was only a freshman and he was a junior. I thought he was so funny, confident, and charming that I knew I could not pass this person up so I began talking and joking with Ty in the hopes of building a friendship. We hit it off immediately and continued talking for the rest of the year.

As our friendship began to bloom over the next year, I realized how much Ty was starting to affect my life. Through talking to him, I began to realize how precious life truly was. He taught me that even though you have to be cautious, you also have to let yourself free to wander and explore, and to step outside the box of the small-town society. Ty gave me the courage and the self-esteem to let me be myself. He gave me the confidence that I never had before, which allowed me to go after aspects of life that before I would have deemed far out of my reach. With Ty, I have learned that friendship is real, that true friendship exits and it is much better than I could have ever imagined it would be.

Undergraduate / Enriching the College Community (Personal Essay) [3]

The University of Colorado at Boulder's Flagship 2030 strategic plan promotes exceptional teaching, research, scholarship, creative works, and service distinguishing us as a premier university. We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive community for all that engages each member in opportunities for academic excellence, leadership, and a deeper understanding of the world in which we live. Given the statement above, how do you think you could enrich our diverse and inclusive community, and what are your hopes for your college experience?

The University of Colorado is an institution that not only offers me the positive reputation of its excellent school, but also a large student body that holds many versatile ideas and ways of living. It is one of the few colleges that is truly committed to the overall success and diversity of the students who enroll there. After many months of researching schools, The University of Colorado is the institution where I would most like to study. The university seems to have an enormous selection of programs and qualities that will overall benefit me as a person, and in return, I am willing to do all that can be possibly done to enrich the inclusive and diverse community if I were able to go there.

Facing the facts, I am a Caucasian, middle class, suburban teenager living in the small town of Eaton, Colorado. While I'm not diverse in terms that that is most typically measured in diversity (race, ethnicity, etc.), I am very different in my personality. I am always very much open-minded and trying to learn about the world around me. Unlike many people, I realize that the encounters we have with diversity remind us how little superficial differences really matter. Although I am not one to have experienced the setbacks of being a minority in a time where "outsiders" were given less opportunities, I realize that no one should ever feel like a minority in a community that I support because everyone is alike regardless of religion, political views, sexual orientation, and social class. In the end, we are all human beings who are capable of expressing the many emotions of happiness, love, hate, guilt, and sadness. That said, I am a very life-loving, friendly person. I want to share my optimism and open-minded personality with all those around me at The University of Colorado. I believe that with much diligence and dedication, anyone can succeed in what they want in life no matter who they are. All one has to do is set their mind on their aspirations and work towards it.

For me, the goals that I carry in life seem very simple, yet they are much more complicated as I take the small steps to try to achieve them. College, one of the main aspirations that I hold, is heavily approaching. Now, having to make the tough decisions that will lay the stepping stones to the path I want to take in life, many new and exciting changes are brought into my life. I fully understand that having a college education is immensely important and I am willing to endure the labor and hard work I must accomplish so that I can look back in my life with great gratitude and reach my destination into a better life. Although the small town that I currently reside in isn't generally diverse, I am ready to approach the many wonders and marvels that the world has to offer me. I know that The University of Colorado would be the perfect start.