Undergraduate / "an awful situation is needed to reveal the potential" - experience common app [NEW]

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

Please critique me on the subject too. I am not sure whether it is a bad choice.

The horrible truth is sometimes an awful situation is needed for a person's potential goodness to be freed. In my opinion, the instigator is never sinless, but has the options of feeling guilt and remorse, indifference, or satisfaction after the fact. A person's true character shines through after hurting another human being be which of these feelings they encounter.

Not unlike many other children, I used to tease a girl, an outsider, in elementary school. My best friend and I felt we were invincible and above this girl because she was different and without many friends. Although she never let us see whether it bothered her, I know she must have kept the pain inside.

The next school year, she moved, never giving me the chance to speak to her again. Since I never was able to give her my most sincere apology, everyday since, I have been filled with guilt and remorse. The pain from my conscience is nothing compared to what the girl must have felt.

When I got off the bus on the same day, I have never been as disappointed in myself at that moment than my entire life. I made a promise to myself from that day forward, I would never make another human being feel the pain I caused her. I changed the way I approached life. Now I follow the saying, "Treat others the way you would want to be treated". In every situation, I try to see things from the other person's viewpoint and understand their perspective. Then, I began trying to make my friends develop this habit as well.

Moreover, I realized if I could make one person feel that bad, I could also make a positive difference in people's lives. It first began when my friends or people I hardly knew teased or judged others, and I would defend their prey. I knew I was doing the ethical action because having another teammate gives the instigators less power. Then, I wanted to make a different sort of impact. I began volunteering at my local hospital's physical therapy unit. While pushing wheelchairs on just a few days per week, I was able to gain friendships with many patients. Countless times, the patients have told me how lucky they were to meet me because I brightened their days. In my heart, I feel I am the lucky one to have been touched by them.

I honestly wish I could undo the harm I put her through, but since I cannot, I have learned from my mistakes. Instead of having my action recycle, I became known as the "nice girl". This incidence has dramatically impacted my life to the point that anybody who knows me now would never believe the pain I caused her.

Thanks in advance!! (:

Undergraduate / "diverse coworkers" - common app short answer--work and friends [2]

This is for the common application short answer prompt:
Please briefly elaborate on one of your extra curricular activities or work experiences in the space below.

As soon as I got my driver's license I knew the next step for me was a job. Being in high school, I could only have a part-time, minimum wage job; I chose Fox's Pizza. It provided me with an adequate amount for spending and saving, but left me with little free time. Although I grew apart from a few, I quickly realized who my true friends were. Through the typical rolling dough, sprinkling cheese, and slicing vegetables, I developed friendships with many of my diverse coworkers. I never would have befriended these middle-aged, part-time workers or teenagers in my school from different social cliques if it was not for this job. What simply began as a check for college savings and new clothes, ended with lasting relationships with the most unexpected people.

Thank you very much in advance for your critiquing of my essay, I greatly appreciate it!