Undergraduate /
'Being a member of PALs' - Apply Texas-Common App [5]
There may be personal information you want considered as part of your admissions application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional hardships, challenges, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, personal responsibilities, exceptional achievements or talents, educational goals, or ways in which you might contribute to an institution committed to creating a diverse learning environment
Being a member of PALs has given me opportunities that I would have not had otherwise. PALs is an organization dedicated to assisting peers and the community; we mentor children, volunteer, and act as leaders and role models. I joined PALs because I like children and I thought it would look good on my college applications, but I did not realize how much more I would get out of the program.
I was assigned three PALees, elementary students that needed assistance in some form or another. There seemed to be nothing wrong my two girls, but there was something different about my third PALee, Casey. He was shy with me and didn't want to open up. Whenever I wanted to talk I practically had to pry information out of him. I brought different games and activities, things a second grade boy should like. He rejected it all. This led me to think that Casey didn't want me as his PAL and that I wasn't making a difference.
One Tuesday, I brought Sponge Bob dominoes for us to play, he won the first game and I won the second. After the second game he began to cry and pout and I asked "is it because you didn't win both games?" Casey didn't answer me, so we sat in silence. I asked if he wanted to play again, but he only wanted to be taken back to class. On the sad walk back, Casey asked if I still loved him and if I was mad at him because he wanted to go back. That he was having a bad day and was sorry. I had never thought that a second grade boy could break my heart in two, it was then that I realized that Casey did care about me visiting, I had just not found a way to reach him on his level yet. I assured Casey that I did and we talked for the remainder of our visit.
After that, my visits significantly improved with Casey and we always had a lot of fun together. Being Casey's PAL taught me that we impact others in the smallest ways. Casey might not always want to play games and talk to me, but simply being there can make a huge impact on someone.
Because of Casey, I try to be impactfull and make a difference.Its really good, but try to improve your conclusion
