Undergraduate / 'when Columbia exploded while re-entering the earth' - UMD essay [3]

It's been Nine years now but I still remember that day of February 1, a day that went down in the history books because of its great significance. Seven people lost their lives when Columbia exploded while re-entering the earth. I cried because I dint know why such thing can happen to people who are so dedicated and motivated to improve our lives, but my sadness was short lived when my dad reminded they died living their dream. I want to live my dream, I said to myself. That dream was to fly, to fly faster, higher and further than anyone ever tried; so I decided to become an Engineer. University of Maryland has been my dream school. I know that UMD is right for me because not only it will know open many doors for me but will also satisfy my hunger for knowledge. In high school I wasn't the most athletic nor talented student, but I did not use that as an excuse to not engage in extracurricular activities. I was the president of the cultural club, I worked on a full scale electrathon race car and in my senior year had an internship at Xerox. When I got rejected from UMD I did not feel discouraged, I knew I had something to prove. I am currently attend Howard community preparing myself for the opportunity to once again apply to UMD. I feel my future is very promising, and my academic journey is getting brighter. I can now a successful academic student, and at the same time engage in extracurricular activities like the solar car team at HCC which I am proudly leading as the technical director. The main reason for me to attend UMD is because it's close to home and I can have my family support.