Undergraduate / 'Teen Drinking' APPLY TEXAS: Choose an issue of importance to you [3]

Prompt: Choose an issue of importance to you - the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope - and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

In our nation today alcohol is easily and irresponsibly consumed by adults and teenagers alike. Although the legal drinking age is 21, teenagers drink regularly at parties, or with friends. This irresponsible action causes people to become a danger not only to others, but to their very own lives. Teen drinking is a prevalent problem within my community and can jeopardize a young adult's future by endangering themselves.

The world's view on teen drinking has had a toll on the people around me because now my friends and peers have begun to think that everyone does. So why shouldn't they? It's as if the populace just accepts that this wrong action just simply happens. More and more teens are adopting this mindset and are falling victims to the crime of underage teen drinking. In my very own society I have seen the effects that drinking has on its victims.

Last October, one of my own friends became the prey of alcohol poisoning. He went to a party and drank some beer. That may seem harmless, but then he went back home and snuck out of his house to go to a friend's "get-together" one mile away. When he arrived to the party unfortunately he continued to drink more alcohol and harder liquors. Around 3 in the morning he started to walk home and unfortunately his blood-alcohol level was too high. He passed away in the middle of the road and then was hit by a car a little later in the night. His blood-alcohol level was .24, three times the legal limit.

This was only one of the many unfortunate accidents that have happened throughout the country and in my own community. His example has opened the eyes of a few people, but the majority has continued to conform to the worlds view on teen drinking, that it is okay to do. When someone doesn't fully understand the consequences, or if they don't even care about them, then this view can make people perform the "acceptable" feat of drinking, and within a split second, like my friend Connor, a life can be taken from this world.

Teen drinking is a prevalent and growing act that more and more teens within my own neighborhood have started to rebel to, and can endanger young adults' futures. Whether its acceptance, conformity, depression or just the consumer's mental understanding, drinking has inflicted pain and consequences to a plethora of teens, and has ultimately caused one of my own friends' tragic demise. It can be stopped though. To stop this tragic problem, we must prevent the infection from spreading to others and halt it where it starts, in the mentality of teenagers.

Thank you for any help!

Undergraduate / 'Jesus' APPLY TEXAS ESSAY: Write an essay about a person of importance in your life [13]

Prompt: Write an essay in which you tell us about someone who has made an impact on your life and explain how and why this person is important to you.

ESSAY A:

Throughout our lives milestones will placed down that can define who we are. Sometimes, a milestone can be a person that has helped shape our mind and day to day actions. In my case, I have blessed beyond understanding to have been introduced to the person who has changed my life, his name is Jesus Christ. Although I have not met him face to face, Jesus has warped my life goal into helping others instead of only thinking of me.

I had always lived my everyday life simply thinking of myself and searching for my own personal gain. Being raised in church, I knew the simplicities of what was right and wrong, but I never grasped what a true and fulfilling relationship with Jesus would be like. While I was in eighth grade, I only thought of myself and although I went to church, all I cared about were the "cool" friends I started to gain and trying to become popular. During that year, my thoughts were judgmental and I always thought I was better than others. But in the summer before my freshman year of high school the truth was finally revealed before my eyes. I was enabled to go to my first church camp and my entire perspective of life changed permanently. At that church camp I felt Jesus seep into my heart and soul and a fire was born within me.

Unlike many people, I have been able to keep that fire aflame and am using it to proclaim the Lord's glorious and great name by putting others before myself. Anyone can declare they are a Christian, but to live what they preach is a rare virtue in people. Now that I can see the world for what it is, I challenge myself to be a better and more productive citizen in the world. At my church, I actively serve others at a new and amazing ministry called "Samelight Ministries". Every Tuesday my Christian friends and I go to a trailer park by a middle school, and we help the children that are normally neglected there through athletic activities, biblical skits and worship, all the while spreading the good news of Jesus. At school, other opportunities such as cleaning up parks, helping set up city wide charity events and collecting cans of food for the needy came to my door step.

I realize now that if I had not met Jesus, then I would not be the humbled public servant I am today. Without Jesus I would not have the joyful heart for our society that has been molded now because the path I was on was one of selfishness and not of giving. I could have been climbing the popularity polls and continuing to be the narcissistic person I was if I didn't meet my savior, but that's fortunately not what happened. Instead, Christ humbled me and a new sense of love seeped into me for other people. He changed me so dramatically, that now I can see the difference between the new and old me. I once judged people for the way they looked and believed revenge was the answer for a wrong doing, but now my eyes only see love for people and I have been humbled to understand that forgiving is the only right act when wronged. Jesus took my once hardened heart and softened it so that I would understand that we are made to love one another and to forgive others.

Jesus took me out of the "me first" mindset, and gave me a new purpose for my life. He is the most important person in my life because of this. Through his grace and overwhelming help he has changed the very purpose of my existence for the best possible route. Although I have not met him face to face, Jesus has warped my life's goal into helping others instead of only thinking of me.