Undergraduate / Common App (Extracurriculars/ Activities) essay - comments & suggestions [2]

Charles Dickens once quoted "Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on you're past misfortunes, of which all men have some." I never fully quite grasped the connotation of this statement until the fall of my junior year. I registered myself to be a volunteer tutor at an elementary school only a town away. As we began to drive, I immediately took note of how impoverished the surrounding areas became with each mile we progressed. When we finally arrived at the school I was in disbelief. It lacked the warm and colorful characteristics an institution of youth usually possessed. As I tutored the children, I came to the realization that despite their lack of resources, they were still extremely bright, and enthusiastic to learn. I thought on how the previous day I had argued with my mother on how I was the only person who still didn't have an IPhone. It just seemed frivolous sitting in front of children that could barely afford books. From that day on I made it a routine to tutor at the school at least once a week. It is an activity I love, and it has given me the ability to have a new perspective on life.