Undergraduate / I still sleep with a nightlight in my room; University of Texas-Austin, Texas A&M [NEW]

This essay prompt is a required essay for UT and an optional essay for A&M. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could help me out and let me know if my essay sounds good.

Considering your lifetime goals, discuss how your current and future academic and extra-curricular activities might help you achieve your goals.

My Nightlight Studies

My name is Kayla Truong, I am 17 years old, and I still sleep with a nightlight in my room.

A nightlight, to me, is probably one of the most useful items in existence. Not only does it illuminate my room with a pinch of light, but it also helps prevent me from stubbing my toe on the end of my bed when I wake up for midnight bathroom trips. Throughout everyone's life, we are occasionally plunged into the deep darkness of failure, depression, and lack of motivation. Some never find their way out of the shadows. Others find themselves blinded for a long period of time before they finally open their eyes. Without a nightlight, how is one ever supposed to find the way out?

I found myself plunged into this deep darkness a year or two ago. I was lost, not knowing what I wanted to do in life. Many people voiced their opinions, throwing me back and forth between their supposed assumptions about what they thought I wanted to do with my life and what I actually wanted to do. I could not find my way out of the shadows. Where was my nightlight when I needed it the most?

Junior year of high school had started and I was enrolled in a Web Design Applications class. I did not think anything of this class before I started, assuming that it was just another easy elective. Little did I know that I was going to find my perfect nightlight through this class. Web design was unlike any other class I had taken. It was not a class. Rather, it was a business. Our business was in charge of maintaining and updating the school website. Deadlines were shoved in my face. The pressure to write interesting stories in order to gain a fan base within the students of my high school was high. Tons of emails were written to our business demanding that we create new features, graphics, layouts, and stories to their liking. Complaints were made left and right, and mistakes were common. Faced with strict and demanding clients, we worked hard to organize our teamwork and pushed adamantly for improvement. Eventually, compliments, instead of complaints, were being given. Instead of demands, we were given offers. Students began to take interest in the webpage on which my team and I worked so diligently on. At last, the dedication my team and I put into the website was being recognized. Despite the stressful environment of the class, I began to notice inside me an urge to become an even bigger and better leader than I was in Web Design. I found a sense of belonging in Web Design which sparked an ignition in my desire to pursue a business major. Web Design gave me a small taste of what the business world would be like and I have never felt more passionate and confident that the business world is where I belong. With the precious leadership experience I gained through Web Design class, I hope to be able to apply my skills at McComb's School of Business at the University of Texas-Austin. Through the help of Web Design, I had finally found my nightlight. Slowly, day by day, my eyes were opened and the shadows of doubt began to disappear.

Senior year is here, and I am now the head of the Web Design class. I help manage the rest of the team and what goes on the website. I have become an even better of a leader than I was junior year and my goals are as strong as ever. I am anxious to see what skills I have yet to learn, and I am more than excited to bring my experience and what I have learned to the University of Texas-Austin.

Oh, and I still plan to bring my nightlight too.