Scholarship / Football and Leadership go hand in hand-Gates Millennium Essay [2]

Discuss a leadership experience you have had in any area of your life: school, work, athletics, family, church, community, etc. How and why did you become a leader in this area? How did this experience influence your goals?

I need help with this essay, I would like to know if i answered the prompt and if there are any errors or anything that could be changed.

One of my proudest accomplishments was being named captain of the football team. This was my second consecutive year as captain, but this year it meant more to me because it was my senior year. To some this isn't an accomplishment, but to me it meant everything. I obviously wasn't just picked at random at to be a captain, I was selected by the coaching staff and my fellow team mates and I was truly honored to be named a captain. It has taught me many things that I will use later in my life especially in order to reach my life long goals.

It was essential that I demonstrated leadership skills as a captain. I had to learn how to be friendly but also assertive with everyone. There were situations in which I had to tell friends to stop messing around and take things seriously and also take charge. I had to learn that everyone will not like me and the way I handle certain situations. I quickly learned not to try and be friends with everyone,but to focus on earning their respect which was essential.

I was chosen as a team captain because the coaching staff felt that I demonstrated all of the qualities of a captain. To be a team captain you have to demonstrate leadership, responsibility, and good character. The coaches felt that I was a well rounded student-athlete both on and off the field, so I was chosen. As a team captain it was my responsibility to make sure the team was on time, on the field stretched and read to practice. Member of the football team looked up to me to set a good example, and that's exactly what I did.

Being a varsity football captain taught me many skills that I can continue to use throughout the rest of my life. It allowed me to prove not only to myself, but also my coaches, team mates, and our fans every Friday night that I could be a leader. Without this position I would have never found the inner voice I now possess that allows me to encourage my team through our ups and downs. I learned that no one person is greater than the team. As a leader I realized that everyone is important if my team wants to accomplish our goal of winning every Friday night. My goal in life is to one day open my own investment firm. The experience I gained as a football captain further influenced my desire to accomplish this goal. I believe that the leadership skills that I have acquired have equipped me for the large responsibilities ahead of me in the future.

Scholarship / Being a proactive Nigerian - Gates Millennium [6]

Essay #3
Briefly describe a situation in which you felt that you or others were treated unfairly or were not given an opportunity you felt you deserved. Why do you think this happened? How did you respond? Did the situation improve as a result of your response? I would appreciate and help and criticism.

Throughout a person's lifetime they will encounter many instances in which they will feel as if they were treated unfairly. At the young age of sixteen I have already experienced my fair share. Childhood was not easy for my siblings and me. My family and I emigrated from Nigeria to the United States in 2002 and straight from the beginning, times were rough. Adjustment to life in the United States was hard at first but eventually became a little easier. As a child, I watched my parents struggle to raise four children and provide for their everyday needs on nothing more than minimum wage. My mother worked two jobs in the fast food industry and my father worked as a trash collector for the city of Detroit. Life came with its trials and tribulations, but the greatest struggles for me were at school. At school I was constantly picked on, and at a young age I faced my first instances of injustice.

I remember the day as if it was yesterday. I walked into my first day of class at Adams Middle School as a new student. The teacher introduced me to the class, announcing my name to everyone; Emmanuel Enechukwu. As the teacher announced my name I could hear the instant giggles and laughter of the students. It wasn't until someone asked; what kind of last name is that, that I understood why they were laughing. The teacher explained to the students that I was from Nigeria and that's why my last name wasn't so common. From that day on I faced many instances of bullying that I couldn't understand. I was treated differently from the other kids just because I was different. I didn't feel as if I was different from anyone, but to my fellow classmates I was. This was a situation in which I felt that I was treated unfairly. The students never got the chance to know who I was before they judged me. To make matters worse as much I complained to teachers and school officials for help, but no one seemed to care and I had to take matters into my own hands.

At a young age, it took me a while to understand why I experienced the things I did. I never had the nicest things and would often wear the same clothes because my parents couldn't afford any new ones. I didn't understand why kids picked on me, but as I grew up I started to understand. People tend to make fun of things that they don't understand. The kids that picked on me didn't understand who I was as a person, my culture, or my background so they picked on me. Going through this made me realize many things.

To overcome the obstacles I faced I decided to become a lot more proactive. People made fun of me because I was Nigerian, they didn't understand my culture, and my family situation. I took it upon myself to explain my culture to my fellow classmates and to those who picked on me the most. I enjoyed enlightening people on my culture which they knew nothing about. As people started to get to know me and understand who I was as a person the bullying and hazing stopped. No one had a reason to pick on me because they knew about my background and the hardships I've experienced in life. I realized that no obstacle in life is too great to overcome, and I plan to carry this philosophy with me throughout life.

Scholarship / I STRUGGLED WITH MATH ; Gates Millennium - difficult subject [3]

Essay #2
Discuss the subjects in which you have had difficulty. What factors do you believe contributed to your difficulties? How have you dealt with them so they will not cause problems for you again? In what areas have you experienced the greatest improvement? What problem areas remain?

i need someone to check from grammar and corrections and to see if i answered the prompt

As my senior year starts to come to a close, I look back at my twelve years in school with disdain toward one subject- math. I have been fortunate to have excelled in mostly everything in my life. However, there are certain subjects that have not come as easy. Math related subjects such as Algebra and AP Calculus were subjects that I would go as far as saying that I truly struggled in.

When I was younger, math seemed like the most pointless subject in the world. Memorizing functions and equations were so exhausting and I never seemed to remember them on the day of the test. I often found myself asking the same question; when am I ever going to use this in life? I truly didn't find math the least bit enjoyable, so I tended to not try. I struggled through my classes, my lack of enthusiasm lead to many frustrating nights studying for numerous tests and exams. My lack of enthusiasm and my general hatred towards math related subjects truly attributed to my struggles.

My struggles in math continued until my freshman year when I took geometry. Mr. Freeman, my geometry teacher had a true enthusiasm and love for math. His enthusiasm was infectious and rubbed off on my classmates and I. He reminded us that math was universal, no matter what you do or what you want to be in life math skills can always be applied in some way. Mr. Freeman knew most of his students on a personal level and knew I wanted to be an investment banker. One day he asked me a very important question. He asked me; "how are you going to be an investment banker if you don't like math?". This question changed my perspective on math forever, I never thought too deeply about the advanced math skills it takes to be an investment banker. From that day on I knew I had to change if i wanted to achieve my goal.

To improve my math skills, I had to think of creative ways to do so. I wanted to do well in my classes, no matter how hard I struggled education has always been a priority to me. To fix my problems I came up with new methods of studying; I utilized online resources such as Khan Academy, and former students notebooks to help me further understand the material. I also meet with friends and fellow classmates in my class and discussed the topics that we went over in class. Coming together with my fellow classmates allowed me to learn different methods to solve problems that I've had difficulty with. I also started taking better, more-detailed notes, which made studying the information for test and exams much easier.

I find trying to improve my mathematics skills a bit difficult, but I never give up trying. I usually have to ask my teachers for extra help when it comes to understanding new concepts and material. I find myself being the kid that always ask a question every two seconds, but at the end of the day it helps me grasp a better understanding of the work. I have to stay after for help sometimes, and at times I have asked for extra worksheets to practice. I know that this is an area that I will have to try harder than most people to succeed in. Although I have difficulties in mathematics, I do not use them as an excuse for poor performance. I aim higher and work harder in this area to make up for my impediment.

Scholarship / HISTORY; Gates Millennium- subjects in which you excel or have excelled [4]

Essay #1
Discuss the subjects in which you excel or have excelled. To what factors do you attribute your success?

Can someone check for any errors, and see if i answer the prompt.

There are many subjects you study while in school, everything from geometry to anatomy. I myself excel in history subjects. My love for history started sadly when I discovered the tragedies that happened on September, 11 2001. My family and I came to the United States from Nigeria in 2002, a year after 9/11. While the images of the horrific sense of that day were still fresh in the minds of many people, my family and I were oblivious to the events that occurred that day. It wasn't until the sixth grade that my history teacher explained to me what happened on 9/11, and since that day I've had an overwhelming quest for knowledge and learning about history. Some people see history as boring, but to me I found it fascinating to learn about the past and those who have come before us. This passion led me to take classes such as Advanced Placement United States History my junior year - which I loved - to further enhance my already vast knowledge of history. History has always been my best and favorite subject in school. I found it much more interesting then math which bored me to tears. I have always had a great memory for remembering names, events, wars, and more. Our ancestors struggled and sacrificed for us we owe it to them to understand who they were and what they dealt with in their life. I like history because I enjoy reading about the drama of major political, social and military changes, and the dramatic transformations that major wars, revolutions and political movements and campaigns bring about. Modern history interests me most of all because it is most easy to relate to how the drama of history has created the world we live in now. Whether it's American, European or Native American I love all types of history. As stated by George Santayana; "those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it." When we learn from our mistakes, as history among other things often repeats itself, then our futures will be shaped. So by looking back, we're molding our lives, our hopes, dreams. History even though it's in the past still gives us insight into the future and thinks to come.

To my success in history subjects, I owe that to my teachers that have encouraged my love of history. There are not many teachers that can recognize a child's passion and encourage then to purse it further. Every single one of my history teachers especially my advance placement U.S History teacher Mrs. Thurkow realized that my interest in history was different from the average student. I owe it to those teachers who saw my passion and gave me the materials to further pursue it.