Undergraduate / Tell us about a time you took a risk, failed, and were able to pick up the pieces. [2]

Telephones are one of the greatest inventions in the history of human kind. This seemingly unrealistic invention at the time, proved to be one of the greatest success stories ever. The telephone has allowed us to communicate with people from around the world in a matter of seconds without leaving the comfort of our house. But this invention did not come easy and without numerous setbacks that would drive many people to giving up.

Alexander Graham Bell worked continuously for 6 years without giving up on his hopes and dreams of inventing the telephone so that people could be able to talk to friends and family without having to leave their house. I thinking what contributed to Bell's success the most was the ability to look at the cup half full, not half empty. He even once said that...

"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us".

At the end of my junior year I was auditioning to become a Drum Major of Marching Band for the following year. After putting in hours on hours of conducting practice, learning songs, and writing a great essay, I was disappointed to find out that I did not make it. For a while I was devastated about the fact that I wouldn't be able to be the leader of the band. But as time went on, I began to look at the glass half full. I learned that we were having Tri-M President elections soon and I knew that this time around the decision did not depend on anyone but me and how the entire music department viewed me: a great friend and a responsible person. In the end, I was successfully elected as the new Tri-M President.

Looking back, like Bell said, if I focused too much on the door that was closed and let it upset me and made me give up, I would not have been able to get this awesome opportunity. This failure was probably one of the biggest successes I ever had. At first I learned that not always do I have to be a leader, but I can also be a follower or just a member, and that I do not need to win to prove to myself and others of my capabilities. Furthermore, it taught me that the closed door was just a distraction and that because of it I might have missed the opening of a new door. I now know that when faced with failure it is better to take it and own it, instead of letting it own you. In the end I learned and took away more from this failure than I would have if I succeeded at first.

Undergraduate / GW offers an education &college experience with a truly unique impact &once-in-a-life time [2]

John Adams once said, "There are two educations. One should teach us hot to make a living and the other how to live". The University Honors Program provides both in my view, the ability to come out and make a living and support oneself but the other which is even more important to me is how to live. The program provides an expansive assortment of resources for the use of its students and implements a rigorous educational style that is not specific to a homogeneous group of people.

The small class sizes, professors, and the way that everyone is involved together are the things that grabbed my attention when learning about the program. From reviews and research that I know about the program, I like the fact that the program is a small community within a large community working closely together. The students are also able to spend more time with professors and have an important relationship with them; whether they need to come for help or advice.

Sitting in a class of possibly one hundred or more students can be hard, material and connection wise, because you do not get that one on one time with a teacher or professor. That is one of the big reasons that I like taking AP classes at my school, because most of my classes now have half as many students then there usually are in a class. This allows for a more active rather than passive style of learning of the material, which I have personally noticed benefits me greatly. I have been able to form great relationships with my AP teachers just because the classes are smaller and they have the ability to give you those five extra minutes of time that a regular class teacher wouldn't.

Finally what attracts me about this program is what I would be able to bring to it and how I could fit in. I have loved doing group projects in class, especially the one I am currently working on, the "We the People" competition, and being able to perform tasks and solve complex problems within a group. The ability to be able to work with other people and individually is very important to me as I like to incorporate differing opinions and ideas in work because I believe that portrays the bigger picture instead of a single spectrum.

From this I can see myself being successful with the GW Honors Program and using it to its and my full potential. For a major like Business it is important to work with various groups of people and have the knowledge of many topics that may not directly connect to it. I am looking forward to be able to take demanding courses and work with people that will challenge me as a student and as a person.