Undergraduate / "... if you try to teach a fish to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing it is stupid" [4]

A wise man once said, "Everybody is a genius, but if you try to teach a fish to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing it is stupid". That wise man was Albert Einstein, a man who fought through adversity to become one of the most renowned men and scientists the modern world had ever seen. He proved that people have their strengths and people have their weaknesses, but everyone has the capability to work hard to achieve their dreams and overcome adversity.

I grew up in a lower middle class household where I learned how to take care of myself. My parents having gotten divorced while I was still fairly young really put life in perspective for me and I was on a path to manhood early on by having to assume responsibility and begin to learn the skills necessary to be successful. Neither of my parents had managed a formal college education, therefore college was never emphasized to me while I was growing up-except once I started high school where I became frequently exposed to the college atmosphere where I was further advised to attend Lone Star College and then Blinn College respectively.

As one of the many teenagers who seemed to coast throughout their high school career, I started junior college with a similar mindset-yet that mindset was very short-lived once I developed and ignited a newfound love for math and sciences. Developing a legitimate understanding of the way things work around me is very intriguing and in some cases, even unfathomable. College has put life in a perspective I never would have begun to predict and I attribute it to my ability to mature as I've done over the last few years. The experience is exhilarating and has fueled my desire to succeed. I want to do what my parents never had the opportunity to do; I want to receive the greatest and most influential education I can, which I am given reason to believe can come from Texas A&M University. I believe that Texas A&M can help me achieve my goals because I am more than willing to put in the hours to achieve and earn a degree that will be put toward a prolonged and successful career.

Living here in Aggieland has exposed me to the Aggie culture, which I've grown to feel strongly about. I love the brotherhood of the students of this university as well as the tradition-oriented lifestyle that comes with the privilege of carrying the title of an Aggie. We cannot live life with regrets; we can only make the decision to change how we approach the future and I know that by my personal experiences and willingness to be successful, Texas A&M will guide me to a promising and bright future as an Aggie.