Academic History
Growing up my mother knew how to stretch a penny. My child hood consisted of paper thin tooth paste tubes and where the possibility was greater to win the lottery than to change the temperature on the thermostat. Being a single mother who worked 2 jobs to support my sister and I, she was not afraid of hard work and she made sure that we were not either. From having my first job at 14 and working sometimes 2 jobs at a time I knew that education was vital to further myself in the world. Though a higher education was uncharted waters for this family. With money being tight in this family, I knew my shot at affording a higher education would have to come from me. So I embraced my family's own unique culture of washed zip lock bags and 40+ hour work weeks and began my journey.
Throughout high school I challenged myself with rigorous classes knowing that that's what it would take to hopefully try to get into a 4 year university with academic scholarships. Yet having to work 25 hours a week and go to school wasn't easy. I graduate high school with high honors and a 3.6GPA. I vigorously applied all over in hopes of being able to receive a significant amount of financial aid that would allow me to attend a 4 year university. After being accepted to the University of Hawaii and receiving the WUE scholarship, I excitedly showed my mother. She looked at a year's cost of attending and told me that we just couldn't afford that right now. The highest and lowest point of my life within minutes of each other. I was devastated. Though I never lost faith in my dream to pursue a 4 year degree. I sat back and strategized and realized my next move would be to attend Highline Community College. By doing so I would be able to get college credit to work towards transferring into a 4 year university and save money in the process. For the next 2 years that is what I did.
I attended Highline in the fall of 2011. Taking courses to try and figure out what I wanted to do. I pushed myself hard during my 2 years at highline. While working 2 jobs with 40 hours a week it became hard for me to balance school, work, and sleep. I began to struggle in school. Just being able to pass by doing well on the tests. Although that soon caught up to me. I juggle the priorities of supporting for my family and my own education. Quitting never crossed my mind. I pressed on studied harder and began to see upward progress in my schooling. I now succeed in my current courses and have been able to find my true passion of what I want to study.
I sold my first car when I was 17 years old. I had bought the car for my 17th birthday and decided I wanted to sell it to see if I could get a different kind of car. I made an ad on the website Craigslist. Within days I had multiple offers. I sold the vehicle for 60% more than I had originally paid for it, and at that moment a light switch clicked over my head. This would be how I will pay for my education I told myself. If I strategize buying and selling used cars correctly I can put myself through college I realized. 14 cars and 3 years later I finally saved enough money to transfer to a 4 year university. It was then that I finally knew what I wanted to study, my calling was business. Attending business classes at highline the information just over lapped my previous knowledge from selling vehicles. I knew all about target marketing, hostile acquisitioning, and account balance equation. I just didn't know the proper terminology. I now needed a school that had a strong business program that fueled my burning passion to sell. I came across the University of Washington Tacoma as my perfect choice. Being so close to home it would allow me to still live at home while attending school. This would make school financially feasible. Transferring to the University of Washington Tacoma will further allow me to continue my passion of studying business with the hopes of being accepted in to Foster's School of Business after I graduate.
"You can be as dumb as rocks, but as long as you have ambition the world is yours" my mother told me when I announced to her that I would be applying to the University of Washington Tacoma. I wasn't dumb as rocks but I had the ambition. I knew the struggle. Balancing school, 40 hours a week of work, and selling car's on the side I knew that in life nothing good comes easy. I was brought up to work hard for whatever you wanted. I am proud to say that I come from a family of paper thin tooth paste and an unchanging thermostat. My family's unique culture has shaped me into the honest disciplined man I am today.
This is an impressive essay! The only thing is, is there a word limit? While very well-written, it's a little on the long side.
"You can be as dumb as rocks, but as long as you have ambition the world is yours, " my mother told me when I announced to her that I would be applying to the University of Washington Tacoma. I was not" dumb as rocks," but I had the ambition. I knew the struggle. Balancing school, 40 hours a week of work, and selling cars on the side, I knew that in life, nothing good comes easy. I was brought up to work hard for what I wanted. I am proud to say that I come from a family of paper-thin toothpaste tubes and an unchanging thermostat. My family's unique culture has shaped me into the honest, disciplined man I am today.
Thank you for the feedback didgeridoo! Yes the word limit is 750-1000. I believe my essay is somewhere around 940ish? I will rewrite another draft later tonight when I get off
I loved this essay! mostly because its a bit similar to my story, i think the right corrections have been made by the previous user, sounds better that way.
