'Heroes and Cool Kids' - College Essay - Event that shaped/changed life

I was at my sister's basketball game and a twelve year old girl from across the gym had smiled widely at me, began waving and then continued to run on over to me and say hello. I had remembered her vaguely as one of the students in the class that I had visited as part of the Heroes and Cool Kids. This program included a select group of kids who had shown excellency in character and leadership who went on to advise younger students on how to make healthier life choices. First of all, I was amazed that this girl had noticed me. It had been a few weeks since my last visit but she had still remembered my name and the fact that we both loved the same TV show.

She then went on to tell me a something that would have a lasting effect on me. On one of the trips I had told the class a story about how my aunt had died due to drugs and how I vowed from then on to never have anything to do with them. At the time I did not believe many of the kids were listening, but at this moment I discovered I was wrong. The young girl told me she did not have a chance to talk to me in class but that she remembered my story and what I had said. She went on to say how she was sorry about what happened to my aunt and that after hearing my story, she was influenced to follow my actions and do the same as I did.

At first I thought that Heroes and Cool Kids would just be an excuse to miss a few hours of school every once in awhile. I then realized how amazing this situation actually was. Me simply telling a short story in front of a class resulted in a young girl making one of the healthiest decisions she can at this time in her life. I never knew this extraordinary feeling of being such an influence, being a true leader. Sure, this may have been such a small incident and maybe it was only this one girl who had gotten anything from any of my stories, but it is still is a great feeling to know you had such a positive effect on someone. I was changed by this experience as well and I now, knowing of such a rewarding experience, plan, to the best of my abilities, to work hard in continuing my education and my career and perhaps change more than just a few lives for the better.

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