VIres Artes Mores have been the guiding philosophy behind FSU. Vires is strength of all kinds; moral, physical and intellectual. Artes is beauty of intellectual pursuits as shown in skill, craft or art. Mores is character custom or tradition. Describe how one or more of these values are reflected in your life.
My life embodies FSU's guiding philosophy. Here's my explanation:
My dad was transferred from NJ to Puerto Rico for five years when I was five. I was a shy child who found comfort in animals. I found two of the many stray dogs in PR and, against my parents wishes, nursed them back to health. Saving Puppito and Brownie helped change how I approached life.
We moved twice after that before landing in Florida, where I was again forced out of my comfort zone. A story that has had an impact was when I was 11, I invited new friends to my birthday party. No one showed up. That day, I learned the lesson to always be sensitive to others and their feelings. I vowed never let someone feel that hurt if I could help it.
I began achieving my bronze, then silver Congressional Medal of Honor as a sophomore and junior. I still hesitated to leave my comfort zone but needed to find a challenging exploration to satisfy my medal requirements, I chose an eight day exploration in Outward Bound School of wilderness training where I lived in the mountains with 12 other strangers. A life changing experience in which I gained mental and physical strength, I returned a confident, self assured person who was ready to embark on other challenges. I continue to follow the Outward Bound credo, "to strive to seek to find and not to yield."
At sixteen, I attended the National Youth Leadership Conference in Washington DC, where I found one could make a difference in public office. I knew I could touch people with the kindness and compassion that I was not only raised with by my parents, but learned on my own.
The fall of my junior year, I was elected as President of the American Red Cross Club. Standing up in front of a group leading a club was a far cry from the shy girl whose only friends were local stray dogs.
After completing two years in the Environmental Academy (JERFSA) I was selected as a recipient of the Pine Jog fellowship, at Florida Atlantic University. The last semester consisted of identifying an impoverished and underprivileged community, and teaching middle schoolers about the environment. This is where I feel the result of all the strengths I have achieved over the course of my life choices-moral, physical, intellectual, character, and skill-all came together. By the end, I had impacted 30 children that had never heard of conservation. We painted an environmental themed mural and taught them to plant flower and vegetable gardens. The last day, a student said to me "Miss Mary, you changed my life".
That week, my dog Puppito died, but I had achieved the strength and character to take on my next greatest challenge.
I hope you allow me the opportunity to put into action the guiding philosophy which has embodied my decisions, and continue the path I hope to embark on at the campus of FSU.
My life embodies FSU's guiding philosophy. Here's my explanation:
My dad was transferred from NJ to Puerto Rico for five years when I was five. I was a shy child who found comfort in animals. I found two of the many stray dogs in PR and, against my parents wishes, nursed them back to health. Saving Puppito and Brownie helped change how I approached life.
We moved twice after that before landing in Florida, where I was again forced out of my comfort zone. A story that has had an impact was when I was 11, I invited new friends to my birthday party. No one showed up. That day, I learned the lesson to always be sensitive to others and their feelings. I vowed never let someone feel that hurt if I could help it.
I began achieving my bronze, then silver Congressional Medal of Honor as a sophomore and junior. I still hesitated to leave my comfort zone but needed to find a challenging exploration to satisfy my medal requirements, I chose an eight day exploration in Outward Bound School of wilderness training where I lived in the mountains with 12 other strangers. A life changing experience in which I gained mental and physical strength, I returned a confident, self assured person who was ready to embark on other challenges. I continue to follow the Outward Bound credo, "to strive to seek to find and not to yield."
At sixteen, I attended the National Youth Leadership Conference in Washington DC, where I found one could make a difference in public office. I knew I could touch people with the kindness and compassion that I was not only raised with by my parents, but learned on my own.
The fall of my junior year, I was elected as President of the American Red Cross Club. Standing up in front of a group leading a club was a far cry from the shy girl whose only friends were local stray dogs.
After completing two years in the Environmental Academy (JERFSA) I was selected as a recipient of the Pine Jog fellowship, at Florida Atlantic University. The last semester consisted of identifying an impoverished and underprivileged community, and teaching middle schoolers about the environment. This is where I feel the result of all the strengths I have achieved over the course of my life choices-moral, physical, intellectual, character, and skill-all came together. By the end, I had impacted 30 children that had never heard of conservation. We painted an environmental themed mural and taught them to plant flower and vegetable gardens. The last day, a student said to me "Miss Mary, you changed my life".
That week, my dog Puppito died, but I had achieved the strength and character to take on my next greatest challenge.
I hope you allow me the opportunity to put into action the guiding philosophy which has embodied my decisions, and continue the path I hope to embark on at the campus of FSU.
