There may be personal information that you want considered as part of your admissions application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional hardships, challenges, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, personal responsibilities, exceptional achievements or talents, educational goals, or ways in which you might contribute to an institution committed to creating a diverse learning environment.
I never thought I would be a victim of bullying, but I was. It was the beginning of my freshman year and I was excited because I was finally going to meet new people. Meeting new people wasn't a problem, but what ended up being a problem was the fact that not everyone will like you. It's funny because even though my bully didn't know me he made sure to show how much he didn't like me. It began with a letter that only hurt my feelings, it continued with harsh words being thrown around, and it ended with me hating myself. It was this emotional journey that led to the person I am today.
His name was Ignacio and he was also a freshman. I'd never talked to him before, but one day he threw a paper at me in English class and whispered at me to open it. The paper had a drawing of a pig and below the drawing my name was clearly shown. I turned red and I threw the paper in the trash before anyone else could see it. I didn't do anything because I didn't expect this strange boy to do anything else. Before I knew it, pictures of pigs began appearing in my locker and all I could do was ignore it. After he got tired of the notes and the pictures he began calling me names. He would make sure to comment on my weight everywhere he saw me. I wasn't strong enough to say something to anyone or even respond, so I would just try my best to ignore him.
One day, as I was heading to Geometry he shoved me against the lockers claiming I was taking up too much space in the hallway. All my books fell and I was hoping maybe someone would help, but all my classmates did was laugh. No one helped, told Ignacio anything, or even told me something all they did was laugh like they had just heard the funniest joke. I didn't understand how anyone could find this situation hilarious, but they did. One day in English class, Ignacio decided to sharpen his pencil. I sat near the sharpener and as soon as he had finished sharpening his pencil he decided to test it out on me. Luckily, I was able to move my arm just in time to only get a scratch, but it still didn't change the action. Every day it became harder to go to school because I knew somehow I would be humiliated that day. I would spend nights crying in my room dreading to tell a soul because I didn't want to seem weak. I felt ugly and alone, so I began thinking maybe he was right I was taking up too much space, but in this Earth. I saw the closest bottle with pills and I drank it without even thinking about it.
I woke up seeing my parents crying in front of me not understanding why I had tried to kill myself. I still wasn't strong enough to tell them what happened, so I chose to not say anything and that somehow seemed to hurt them more. I was forced to go to a rehabilitation center for teenagers because of my actions. In this center, I saw kids who were orphans, part of gangs, and who inflicted pain on themselves. These kids had been hurt, abused, and were emotionally vulnerable, but somehow they managed to find strength to admit their problem and were doing everything possible to recover. If these kids who have had it worse than me could do it, why couldn't I? I began to talk with my psychologist and I was finally able to open up to my parents.
I found strength to finally speak up and I told the school what had happened. Unfortunately, they couldn't do anything because they didn't have any actual proof. My mom was furious of the outcome, so she decided it would be best if I moved to another school. I never saw Ignacio again, I never got to tell him how bad he made me feel, and I never got an apology. What I did get was closure and a true understanding of my self-worth. It was so easy for Ignacio to throw me off edge because I never thought much of myself to begin with. This was something that had to change because no matter what anyone ever says you are important in your own way.
I'm not the same girl I was freshman year; I'm a completely different person. For starters, I'm a lot stronger and I'm confident enough to know what I'm worth. I will never let myself be anyone's victim again because to be someone's victim you have to let yourself get stepped on. After the incident, I began to excel in school because I wanted to reach my full potential. This obstacle is what inspired me to help other people because you never know how bad someone truly has it. This hardship also made me realize how much someone can make a difference in a person's life, so I chose to be the person who makes a difference in my school and my community.
