Perseverance - UBC personal profile: What is important to you and why?

determination to finish what i started

What is important to me is perseverance. Growing up, I had always been a shy individual. I was, for the most part, a sheltered child, spending the majority of my time reading books. So, when I visited a local Toastmasters club, it was far beyond my comfort zone. I distinctly remember sitting in the corner, nervously avoiding eye contact with the other children. At the end of the first meeting, I had only spoken twice. Despite this, I forced myself to continue attending the club meetings regularly. Eventually, the positive influence of my fellow members helped me gain the courage to give a full 7-minute speech.

Had I withdrawn from the club after the first meeting, I would not have grown as an individual, and I wouldn't have developed many other soft skills, such as conflict resolution and adaptability. I eventually became the Vice President Education of my club, where I applied my skills to conduct educational sessions for new members. Even then, I tried supplementing my existing knowledge, asking senior members to mentor my speeches and leadership projects. I remained diligent, continuously improving myself while consciously looking out for members who required assistance. My tenacity eventually led to my crowning achievements - the Outstanding Gavelier Award and the Outstanding Executive Committee Member Award in successive years. If not for my persevering attitude, I do not think I would have become the leader I am today.

Please let me know if I have answered accordingly to the prompt. Mention how I could improve the essay or if is missing any components

I really like how you used anecdotal evidence to demonstrate how important perseverance is important. You mention that you have developed "soft skills, such as conflict resolution and adaptability", so you should give some hard evidence of how you applied those skills. Maybe show an example of how your adaptability helped you teach the new members. Additionally, I would change the word "forced" to "pushed/compelled" since it gives more of a positive tone. Lastly, you have only used 235/250 words, so maybe add how your leadership has benefited another student or member of the club and changed his/her experience.