Write an essay in which you tell us about someone who has made an impact on your life and explain how and why this person is important to you.
Trying hard in school was never in my agenda, that is, until senior year came along. Over the course of junior year, I became really good friends with another student at Plano West, Samuel Dugger. One of the brightest kids in school, he was both intelligent and fun to be around with, if you actually got to know him a little better. At the beginning of junior year, I sat with him at lunch and he was always quiet, studying for a test or just doing homework. I thought nothing of it since I saw him as "just another nerd." But I was wrong, dead wrong. I started conversing with him after a couple of weeks just to see what he was like and found out that he had a nice sense of humor that goes along with the brains that he has. From then on, I considered him as a friend. Over the course of the year, my grades progressively got worse due to my lack of interest in school, but I saw Sam working hard everyday and it kind of made me think about my future for a bit, but I just brushed the horrifying thought off. I made it through first semester with all my grades 80 and above, which a studious person such as Samuel would consider horrible, but I considered it a job well done. Sam finished off the first half of the year with all A's, which made me really start worrying about what college I would end up in, a community college or a prestigious school such as the University of Texas. Transcripts came out just after winter break and I was 525 out of 1008, well below the top fifty percent of the school. Sam, on the other hand, finished in the top sixty people in school, which did not surprise me since he was so studious. Second semester was the time when I realized the part that Samuel played in my future; he was the person that I would strive to become, a studious straight A student that basically has life set for him. The time had come for him and I to take the SAT, he prepared for the test nearly everyday a month before the testing date, which was the reason I could barely speak with him after school ended. As for me, I loafed around at home just doing pointless things such as watching television on the couch while eating junk food, ignoring my mother's desperate pleas for me to use the SAT reviewer that she had bought me. We took the test and the scores came out. I got a 1620, which I was happy with, until I saw Sam's score. He received a score over 2200 I believe. That was my breaking point. How could I possibly expect to compete with him when out study habits were completely different, not that I had one in the first place, and get into a good college? That very night, we went to Wing Stop for a mid-night snack. As we ate, I faked smiles as the thoughts of becoming a poor homeless man coursed through my mind while I took small bites out of the chicken wings. I ended up eating almost nothing at all, as the shock turned my stomach upside down. The second semester ended shortly after we took the SAT. As expected, Sam finished the semester with all A's and I finished with mostly B's and 2 C's, nearly failing Algebra II and Physics. Over the summer, Samuel and I hung out and got to go to places such as Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor along with other friends. Our summer escapades were fun, but as August came close, my mindset changed from having fun to focusing intensely on my studies to make sure that I do well in school my senior year. I started school off very well, starting off with A's and high B's the first couple weeks of school, but realized how hard it was to try in school when all I did on school days was do homework then go to sleep. Despite this realization, I continued to give it my all in school, all thanks to the motivation that my good friend Samuel Dugger instilled in me. He is a very important person to me, because he is one of my closest friends that have been with me through thick and thin, and most importantly, he motivated me to become a good student and fueled the fire that is to be my success.
Trying hard in school was never in my agenda, that is, until senior year came along. Over the course of junior year, I became really good friends with another student at Plano West, Samuel Dugger. One of the brightest kids in school, he was both intelligent and fun to be around with, if you actually got to know him a little better. At the beginning of junior year, I sat with him at lunch and he was always quiet, studying for a test or just doing homework. I thought nothing of it since I saw him as "just another nerd." But I was wrong, dead wrong. I started conversing with him after a couple of weeks just to see what he was like and found out that he had a nice sense of humor that goes along with the brains that he has. From then on, I considered him as a friend. Over the course of the year, my grades progressively got worse due to my lack of interest in school, but I saw Sam working hard everyday and it kind of made me think about my future for a bit, but I just brushed the horrifying thought off. I made it through first semester with all my grades 80 and above, which a studious person such as Samuel would consider horrible, but I considered it a job well done. Sam finished off the first half of the year with all A's, which made me really start worrying about what college I would end up in, a community college or a prestigious school such as the University of Texas. Transcripts came out just after winter break and I was 525 out of 1008, well below the top fifty percent of the school. Sam, on the other hand, finished in the top sixty people in school, which did not surprise me since he was so studious. Second semester was the time when I realized the part that Samuel played in my future; he was the person that I would strive to become, a studious straight A student that basically has life set for him. The time had come for him and I to take the SAT, he prepared for the test nearly everyday a month before the testing date, which was the reason I could barely speak with him after school ended. As for me, I loafed around at home just doing pointless things such as watching television on the couch while eating junk food, ignoring my mother's desperate pleas for me to use the SAT reviewer that she had bought me. We took the test and the scores came out. I got a 1620, which I was happy with, until I saw Sam's score. He received a score over 2200 I believe. That was my breaking point. How could I possibly expect to compete with him when out study habits were completely different, not that I had one in the first place, and get into a good college? That very night, we went to Wing Stop for a mid-night snack. As we ate, I faked smiles as the thoughts of becoming a poor homeless man coursed through my mind while I took small bites out of the chicken wings. I ended up eating almost nothing at all, as the shock turned my stomach upside down. The second semester ended shortly after we took the SAT. As expected, Sam finished the semester with all A's and I finished with mostly B's and 2 C's, nearly failing Algebra II and Physics. Over the summer, Samuel and I hung out and got to go to places such as Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor along with other friends. Our summer escapades were fun, but as August came close, my mindset changed from having fun to focusing intensely on my studies to make sure that I do well in school my senior year. I started school off very well, starting off with A's and high B's the first couple weeks of school, but realized how hard it was to try in school when all I did on school days was do homework then go to sleep. Despite this realization, I continued to give it my all in school, all thanks to the motivation that my good friend Samuel Dugger instilled in me. He is a very important person to me, because he is one of my closest friends that have been with me through thick and thin, and most importantly, he motivated me to become a good student and fueled the fire that is to be my success.