Growing up in Orlando, UCF has always been at the top of my list of places I've wanted to attend for college. Its large campus, perfect location, diverse population and outstanding amount of opportunities are what attract most to this great school. What helped me come to the conclusion that I wanted to be a Knight was when I attended a summer camp that was hosted at UCF. It was a two week summer science program that allowed a select amount of students to stay in the dorms on campus. We and our roommates would wake up each morning, have breakfast at The Marketplace then attend classroom studies, and labs in UCF's forensics department. This college experience is what made me positive that that the University of Central Florida is where I wanted to be. Since then I have attended campus tours, open houses, and other events at the school allowing myself to become more familiar with the campus; my future home. I know it takes dedication and hard work to be a Knight, which are attributes I am willing to present as a student. I take pride in the perseverance I put forward when tackling my goals, and even my obstacles. As any other teenager, throughout my high school career I have been faced with a lot of obstacles. The hardest situation for me to endure was when my mom was diagnosed with Chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis in early 2011. My mom is the only parent that I've had, so seeing her transform from being so lively and optimistic to crippled and depressed; once self-sufficient, now dependent on me for nearly everything, was extremely hard for me. Although this is a very personal issue I had to deal with, the stress and intense anger I was experiencing reflected in my grades and behavior at that time. Letting my mom's illness discourage me is a foolish mistake I made. All my life, she's wanted me to excel in my studies and academics, and in two semesters I nearly ruined all I've worked hard for. I am still suffering the consequences of the poor attitude and performance I demonstrated during this time, but ultimately I have learned from the experience. Despite the hardships in life, you should always make an effort to achieve your goals. Currently, my goal is to fulfill my mom's wishes by being accepted into this University, and regardless of the circumstances I'm confident that I will!
