I folded my arms tightly against my chest and glared defiantly at the ground as the most hated person in my life lectured me, yet again, about my education. "You think you have it bad?! I came over to America, from Germany, speaking no English but you know what? I still managed to get an education. Why aren't you trying to help yourself?" Mr. H saw potential in me even if I was blind to it, and even with my obnoxious preteen attitude, he went out of his way to guide my life in the right direction.
School use to mean nothing to me. As long as I passed, I was happy because after all, I had a "learning disability", could I help being stupid? Mr. H, thankfully, wasn't as content as I was with my education and excuses. He would tell me stories about struggling to learn English so he could go to college. After hearing his stories, I felt ashamed for using a "disability" as a crutch. So, I started putting an effort in my classes and found out something amazing: I'm actually, incredibly intelligent when I let myself be. This moment of self-discovery allowed me to make the most of my high school experience. Mr. H made me realize that we all have problems but what we make of them defines the type of person we really are.
Mr. H once told me that everyone needs a passion in their life to be truly happy and once you find it, doors will open for you without you even looking. When I reached high school, I decided to find my own passion by trying out for various sports. Immediately, I fell in love with tennis and quickly became one of the most competitive players in my region. I began training rigorously over the summer at international tennis camps and competed in district tournaments. Mr. H was right, finding my passion did open doors for me. Tennis turned me in to a leader because my teammates depended on me as the team captain. This newly developed trait lead me to take on other on other leadership positions: as a hostess, yearbook editor, peer, and whatever else I endeavored.
Once I matured, I began to appreciate Mr. H's wisdom and how his lessons molded me in to a strong, intellectual, leader. As a result, everything I do, I do not for the sake of having a gold star on my college application, but because I know I'll come out as a better person. This is why the backbone of my high school schedule are AP classes and not easy "A" courses. I come from a family of Gators and I know for a fact that the University of Florida is not built on one-dimensional, 5.0 GPA students but on self-motivated leaders, from every background, genuinely pursuing a first-rate education. I've always strived to embody those traits and would be honored to continue the Gator tradition of intellectual excellence.
Note: I really wish I had the chance to explain how I eventually became good friends with him but I didnt have space. Does it feel open ended becuse of that? Also, is everything grammtically correct?
School use to mean nothing to me. As long as I passed, I was happy because after all, I had a "learning disability", could I help being stupid? Mr. H, thankfully, wasn't as content as I was with my education and excuses. He would tell me stories about struggling to learn English so he could go to college. After hearing his stories, I felt ashamed for using a "disability" as a crutch. So, I started putting an effort in my classes and found out something amazing: I'm actually, incredibly intelligent when I let myself be. This moment of self-discovery allowed me to make the most of my high school experience. Mr. H made me realize that we all have problems but what we make of them defines the type of person we really are.
Mr. H once told me that everyone needs a passion in their life to be truly happy and once you find it, doors will open for you without you even looking. When I reached high school, I decided to find my own passion by trying out for various sports. Immediately, I fell in love with tennis and quickly became one of the most competitive players in my region. I began training rigorously over the summer at international tennis camps and competed in district tournaments. Mr. H was right, finding my passion did open doors for me. Tennis turned me in to a leader because my teammates depended on me as the team captain. This newly developed trait lead me to take on other on other leadership positions: as a hostess, yearbook editor, peer, and whatever else I endeavored.
Once I matured, I began to appreciate Mr. H's wisdom and how his lessons molded me in to a strong, intellectual, leader. As a result, everything I do, I do not for the sake of having a gold star on my college application, but because I know I'll come out as a better person. This is why the backbone of my high school schedule are AP classes and not easy "A" courses. I come from a family of Gators and I know for a fact that the University of Florida is not built on one-dimensional, 5.0 GPA students but on self-motivated leaders, from every background, genuinely pursuing a first-rate education. I've always strived to embody those traits and would be honored to continue the Gator tradition of intellectual excellence.
Note: I really wish I had the chance to explain how I eventually became good friends with him but I didnt have space. Does it feel open ended becuse of that? Also, is everything grammtically correct?
