I always try to leave people better than I find them. It sounds simple, but I truly value working hard, serving others and building friendships. These values come from my Catholic faith and family tradition. In this essay I will help you see who I am in light of these values, without creating a false impression of myself. In order to give you the clearest picture, I will describe my personal growth over the past year through three different facets of my life: Mind, Body, and Spirit.
Mind: I have always had a creative mind and the ability to see the world differently. This helps me to make people laugh, build friendships, as well as solve problems in school. For example, during a recent Physics project, I was able to build the tallest tower in class using only an 8 ½” x 11” piece of paper and a 6” piece of masking tape. I may not be the smartest kid in the class, but sometimes I can see solutions to problems that others cannot.
However, my creativity and free-thinking have not always been assets. From the time I was very young, focus has been a problem for me. Whenever I take a test I often find myself looking around the classroom at my peers rather than focusing on the test in front of me. I have quietly struggled with this my entire life. Last spring, I mentioned this to my parents and they took me to a specialist.
In May, I was diagnosed with mild ADD for which I am now being treated and have already seen results. For example, the first time I took the ACT (prior to treatment) I scored an 18. But encouragingly, on my second test (after taking medicine), I scored a 29. This treatment, as well as my determination to persevere, makes me excited about my future academic potential.
Body: In 2010, my brother Teddy transformed himself through diet and exercise. After seeing him lose 70 pounds, it inspired me to work on my overall fitness. I have made nutritional changes and began strength training which has improved my athletic performance in varsity soccer and lacrosse. More importantly, I am more confident. This confidence has motivated me to shadow at a physical therapy clinic to see how professional therapists treat patients. The knowledge and experience I have gained through this has enabled me to help others. For example, my friends now ask me to show them how to work out. I really love inspiring others like my brother inspired me.
Spirit: This has been a year of profound spiritual growth for me as well. The most significant experience was my school mission trip to Nicaragua this past spring. During this trip, I had many spiritual moments. One such moment occurred when we visited a Catholic Nicaraguan high school. I was excited to be visiting with kids my own age. When we walked into their classroom, we sat in a circle, but on opposite sides of the room. From the beginning, they remained quiet and reserved. After a while, I stood up and suggested that we should alternate the seating; one Nicaraguan student and one American student.
With a little more encouragement, I got them to start talking about our two cultures and eventually play games and even dance. It was a memorable experience, but the most lasting impact came when one of the boys told me that they were originally quiet because they were skeptical of us. He explained Americans were stereotyped as selfish and arrogant.
The fact that I helped change his point of view by getting his classmates to open up made me realize what a great impact I had on my new friends. Through this, God revealed to me one reason why He put me on this Earth; He wants me to be a servant and use my talents and compassion for others.
That evening, after another long, scorching day in 100 degree heat, our mission group sat in a circle on the front patio to pray and reflect. My prayer that night was a prayer of thanks, love and determination; determination to use all the gifts of my mind, body and spirit to always leave people better than I find them. On that day, I did.