My Personal Stories - Essay Example

Personal Essays An adolescence spent with a single mother, with an alcohol problem, made my completion of High School a Herculean task by itself –a college degree seemed far beyond the realm of possibility. As an Honor Roll student, I was determined to meet this challenge. Mr. Kates, my Science teacher and mentor, to whom I will remain eternally grateful, persuaded me that dedication and hard work can make anything possible. I went on to graduate with a BS, aided by innumerable stints of waitressing and teaching exercise classes, and have emerged with the unshakable belief that I am the architect of my own life.

(103 words). 2. Adventure racing, which I adore, is the quintessential team sport. The team is only as strong as its weakest member, and trust in each other is an absolute pre-requisite for success. As the team leader, I have seen my team through everything, from blistered feet to failed batteries, rough terrain to rainstorms, lost maps to exhaustion. I have shown my team-mates that mental strength and self-confidence, combined with a never-say-die attitude, is the only infallible navigation tool.

We have gone from the brink of failure to the exhilaration of success, and I have led by example: which I believe is the best way to lead! (105 words). 3. A community draws strength from its environment. I am passionate about the environment, and its contribution to the betterment of my community. I have served as a volunteer with the Central Oregon Trail Alliance, the Friends of the Deschutes River, and the Smith Rock Parks, getting down to the basics: cleaning, picking up and digging! With Girls On The Run, I have passed on my love for running, as the path to empowerment and self-confidence, to other girls.

Living in harmony with nature, and testing the limits on one’s physical and mental endurance, is my way to an inclusive, caring community. (101 words). 4. My love for travelling, which has taken me to twenty-two countries, has made me appreciate diverse cultures and the underlying goodness of people all over the world. I have studied Spanish for five years, and have spent a summer in beautiful Mexico: it was a learning experience beyond compare. I threw myself into everything, from salsa to mole sauce.

My seventy year old hostess, who lived, shopped and cooked independently, was also a devout Catholic and doting mother, and a revelation to me! I have come to acknowledge that there is no one, cast-iron, way to do the right thing: diversity is a gift for mankind. (106 words). 5 My travels in the Middle East, particularly in Egypt, brought home to me the sad fact that the gender bias, which is so alien to us Americans, is very much a part of the life of women in many parts of the world. As a woman of no religious affiliation, with uncovered head and independent attitude, I was dismayed, and even intimidated, by the hostility I sometimes encountered.

However, I was deeply moved by the religious faith of the people, and am now more determined than ever to work for underprivileged women in developing countries. I am convinced that education is the woman’s path to empowerment. (106 words).