This is my essay for the VCU's prompt, "Compose "Page 87" of your autobiography. In this essay you should be creative, considering where your life story would be at this point." I'm not sure if I am really answering the prompt.. I'd really like some suggestions! Thank you!
It's around 7 PM, judging from the starlit sky I can see from the window. I've just come home from my first day in my clinic, resting on the couch with a glass of water. As I sit there for some time, I have a chance to reflect on my day and the decisions that I have made.
Looking out my window, I remember a phrase that I grew up listening to, "Reach for the stars". Even now, this phrase has stuck with me. I remember thinking as a child, how does one "reach" for the stars? Weren't the stars millions of miles away? I used to think that people wanted me to become an astronaut. As I grew older, however, I learned the true meaning of the phrase, or at least my interpretation of it: hard work and determination are the keys to success. I can say with complete confidence that this is entirely true.
Most of my friends thought I was crazy for taking up the International Baccalaureate program during my junior and senior year of high school. In all honesty, there were times during those two years that I, myself, thought it was unwise for me to do this. But as I look back at it now, those two years taught me more than I could have ever imagined, more than just academics. Going to college was a huge step as well. All my life, I have been raised in a close-knit family; we did everything together, always went on vacations, and ate dinner as a family every night. Being the oldest in my family and consequently, the first of the children to go to college was, undoubtedly, the scariest moment of my life. It was also bittersweet. I knew that it was time for me to prove to myself as well as to my family that I could be independent and successful in college, but I was not completely ready to leave the comforts of home. It really took determination, resolve, and commitment. I remember making a promise to myself that I will make the most of my college experience; after all, this is what determines my future.
After college, it was medical school. Once again, I felt the nervousness of applying, waiting for acceptance, or god forbid, rejection letters, and the anxiousness of deciding where I wanted to go. Then, it was the long and hard process of starting out small to achieve my dream of owning my own clinic. I remember my first day working at the local hospital. That feeling of doing the right thing and the satisfaction of knowing that the simple act of a doctor can somehow bring happiness to a child, or even save a child's life was incredible. Even today, I still feel the full force of that emotion.
After my first day in my clinic, I truly appreciate what life has offered me and what I have done with my life. As everyone does, I do have some regrets, some things that I would like to have changed. However, looking back on it all, I am proud to say that I lived by the words "Reach for the stars". I truly believe that I did in fact "reach" and I followed my dreams of pediatrics.
I personally believe that composing only a page within a book of your autobiography should be cut off. Starting at a point where no one recognizes what's going on, but is thoroughly impressed at the end as to realizing your entire life through just a mere page, and craving for more. If you don't understand, perhaps you should open up a book to page 87 and realize that you know nothing about what you're reading. I feel like your composition flows too much (though this is naturally good for many essays), but the prompt did tell you to start off in the middle of something. I hope this wasn't too confusing. Again, this is just my advice, and I think it would make you stand out so much more for being able to establish something like what I mentioned in comparison to plenty of others who probably took this same stance that you took.
