Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
I tried to be as descriptive as I could and envoke a lot of imagery. I am not sure if I got my point across. Any help or criticisms would be appreciated thank you so much! BTW i am able to add some things, since the word count is 600!
Update: I know some words in the last paragraph are mis spelled sorry! they are fixed on my word document
"How are you so motivated?" my friends ask as me the end of junior year approaches. Toward the end of the year, especially being in IB, everyone was holding on by a whim. Hoping that summer would soon be here and cure everyone's early case of "senioritis". In all honesty, I started to show symptoms of the dreaded "senioritis", but then I thought back to when I was in sixth-grade.
"Mommy are we there yet?" I ask as my mother and I make the annually trip to the Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters. At that point I was about twelve-years-old and the routine was the same; I would say hello to the nurse that knew me but I never remember them and ask for a sticker and a color Band-Aid after getting my blood drawn. I would head to an available room like always, but today was different. Before the doctor came in I was visited by a social worker, who said, "Hi (my name), do you remember how sick you were as a child?" I shook my head no as she opened her chart with a bunch of medical jargon that ended up looking like alphabet soup to me. She told me that I was diagnosed with stage IV Neuroblastoma at six-months-old, and my chances were 25%. She also told me that the doctors believed if I survived that I would have an intellectual disability. At that age it never struck me how fortunate I was, but as I grew older I started to make the realization.
I look at friends and I just smile and say, "I really don't know, I mean it has to get done sooner or later". It is possible that my friends do not realize that even doing strenuous and challenging is a privledge. It may seem like a drain now but ultimatley there are teenagers that are holding on with everything that can, that would do anything to be in a normal school setting. Even if that means doing strenuous school work. The ability to come to school and create memories and that will last a life time is not accesible to some teenagers. Even the ability to be at school and compain is a privledge in my opinion. Being aware of my previous illness has caused me to not take anything for granted. Most teenagers look at life and they feel invincible, as if Mother Nature has no effect on their youth. I, on the other hand, look at life with a different pair of lenses. I see every day as a gift, and I don't think I would work as hard as I do if I did not "beat the odds". Every time I encounter something difficult I think to myself "25%". When taking a test, students often think 25% is a good chance. When it comes to life or death, a 25% is a different ball game. Now, working as hard as I can to achieve my goals, is a very distinctive part of my personality, and ultimately my identity. I was given a second chance at life, and working as hard as I can to get a good education was gift that I was given. As I became aware of how fortunate I was to "beat the odds", no matter how hard life and school become, I think to myself "If I can come out strong against a 25% odd and the possibility of an intellectual disability, then I have no excuse for not achieving whatever I set my mind too".
