Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Tell us about yourself in 1000 words or less
'We were meant to live for so much more.' These words have been echoing in my mind lately, words from a song by one of my favorite new bands, Switchfoot. As I look back upon my life and who I have become, I remember all the things I have done, places I have been, people that I have learned from and people that I have affected. While I am happy with it all and can honestly say that I have given my all to worthwhile causes, I also realize that Ive only just begun. I am meant to live for much more. I grew up in a close family of four in Colorado Springs. My parents grew up in a small town in Nebraska, so I have inherited some of their small-town kindness and conservativeness, but I have also developed urban and liberal characteristics on my own. In high school, family, school, and sports shaped my life. My family instilled in me high moral standards from a Catholic background. At school, I was determined to make the most of my abilities in academics and succeeded in getting straight A's throughout high school. I also developed my social skills and gained confidence in interacting with all kinds of people (my high school was 40% minority). Sports and Boy Scouts also developed my social skills and put me in my first leadership roles. I began exploring my creative side when I started playing guitar and writing music and poetry. In an effort to understand more about my faith, I read the entire Bible my senior year, while at the same time experiencing a certain degree of popularity for the first time. At the end of the summer before I went to CU at Boulder, I knew that college was where I had to make wise choices to put me on the trail I wanted to blaze through life. I decided to put my faith in God and myself at the center of my life, and as a result I built upon everything good that I started in high school. I continued to do well in school, and always had the healthcare profession in mind. I also continued to be creative with music and guitar. But most importantly, I made choices that would strengthen my faith and build my social skills. I joined a small Christian fraternity sophomore year, and there I found a great way to live my beliefs and grow with other men with the same values. I took on the positions of house manager, treasurer, and many other responsibilities and gained valuable leadership and social skills. In one exercise involving writing anonymous letters to each other, one of my brothers wrote to me, 'It is easy to see how much you care for the men of this fraternity by your patience and gentleness&your humbleness and kindness shine through in your actions and words&your integrity is an inspiration to all of us.' I also got involved with a church and helped start a praise band there. I have always made it a point to get to know many kinds of people. I believe that my diverse talents, interests, and skills come from my interactions with many different people. I have accomplished this in many ways. First is through my friends - I have made and kept many over the years, and they come from various backgrounds, world-views, and demographics. I was thrilled when over thirty people came to a high school reunion party that I put together last December. I also socialized through work experiences. I have been in the customer service industry in retail and lawn service, and I have worked in a warehouse. These jobs gave me many different people to work with or serve as customers. I have traveled to Italy, Uganda, and Greece. My social skills were further enhanced and improved in the clinical setting of the detoxification unit that I worked at in Boulder and on my trip to Africa to work in medical clinics with Pygmy tribes. In these situations I got to see how my social skills performed when put to the test, and I can confidently say that I came through with flying colors. But enough about what I've done - the important thing is who I am. I am a people person. I love to serve others and work with others. I am not looking for a career where the money is&I want to be able to use my abilities to directly help others, because I know this is what makes me happy. I also have a sense of humor and am not afraid to make a fool of myself. Patch Adams is one of my all-time favorite movies and inspirations. I also have a very positive attitude, but I am not blind to tough situations. I want to 'squeeze the marrow out of life's (from Dead Poets Society)&there is never enough time in the day for me to satisfy all my pursuits. Few ventures scare me, and I have more interests and pursuits than I can handle - fortunately I have learned my limits and how to focus on my priorities. I believe that time management and dedication are the keys to success in any field. If I had to pick one word to best describe me, I would say that it is versatile. My variety of skills and experiences make it easy for me to adapt to any situation and work well with any person. That being said, I live every day knowing that I was meant to live for much more&and I will not stop in my endeavors to get the most out of life with what I have been given.
