This essay may take you ten to fifteen minutes to read. For me, it was seventeen years in the making. I am not a gambler, but have been beating the odds my entire life. In kindergarten I was diagnosed with dyslexia. From early on, I was told and grew to understand that I learn differently. Learning to read and write presented challenges that taught me valuable lessons of patience and perseverance. I am inspired by individuals like Thomas Edison and Richard Branson, great thinkers and visionaries, who, like me, stumbled with reading and writing and, like me, were labeled as dyslexic. It didn’t stop them from pursuing their dreams and won’t stop me. My curiosity and drive to learn, sustain me - Dyslexia does not define me. Through hard work, I have enjoyed academic success.
At age 12, I was harmed and sustained injuries requiring emergency surgeries and procedures difficult for anyone to endure. This setback required three months of hospital stays and rehabilitation, just when I was about to start the 7th grade at a new school. With the help of a tutor, I was able to keep up with my class and complete the year with my peers finishing with honors. From that experience, I emerged physically and emotionally stronger. Being in the hospital helped me not only recover but also led me to discover a passion for science and medicine. Whether research or patient care, I will dedicate my life to this endeavor. I am determined to make a difference with my life to improve the lives of others.
The schools I attended are staffed with dedicated professionals who instilled in me the value, reward and benefits of my efforts and to never give in or give up. They taught me how I learn best and to advocate for myself. In high school, I have taken every opportunity to challenge myself academically and have been very successful in all of my classes, including the most rigorous of science and math available. Toward the end of my junior year, I enrolled in a sign language class at the local university. I wanted to test myself by managing a college course, of an entirely unfamiliar subject, in addition to my high school classes and employment commitments. Furthermore, my parents were out of the state and I stayed behind to care for myself, the house, and our three dogs. These experiences were gratifying in many different ways, in particular, elevating my level of maturity and awareness.
Academic and life lessons have prepared me for the challenges of college and beyond; Lessons of self-reliance and resourcefulness, creativity, patience, responsibility to myself and others, to name a few. My creativity and resourcefulness are borne of learning challenges. My passion for learning is motivated by curiosity. Lastly, my perseverance has rewarded me time and again as I have journeyed through obstacles in my path, with some interesting detours, down roads less traveled. If there is a way, I will find it.