At my best...

We all have moments in our lives that really define who we are and what we believe in. For me, that began with learning that my parents were divorcing. For a long time I had convinced myself that everything was okay in my family and I literally refused to see the truth. My father was a hero in my eyes as a child and he was the center of my world. But as I became a teenager he slowly succumbed to alcoholism and became steadily verbally abusive.

So right about now I bet you're wondering how this could possibly be related to the best of anything. Here's my explanation. Since my dad was so important to me, accepting the fact that he is now a completely different person than the one I had idealized my whole life was pretty difficult. It seemed like the whole world was going to think that I was destined for failure because of him. It didnt' matter how many awards I won. It didn't matter that I had a perfect GPA. It didn't matter that I had supportive friends. I felt completely alone.

As time passed by, however, I began to realize that we all control our own destiny. The support of my family, friends, and even the community proved to me that I was my own person and my father's decisions and actions didn't reflect on my life. We all say that what others think doesn't influence our actions, but very few of us can actually claim that is true. I can honestly say that I am one of those few people. The moment when I realized that for the first time was the single best moment of my life. It was a freeing experience that I can't really put into words. For me, it meant that the darkness and depression that I had surrounded myself with was lifted and my future was restored to me, and now it could be whatever I wanted it to be!

I know that college will present many difficulties for me, but I also recognize that I have many perspectives on life that others do not. I know that I am a very resilient person because I have dealt with hardship first hand. I know that I alone control my future and I recognize that I have the ability to go far in life. I hope you all know that this applies to your lives as well! You can do whatever you want to with your life regardless of what others think or say--you alone control your future so make it what YOU want it to be! Trust me, it's a very fulfiilling experience!