PROMPT: How do you dene success?

Your essay should be between 350 to 500 words.

A common question that is asked of high school students is: what is success? The
Webster dictionary denes success as the achievement of something desired, planned,
or attempted." Realistically to me success is achieving everything in life that makes you
overjoyed. There are many things, personally, I think should be achieved to have athat
sense of liveliness, these include; a family, a stable community and home, a career and
an education. Having a family that is cohesive, has good communication, and enjoys
each other's company is one of the dening qualities of success. Melissa Sturge-Apple,
the assistant professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester in New York
conducted a study of 234 two-parent families. Through her study, she found a distinct
family-school correlation. Certain family types were predicted to have problems in
school. When she asked the families to take the family assessment, 59% of the families
were classied as cohesive, of these 132 cohesive families two families had school
problems. (srcd.org) This being said, having a cohesive family is important to success,
just like the next pillar to success, education. Career and Education go hand in hand.
Without earning the correct degree, that allows you to use knowledge in everyday life,
you will not be able to support your family while still enjoying what you do. On average,
a person who achieves a bachelors degree will be compensated almost twice as much
yearly income. (cesdp.nmhu.edu) While money is not everything, having enough money
to support your family is being successful. The next objective is having a stable
community and home. Belonging is a psychological lever that has broad
consequences", Say Dr. Walter. "Our interests, motivation, health and happiness are
completely tied to the sense that we belong to a greater community that may share
common interests and aspirations. (new.stanford.edu). Living in a place that is best
suited for your family and accompanies the feelings of being safe and feeling like you
belong somewhere. Belonging is a key to being successful. There are many things that
dene success, to me having everything in life that makes you who you are is being
successful. As Vince Lombardi says The difference between a successful person and
others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of will.
Include a personal statement that details more information about you. The personal
statement is our best way of getting to know you and your best means of creating a
context for your academic performance. When you write your personal statement, tell us
about those aspects of your life that are not apparent from your academic record, such
as:
A character-dening moment
The cultural awareness you've developed
A personal hardship or barrier you've overcome
6000 characters
Each person has the dening moments in their lives. These moments can
be things you are forced into, or things you voluntarily do. Every 5th grader in the
Pinckney School District has an opportunity to go to Camp Copneconic for 3 days. I
came back from that weekend and begged my mother to send me to camp over the
summer. As a 5th grader, going into 6th grade, they agreed to send me for one week to
Camp Storer. This was my rst leap of independence. I came home from that one week
and begged to go back. That next year they sent me for two weeks. Then it was time for
me to transition out of youth camp into teen camp. A large decision was made here,
rustic camping or not? Me being the girl that I am chose rustic camping, which could
have been the best decision of my life thus far. Being so rustic, it taught me how to
accept myself for the dirt and grub we are. In other words, the aws and imperfections
we all have. There was no mirror, no makeup, it was all natural you. I came out of camp
feeling more self empowered than ever. I went to Camp Storer for 5 years. This was a
place I could go back to every summer, meet new friends, meet up with old friends you
keep in touch with all year and experience things you never would have in the small
town of Pinckney. I personally do not know who or what I would be if I did not have the
experiences I did at camp. Camp taught me the work outside my comfort zone, to meet
knew people, to defy the thoughts and ideas people told me once where never possible.
It taught me to tolerate others, to care for ones I do not know, and most importantly- to
be the person I am, and not be afraid of it. I came out of camp a different person, a self
condent, young women.
I believe that those many years at camp lead me to have the self condence and
qualities to run for the leadership roles my freshman year of high school. Without camp I
would never have gained the qualities necessary to become a leader. Being a leader is
one of the most important aspects of my high school career. I believe that having
leadership roles has taught me many things about myself, but without the experiences
of camp I would never have found something I am so passionate about. These passions
and self dening moments gave me the personality traits to deal with future hardships.
With a positive, and caring attitude any hardship does not have to dene your life.
A womans risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a rst-degree
relative (mother, sister, daughter) has been diagnosed with breast cancer. My
grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer on February 22, 2006, my aunt was
diagnosed on October 25, 2013 and my mother was diagnosed on January 29, 2014. All
three of my family members had bilateral mastectomies. By the time it got to mother, I
was accepting of it. In my head I knew it was destiny, it was going to happen. It felt like
the day she was diagnosed we already had an excellent team of doctors, a surgery
date, and game plan. Her surgery was on February 24, 2014, she was in the hospital for
two days, she came home on my 17th birthday. A day I will never forget. My father is a
the Captain at the Westland Fire Department. He works 24 hour shifts about three times
a week for 24 hours. I am the oldest sibling in my household and only other girl. I took
on the responsibility of taking care of my mother while my father was at work for those
long periods. The rst couple weeks were hard, she was not able to reach over her
head, or get into bed alone. As a family, we over came the challenges of breast cancer. I
personally become much more independent, sympathetic and responsible. I am proud
to say that I am in a family of three breast cancer survivors.
Even though this event with my mother was so recent I can see it reecting on
everything I do. I am the Junior Class Council present and the secretary on our Student
Government Executive Board. I got the opportunity to travel to the MASC/MAHS state
leadership conference in March. There were 1,600 other leaders all with great ideas
ready to take back to their school. Here I spent some time with students whos schools
were focused their fundraising on cancer. I talked to them about the things that we wish
our families had during this difcult time and the help we received that was so helpful to
us.
While, at this leadership conference, I got the opportunity to present on a topic
that hits home in another way. This past winter a close friend committed suicide. I
learned rst hand the devastation felt when someone close to you ends their life.
Watching the impact this had on his family propelled me to do something, At this
leadership conference I took the opportunity to present to a room of 300 kids on the
warning signs, statistics, and interventions that can be done to prevent suicide. During
this presentation we also spoke on what my school does to prevent suicide. In my
community, 10 students and 3 graduated students have committed suicide in the past 6
years. Every year along side of our student government, the volleyball team puts on a
Suicide Awareness Games. Over the past three years, we have raised about $3,000 to
support the Suicide Prevention Program. The room of kids I presented to were amazing,
they played along with the games, and some even got emotional when it was time to get
serious. This opportunity has allowed me to feel as if I have helped impact the world in a
positive way, while honoring those that have passed.
help i need a conclusion.