Reflection on Someone Who Changed My Life
Growing up, I was very lazy. I never took risks, thought outside of the box or took the ''extra step.'' However, that all changed when I went to high school. I'm not really sure when, how or why my coming of age occurred, but I remember the old me and how much better off I am now. These days, I am much more of an extrinsic person. I enjoy learning from my friends and hearing about their experiences. I always take the initiative to ask questions if I don't understand something and I am not afraid to share my opinions with others. These traits bloomed within me after I read a certain series--these books played a crucial role in making me the person I am today.
I was fourteen years old when I picked up my first ''Percy Jackson'' book. My aunt works for the company that published it and she gave it to me when it was first released in 2005. Being the kid who only played sports and didn't read, however, I didn't touch it until around the beginning of 9th grade. I didn't leave my room for eight hours straight reading it; it's safe to say that I fell in love with the book. The characters were all different yet they all seemed to fit together--their different abilities and personalities all complemented each other and together they reached their goals. In addition, I found the fact that Riordan tied Greek Mythology into the plot very fascinating.
The character who I tried to emulate most was the protagonist, Percy. Percy possessed typical qualities of a hero, but this was a hero I could relate to. Percy was kind of on the outside of the social spectrum in school, as I was at the time. I admired his self-confidence, determination and appreciation for his friends and family. Reading about Percy's adventures truly changed me as a person. I have read all 9 books in the series and continue to re-read them in my spare time. In many ways, Percy has motivated me to be the best person I could be in High School.
When I first entered High School, I was shy and scared to speak up. Despite towering over most upperclassmen, I found myself to be a very ''small'' person in society. I knew that I wanted to make a difference; I just needed to find out how. I found my purpose when I joined the Autism Awareness Club my Freshman year. Because of how small the club was, I was forced to speak up and contribute my ideas to the group. We held bake sales and other events that raised money for Autism research. In addition, I did a bunch of research myself on Autism. I knew that finding a cure is so important, as I know many people who are affected either directly or indirectly. I still would like to do research about Autism in college, whether it is in College Park or somewhere abroad.
I also love watching how sports relates to the business world. I took a sports marketing class my freshman year and loved it. As a long time sports fan and player, I enjoyed finding out the money side of sports. While I watch ESPN whenever I can, I now bring into play the thought of the role the market plays on the entire sporting industry. I read Darren Rovell articles and other sports marketing pieces on ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
High School has made me into a constant explorer. Just like Percy Jackson, I am always venturing to new places, willing to take on any adventure. My lazy habits have turned into a rigorous schedule. Daily extracurricular activities have made me come out of my comfort zone, as a result I have become a much more intellectual person. Despite being in high school for only 4 years, I have gained decades of knowledge after finding my direction and purpose. Research is never ending--there are always new ways of expanding one's knowledge. We must work towards making ourselves and society better. The future depends on us.
Reflection on a moment that changed me forever
The one do-over moment in my life is one that drastically changed me. My freshman year of high school, I was naive and scared to speak up. A big social aspect of our school is fitting in. There are a lot more sheep than shepherds, so to speak, and exclusive cliques are frequent occurrences. In this type of situation, “what’s right’’ often goes straight out the window and “what’s cool’’ is what people want.
Externally, many view Great Neck as an accepting, socially diverse community. That isn’t always the case, and I was a firsthand witness. One of my peers, Billy, had always been looking in from the outside of the social spectrum. He was a bit slower in school and did not possess the social skills that other students had. His condition required extra time on tests and after school in the resource room. However, he was a kind hearted kid who wanted to fit in like the rest of us. Many students didn’t see him as this, as they were jealous of his excellent technological ability. Nerd and retard were just a few of the degrading comments when his name was mentioned.
One afternoon as I walked into the locker room before track practice, I chatted with teammates about the usual: girls, parties, and fantasy sports. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted an unusual character Billy. He wandered into the locker room looking extremely uncomfortable and insecure. As more and more people spotted him, the murmurs increased. Finally, one of the basketball team members went over and aggressively confronted him, for no reason throwing his books on the ground. As everyone stood around uncomfortably, the bullies decided to publicly humiliate him as he picked up his books. I can still see the tears welling up in his eyes as he walked out and hearing the humiliating screams of his tormentors.
I wasn’t able to sleep well for the next week. If I was him, I would’ve needed someone to stand up for me; otherwise, I know that my self-esteem would the permanently damaged. I now know that directly bullying someone or completely ignoring them, have led to tragic consequences.
I still see my biggest regret as not being courageous enough to stand up for Billy and what’s right. I’ve realized that being a bystander is just being a part of the problem. I’ve vowed to learn from past mistakes and not be that person who was scared to speak up. As a summer camp counselor, I made sure that no bullying would be tolerated. What I have taken mostly from this change is that I have become a leader. I’m no longer timid in speaking up against bullies and negative influences. I’m no longer a sheep; I am a shepherd. While I can’t go back and save Billy from the locker room incident, I know that I can make a difference in people’s lives because of the lessons I’ve learned from it.
Growing up, I was very lazy. I never took risks, thought outside of the box or took the ''extra step.'' However, that all changed when I went to high school. I'm not really sure when, how or why my coming of age occurred, but I remember the old me and how much better off I am now. These days, I am much more of an extrinsic person. I enjoy learning from my friends and hearing about their experiences. I always take the initiative to ask questions if I don't understand something and I am not afraid to share my opinions with others. These traits bloomed within me after I read a certain series--these books played a crucial role in making me the person I am today.
I was fourteen years old when I picked up my first ''Percy Jackson'' book. My aunt works for the company that published it and she gave it to me when it was first released in 2005. Being the kid who only played sports and didn't read, however, I didn't touch it until around the beginning of 9th grade. I didn't leave my room for eight hours straight reading it; it's safe to say that I fell in love with the book. The characters were all different yet they all seemed to fit together--their different abilities and personalities all complemented each other and together they reached their goals. In addition, I found the fact that Riordan tied Greek Mythology into the plot very fascinating.
The character who I tried to emulate most was the protagonist, Percy. Percy possessed typical qualities of a hero, but this was a hero I could relate to. Percy was kind of on the outside of the social spectrum in school, as I was at the time. I admired his self-confidence, determination and appreciation for his friends and family. Reading about Percy's adventures truly changed me as a person. I have read all 9 books in the series and continue to re-read them in my spare time. In many ways, Percy has motivated me to be the best person I could be in High School.
When I first entered High School, I was shy and scared to speak up. Despite towering over most upperclassmen, I found myself to be a very ''small'' person in society. I knew that I wanted to make a difference; I just needed to find out how. I found my purpose when I joined the Autism Awareness Club my Freshman year. Because of how small the club was, I was forced to speak up and contribute my ideas to the group. We held bake sales and other events that raised money for Autism research. In addition, I did a bunch of research myself on Autism. I knew that finding a cure is so important, as I know many people who are affected either directly or indirectly. I still would like to do research about Autism in college, whether it is in College Park or somewhere abroad.
I also love watching how sports relates to the business world. I took a sports marketing class my freshman year and loved it. As a long time sports fan and player, I enjoyed finding out the money side of sports. While I watch ESPN whenever I can, I now bring into play the thought of the role the market plays on the entire sporting industry. I read Darren Rovell articles and other sports marketing pieces on ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
High School has made me into a constant explorer. Just like Percy Jackson, I am always venturing to new places, willing to take on any adventure. My lazy habits have turned into a rigorous schedule. Daily extracurricular activities have made me come out of my comfort zone, as a result I have become a much more intellectual person. Despite being in high school for only 4 years, I have gained decades of knowledge after finding my direction and purpose. Research is never ending--there are always new ways of expanding one's knowledge. We must work towards making ourselves and society better. The future depends on us.
Reflection on a moment that changed me forever
The one do-over moment in my life is one that drastically changed me. My freshman year of high school, I was naive and scared to speak up. A big social aspect of our school is fitting in. There are a lot more sheep than shepherds, so to speak, and exclusive cliques are frequent occurrences. In this type of situation, “what’s right’’ often goes straight out the window and “what’s cool’’ is what people want.
Externally, many view Great Neck as an accepting, socially diverse community. That isn’t always the case, and I was a firsthand witness. One of my peers, Billy, had always been looking in from the outside of the social spectrum. He was a bit slower in school and did not possess the social skills that other students had. His condition required extra time on tests and after school in the resource room. However, he was a kind hearted kid who wanted to fit in like the rest of us. Many students didn’t see him as this, as they were jealous of his excellent technological ability. Nerd and retard were just a few of the degrading comments when his name was mentioned.
One afternoon as I walked into the locker room before track practice, I chatted with teammates about the usual: girls, parties, and fantasy sports. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted an unusual character Billy. He wandered into the locker room looking extremely uncomfortable and insecure. As more and more people spotted him, the murmurs increased. Finally, one of the basketball team members went over and aggressively confronted him, for no reason throwing his books on the ground. As everyone stood around uncomfortably, the bullies decided to publicly humiliate him as he picked up his books. I can still see the tears welling up in his eyes as he walked out and hearing the humiliating screams of his tormentors.
I wasn’t able to sleep well for the next week. If I was him, I would’ve needed someone to stand up for me; otherwise, I know that my self-esteem would the permanently damaged. I now know that directly bullying someone or completely ignoring them, have led to tragic consequences.
I still see my biggest regret as not being courageous enough to stand up for Billy and what’s right. I’ve realized that being a bystander is just being a part of the problem. I’ve vowed to learn from past mistakes and not be that person who was scared to speak up. As a summer camp counselor, I made sure that no bullying would be tolerated. What I have taken mostly from this change is that I have become a leader. I’m no longer timid in speaking up against bullies and negative influences. I’m no longer a sheep; I am a shepherd. While I can’t go back and save Billy from the locker room incident, I know that I can make a difference in people’s lives because of the lessons I’ve learned from it.
