High School Application Essay

In school, I have always been a good student. I followed the teacher’s instruction and I did my classwork. I was involved in extracurricular activities even in elementary school. However, it was not my academic accomplishments that have defined who I am today. It was rather the activities that I did outside of school that helped shape who I am. Over time I learned to become persistent if I wanted to achieve my goals. For example, when I entered high school I decided to join the volleyball team. Before I walked into to try-outs I promised myself that I would make the varsity team. For days, I worked hard to make sure I accomplished the goal I had set for myself. Obtaining a spot on the varsity volleyball was important for me and it was the first step I took to shed my comfort zone, however, it was my trip to Mexico that impacted. That trip instilled values in me such as respect towards other cultures and appreciation of my own culture.
About three years ago I went to go visit my parent's country of origin, Mexico. Only it was not what I imagined it like. The very first thing that I noticed was how unbearably hot it was. …show more content…
Everytime that I spoke Spanish I felt awkward, so instead, I resorted to speaking only English. However, in my parent's hometown, no one spoke a word of English. Which meant I had to speak Spanish (a language that I was not fluent in). I knew how to ask simple questions such as "Hola como estas?". The first days were rough I often mixed Spanish and English together. My aunts and uncles would stare at in confusion because they did not understand what I was trying to say. However, it did get easier over time. The more I practice speaking in Spanish the easier it was to communicate with my family. Even though it took a while, I was able to maintain a longer conversation with my cousins and by asking questions I was able to learn more about my parent’s