My freshman year flew by with ease. I made many friends and did well in class. We only had our final exams left before summer would begin. It was warm outside, and everyone was in good spirits.
On June 3, 2015, PJ killed himself. We had taken our first three exams, and after going home to study for my Honors Chemistry final, a text from my classmate, Matt, popped up on my screen announcing his death. I had known PJ Purcell for six years, and had gone to school with him since 4th grade. We sat in countless classrooms and played on a few sports teams together. We weren’t super close, but I talked to him nearly everyday and he was my friend and teammate. The news shocked me like nothing had before, and I was unable to focus on anything else. …show more content…
From tragic events like losing a friend to meaningless issues such as missing a free throw on the basketball court, I have never let hardship change my attitude or the way I live my life. I always respond to adversity positively. For the first few games of my junior basketball season, I didn’t get off the bench. A few of my teammates in similar situations responded by being resentful toward our coach, lazy in practice, and unsupportive toward those playing. Although I agreed that bench-warming after training hard in the off-season was frustrating, I saw it as a challenge and opportunity to improve. My confidence stayed high, and I worked harder in practice. I cheered for my teammates and did everything my coach asked. Eventually, I began to get more reps in practice and a few varsity minutes. Two weeks later, after keeping up my hard work and positive attitude, I found myself in the starting lineup. Instead of letting my lack of playing time bring me down, I collected myself and achieved my goal. When a challenging situation presents itself to me, I am never discouraged. I always put effort into actively responding to adversity, rather than being a bystander to my own problems. Whether it’s on the court, in the classroom, or at home with my family, I know that I can solve even the hardest
On June 3, 2015, PJ killed himself. We had taken our first three exams, and after going home to study for my Honors Chemistry final, a text from my classmate, Matt, popped up on my screen announcing his death. I had known PJ Purcell for six years, and had gone to school with him since 4th grade. We sat in countless classrooms and played on a few sports teams together. We weren’t super close, but I talked to him nearly everyday and he was my friend and teammate. The news shocked me like nothing had before, and I was unable to focus on anything else. …show more content…
From tragic events like losing a friend to meaningless issues such as missing a free throw on the basketball court, I have never let hardship change my attitude or the way I live my life. I always respond to adversity positively. For the first few games of my junior basketball season, I didn’t get off the bench. A few of my teammates in similar situations responded by being resentful toward our coach, lazy in practice, and unsupportive toward those playing. Although I agreed that bench-warming after training hard in the off-season was frustrating, I saw it as a challenge and opportunity to improve. My confidence stayed high, and I worked harder in practice. I cheered for my teammates and did everything my coach asked. Eventually, I began to get more reps in practice and a few varsity minutes. Two weeks later, after keeping up my hard work and positive attitude, I found myself in the starting lineup. Instead of letting my lack of playing time bring me down, I collected myself and achieved my goal. When a challenging situation presents itself to me, I am never discouraged. I always put effort into actively responding to adversity, rather than being a bystander to my own problems. Whether it’s on the court, in the classroom, or at home with my family, I know that I can solve even the hardest