Personal Statement. Take 2.

Worst Important Essay I have Ever Written. One of the best essays I have written in twenty minutes. I'm not going to get a single dime. Pulling the pity card. Twenty minutes. What do you expect.

They say that the grass is always greener on the other side, which might be true since I live on the Other Side of the River. In fact a friend’s mom wouldn’t let her come over once because I “live in the Ghetto.” I am privileged enough to attend Dublin City Schools but I do not live in Dublin. My parents got divorced when I was younger due to my father’s gambling addiction and now we rely on my mother’s small business as a trade show vendor that aches with the economy. I maintain a job, working on average 25 hours a week, and I choose to remain involved in school while balancing a 4.0 GPA, because I can and because I care.

I may be on the peripheral of the perfect Dublin bubble, but everybody faces obstacles. And often times one will find that obstacles can be the most empowering. The obstacles that I have seen in my short lifetime of seventeen years forced me to become a problem solver. They forced me to either sidestep that challenge or to twist it around and use it to my advantage. Call me an idealist and I’ll tell you it’s my reality. I believe in the power of will. I am what I make myself out to be. If you did not ask for me to “address my financial need,” I would not have because I want to be acknowledged for my actions, not my circumstances. Success is earned, not given. And success to me is to impact another being’s life—not just for the better, but for good. Before I can significantly affect someone else, I first must begin with myself. I am asking for this scholarship because the grass might be greener on the other side, but I know how to water my lawn.

Home, Sweet Something

I'm sorry. Really? No. No. No. No, I'm not sorry. It's really selfish of me to hate expectations. It's really selfish. But selfish people don't care about being selfish, so I'm just going to go ahead and be selfish:
I can't take any more talk about the the Right College, the Acceptable College, the One That Will Land You A Job...supposedly Harvard, MIT, other schools I can't and don't want to get into.
Dear God, dear someone.
Tell me the name is not everything?
What if I want to go to college to, you know, learn, get that holistic experience that sounds so nice? It's true. I legitimately want to learn.
Is this impractical? Is this old-fashioned?
Everything Linda says is perfectly logical, true, makes sense. But ahhhhhhhh!!!!
People who attend certain colleges are certain brands of people. When I pay for college I'm paying for the brand. True. All true. It's even reflected in the students' brand of clothing. You can shop at places like Hollister and Pac Sun or you can shop at places like J. Crew and Ralph Lauren, with your golden sperry's and your grandmother's pearls and your Nine West tote and fuck me in the ass I might just kill myself. I'm not shopping for a husband. I'm not. I'm trying to further my education. Sorry Mom and Dad, that you raised such a fuck-up. I'm so backwards. Sorry. Really? No. I'm not sorry.

It is unfortunate that the things I have passions for is steeped in impracticality.

"I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, then it is beautiful. If not, it can't be helped.”
Frederick Perls quotes (German born American psychiatrist, 1893-1970)

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