Written for a college application ( I am guessing for George Washington University in St. Louis)
The year is 2013. Eddie Murphy is the president of the United States and a new fad diet is circulating. The participants must gorge themselves with Doritos and Ding-Dongs.
Anita Parker sits at her kitchen table reading the newspaper, waiting for the familiar ping of the oven bell signaling the completion of the baking process. This rare span of free time coupled with the morning sunlight streaming through the window, inspired her to put the paper aside and reflect upon her life thus far.
Her family is, without a doubt, the most important thing in her life. Her 16-year old twins, Echo and Star, were her first born. With them she experienced her first joys of creating a new life. Through arguments, skinned knees, and puberty, these identical individuals grew up together, yet apart – each developing her own personality and identity. The birth of her third child, Jackson, brought a whole new set of experiences. His unique combination of curiosity and stubbornness provided many golden moments and memories that would last a lifetime. She watched as her girls packed up their Barbies and turned their interest towards boys. She looked on as baseball bats replaced rattles and silver spoons in the rosy hands of her son. Now her sweet, innocent children have grown into graceful, caring adolescents.
Reaching further back into the far corners of her memory, she remembered the idealistic days of her youth when her dreams revolved around dancing under the hot floodlights of a famous Broadway stage. As she grew older, her goals shifted and her special interest in handicapped children manifested itself in a growing desire to dedicate her life to the hearing impaired. This goal seemed to be her destiny when, while unsure which college she would like to attend. Her mother mentioned a university that her co-workers’ daughter enrolled in. After some investigation, Anita decided this college was perfect. It was located in St. Louis (her favorite city in the world), and the Central Institute for the Deaf was just down the street. A grin dimpled her cheeks as she recalled college lectures, crazy times in Umrath Hall, dances in the Gargoyle, and summers spent working in the Institute. After graduation, she enrolled in the Institute to receive her Masters in Education for the Hearing Impaired. It was here she met her husband. They married shortly after their graduation from the Institute, and their marriage, although not without its problems, as a dream come true. Together they decided to open their own Help Center for the Hearing Impaired, a project which now flourished and dilled her life with a sense of accomplishment and worth.
The ping of the oven brought her back to the present and, after removing the biscuits from the oven, she returned to the table and picked up the newspaper. As she thumbed through the People section, a story on the success of the average American caught her eye. Beside the story were pictures of famous thespians, and underneath these pictures was the amount of money they earned in one year. Their salaries ranged from $10 million – $300 million. She stopped reading and once more began to reflect. Was she successful? Was the amount of money one made the only criteria used when measuring success? Suddenly, the quiet peacefulness of the house was disturbed as three healthy teenagers bounding down the stairs, demanding to be fed. Next came the voice of her husband, asking what time they were leaving for the Help Center. All doubt flew from her mind. She was successful. Success is not measured by how much money you make, what kind of cars you drive, or how many houses you won. Success is when you have reached the goals you have set for yourself. Success is when you can look back on your life without wondering what ‘could have’ been or what ‘might have’ been. Success is when you are satisfied with your life and all you have achieved.
As she answered her husband with an “8:00!” and directed her children towards the bacon and biscuits, she chuckled softly to herself.
Yes, Anita Parker is definitely a very successful woman.
My greatest desire is to become an author. As writing revolves around English and its usage, I wish to center my college curriculum around this subject. Aslso, I feel if I concentrate my studies in higher education on English I will be able to further develop my natural ability to break information down to its simplist form, allowing people of any educational level to grasp its meaning.
Secondly, I have a keep interest in working with the hearing impared. I hope to bring them the essence of English through sign language and perhaps instill a joy for the written word in a few.
Lastly, I feel that English would be a useful tool as the foundation for my education. I think that with good English skills the opportunities are practically endless. People with a firm command of the language are needed everywhere, from the School Board to the Board rooms of the largest corporations in the U.S.
I have made the greatest and contribution to my position as a Varsity cheerleader captain. Between cheering for games, preparing for pep rallies, and practicing fro competitions, I spend much of my time either cheering or participating in activities associated with cheerleading such as cheer leading clinics for fundraisers. This experience has allowed me to become part of a group that works toward a common goal – furthering their excellence as a skilled squad. I also learn how to deal with many different types of people with a variety of personalities. The Varsity squad has just recently qualified to participate in a National Competition. This is an honor never before bestowed on a squad from Bellevue East. It gave me a feeling of accomplishment and pride to know that my hard work and sweat, along with that of my fellow squad members, helped vault our squad to national prominence.
