Personal Background Essay

Life can be hard enough without creating extra problems for ourselves. In an instant life can change course. I remember the day I broke my ankle in ballet class at the age of 12 years. I was the youngest ballerina dancing with the older girls of The Junior Company of Palm Valley Gymnastics and Dance in Harlingen, Texas. Rebounding from my devastating injury gave me a competitive edge. Looking for a way to challenge this newfound energy I joined the Middle School Speech, Drama, and Debate Team. This was the beginning of my sense of identity, self-esteem, alongside providing a constructive way to cope with overall stressors. My commitment and success in Speech, Drama, and Debate are markers of my personal qualities: dedication, integrity and leadership. One of the best parts of being successful is having the opportunity to inspire others. Living in a low socioeconomic background community has opened my eyes to the reality of glaring disparities between social classes. Now having the opportunity to teach dance and speech skills to those who would never otherwise be able to afford a traditional mentorship is truly a remarkable opportunity to give back to the community that deserves it. Helping others comes in many forms, but where I find my niche is through developing the young. There is no better feeling than when a young member of the Fine Arts Academy or middle school Speech, Drama, and Debate team reaches out to contact you and thank you for the role you played in their personal success. Innate integrity, the essential ingredient in being an ethical person. 

My dedication to personal and professional successes are built on this foundation. I choose to do what I think is right regardless of the consequences attached to my decisions. Every speech written or performed for an audience represents where I stand in this world on critical issues. Every class taught is done with the intention of enhancing childhood emotional and physical development. Every action taken in my life is one step further toward achieving my goals of inclusion and compassion. I adhere to a strict life plan: listen and learn. Following that principle, I believe I can make a positive difference in the lives of others. I genuinely enjoy my responsibilities, not for the sake of power, but for the meaningful and personal impact they can create. An ordinary person like myself can make a difference in the world.  

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