Personal Statement
When I first attended high school, I didn’t really understand the importance of grades. I was more focused on my athletics and other activities. I knew that I needed better grades, but I wasn’t completely committed to improving them.
When junior year came around I set my heart and soul on playing college baseball and studying film and production. As I was looking at different colleges, I knew deep down I needed better grades, but I was too afraid of the truth. One evening, I decided to to start emailing coaches to express my interest.
I will always remember the feeling when I opened the first response. I read the words slowly and patiently, trying not to miss any crucial explanation. The email read, “Thank you for reaching out, right now before talking on other matters my main concern is your grades. You don’t have the required grades that this school is looking for.” When I read that I was immediately doused in painful feelings. At first his words hit me as if I was reading a girlfriend’s text saying, “I’m breaking up with you.” It was almost like I could feel the words literally nailing to my face. I then felt rage. I was infuriated. I felt lost and hopeless all in about ten minutes. I couldn't look away from my computer screen. This was the first time I was hit with a horrible truth that I was ignoring and consequently shying away from. It was the ultimate reality that my grades just weren’t good enough.
After a long, difficult night, I woke up and it hit me. I wasn’t calm, but I was almost energized and it felt like a heavy blanket was just taken off of me. I now knew that I only had so much time to get better grades. I knew it was going to be a very hard process. I knew that by ignoring my sense of truth I was only making this process harder on myself. I finally came to a crucial growing moment in my life. I knew I needed to make a drastic change in effort in the classroom.
From that day on I committed myself to getting the best grades I could get every day and every night!
I thought about what the coach had told me. His words were glued to my memory like gum on the bottom of your shoe. Ever since then I have been able to make drastic changes to my GPA, and I am quite proud of that accomplishment. I have been able to grind out honor roll after honor roll. During my success, I made sure I updated that coach every time, and every time he responds with a “congrats, keep it up.” This gives me a sense of accomplishment and the drive to achieve more. Although I am still working on my grades and still grinding on the diamond, I know that I have come to a point where I now understand the importance of not shying away from a challenge. I know I need to put my head down and take it head on.
This experience sparked a huge growing point in my life and I will always remember the email and how a few words from someone I haven’t even met changed my life. And now, I am ready for the next challenge!
