Update. I'm applying to the Marriott School of Business this week (yeah I know, finally). For the application, I have to write an essay. This made me think of the essay I had to write for my original application for BYU. Amazingly enough, I discovered that from the BYU admissions site, I could still access the essay that I submitted as 17-year-old in high school.
And so I stumbled upon my very own virtual time capsule. Unlike the plastic tupperware containers with "treasures" that my siblings and I buried in our back yard long ago, this one survived erosion and the work of many landscape contractors. It's funny that these 500 words played a role in my acceptance into BYU and eventually led to where I am today. After reading over it, I laughed at how much I've grown in the last three years. For entertainment purposes (maybe just my own) here is that essay:
I guess I have to appreciate my 17-year-old self. Believe it or not, sometimes I forget what it's like to be young and naive, and yet so stubbornly determined. By no means am I suggesting that I am no longer these things, nor that I have peaked in my maturity (that's a scary thought), but I can't help but feel nostalgic toward that age and the ages before then. I clearly remember the years of having dirt backyards after moving into newly-contructed houses. These were the days when it was okay to have a mountain bike trail that circled your house, one that you could ride through at top speeds because there wasn't anything to ruin yet. I have to appreciate what it was like to have a place to call home and a family who I was able to see everyday.
It's remarkable that so much can change since the time that I wrote these words-- so much, and so little at the same time. I am grateful for the chance to be reminded of the 17-year-old me, the person that lived for the little things and the person that couldn't wait for it to rain in the winter so we could sneak on the golf course and go "mud-sliding."
In many ways I am still exactly this person. I am still the Lauren that is more likely to end up climbing a fence/tree/rooftop or playing soccer in her nicest dress than inside watching TV or some type of chick flick (is that what people do?). I am still very much the Lauren that sometimes prefers books to people and sometimes contemplates Einstein's theory of relativity before going to bed. Sadly enough, I still find that my interests are more similar to those of a 14-year-old boy than a 20 year-old-girl in college.
I can say however, that in the years passed, I have gained a monumental amount of experience and perspective. Fortunately, I have always been blessed with a proclivity for good judgment, but I shouldn't be so quick to forget the person that allowed me to become who I am today. So. Here's to the little milestones like finally making it to the adult age of 18. And now here's to still having to borrow someone else's i.d. for any worthwhile concert because I'm still underage as a junior in college. Hmmm, I guess not that much has changed after all.
The Naked & Famous "Young Blood"
And so I stumbled upon my very own virtual time capsule. Unlike the plastic tupperware containers with "treasures" that my siblings and I buried in our back yard long ago, this one survived erosion and the work of many landscape contractors. It's funny that these 500 words played a role in my acceptance into BYU and eventually led to where I am today. After reading over it, I laughed at how much I've grown in the last three years. For entertainment purposes (maybe just my own) here is that essay:
I wake up to the soft taping of rain outside my window, each drop falling to its end against the glass pane. This changes the plans for this weekend’s soccer tournament. I get up and find myself in a house full of people and love. I think about our future and wonder where we will all be. I know that some of us will not be here anymore, and the family I have grown so accustomed to will never be the same. I look into the faces of my younger siblings and I see anticipation and hopefulness, yet they are worried that the rain will affect their day. Determined to make the best of our day together, I grab them by the hand and take them out to play in the puddles of our dirt yard. I laugh as I watch them run and sing, carefree of the bitter cold and irreversible stains to come.
What makes me unique is not in fact my various accomplishments. Yes, I have excelled academically since grades became part of my life at school. Yes, I have served my community to the best of my ability through the help of my church; and yes, I choose to challenge myself and try hard in everything I do. However, what define me are the simple things that most take for granted. I value the love from my family, the strength from my faith, and the spirit in which I greet the problems of life. The simple things are the irreplaceable ones and the things I have overcome are those that define me. So, with my head held high and my loved ones in tow, I greet the day with nothing but high hopes. After all, life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning to dance in the rain.
I guess I have to appreciate my 17-year-old self. Believe it or not, sometimes I forget what it's like to be young and naive, and yet so stubbornly determined. By no means am I suggesting that I am no longer these things, nor that I have peaked in my maturity (that's a scary thought), but I can't help but feel nostalgic toward that age and the ages before then. I clearly remember the years of having dirt backyards after moving into newly-contructed houses. These were the days when it was okay to have a mountain bike trail that circled your house, one that you could ride through at top speeds because there wasn't anything to ruin yet. I have to appreciate what it was like to have a place to call home and a family who I was able to see everyday.
It's remarkable that so much can change since the time that I wrote these words-- so much, and so little at the same time. I am grateful for the chance to be reminded of the 17-year-old me, the person that lived for the little things and the person that couldn't wait for it to rain in the winter so we could sneak on the golf course and go "mud-sliding."
In many ways I am still exactly this person. I am still the Lauren that is more likely to end up climbing a fence/tree/rooftop or playing soccer in her nicest dress than inside watching TV or some type of chick flick (is that what people do?). I am still very much the Lauren that sometimes prefers books to people and sometimes contemplates Einstein's theory of relativity before going to bed. Sadly enough, I still find that my interests are more similar to those of a 14-year-old boy than a 20 year-old-girl in college.
I can say however, that in the years passed, I have gained a monumental amount of experience and perspective. Fortunately, I have always been blessed with a proclivity for good judgment, but I shouldn't be so quick to forget the person that allowed me to become who I am today. So. Here's to the little milestones like finally making it to the adult age of 18. And now here's to still having to borrow someone else's i.d. for any worthwhile concert because I'm still underage as a junior in college. Hmmm, I guess not that much has changed after all.
"I don’t want to repeat my innocence. I want the pleasure of losing it again."THIS SIDE OF PARADISE, F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
The Naked & Famous "Young Blood"
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