When hope was out of sight, I had a brother who stepped in to fight.

I could be in the dumps, really canned, he would always lend a helping hand.

He could be really close or not, I could still call him on the spot.

Not only was he there for the bad days, but for the good ones, always,

I can't say we've always been on the same track, but my brother's always got my back.

I could be in any sort of jam some as thick as tar, still he would never be that far.

We used to fight all the time when we were young, then, well then I pierced my tongue.

That's when he went away, he's never even come back for like a day.

It's okay now I don't mind, because my brother I can always find.

I love him more then a lot things, and it's not only because we're siblings.

Where ever he is I still see his face, he's my one and only brother, I love you Ace.

My name is Annie Chapman and I am sixteen years old. I started my life in 1983, in Los Angeles, actually in a suburb called Culver City. From the hospital I moved into a house on Lucerne Ave with my father Alan Berftman, my mother Mary Lee Chapman, and my old

While in Junior High I participated in a lot of sports such as basketball, volleyball, and snowboarding. It was in these areas that I really got to know the three girls who would someday become my very best friends-Christine Grossman, Emily Whitman, and Robin Otanza; they all played sports with me and were also in my classes. In 8th grade Robin started to go to Youngton as a freshman, but our friendship remained.

er brother by four years, Ace. I spent just short of ten years in that same house. While I lived in Culver City I attended a Spanish emersion elementary school called El Rinclon. There I learned to speak Spanish as a second language.

So now as a sixteen year old in little Stone, I feel that I've gotten more that my fair share of the many tastes of the world. So far I love my life and all the places I've been and all the things I've done. If I had the choice, I wouldn't change my life for anything in the world.

This year I'm going to a different school then two of my best friends which so far is really weird. I miss seeing them in every class and at lunch. Today was only my first day of school and they were both sitting on my couch before they even had to get up so they could see me off to Lone Pine. I plan on keeping these two friendships the rest of my life.

All throughout my freshman and sophomore years I continued to snowboard but stopped playing team sports due to a disease in my knees. I really found a love in snowboarding which I still have. When I snowboard I feel free and without any boundaries. I started to snowboard more than the usual once every other week. I would find ways to

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lone Pine, Ace Marines, , Youngton School, Speech Contest, Robin Otanza, I'm I'll, Los Angeles, Budapest Hungary, Culver City, los angeles, little stone, youngton school, school called, culver city, 8th grade, moved house,
Approximate Word count = 1101
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)