I have taken advantage of the education opportunities presented me thus far to prepare for college in many ways. First and foremost I have ensured that I have enjoyed a wide variety of classes and electives to provide me the opportunity to explore as broad a subject selection as possible. Most of the courses I have focused on in my senior year have been college preparatory. College preparation however is much more than academics alone. I have also experienced many educational opportunities that exist outside the realm of traditional 'academics'. These experiences have prepared me more so for my college experiences than my preparatory courses. I have for example faced many challenges while growing up. During my four years of high school I engaged in a variety of extracurricular activities and clubs that taught me much more about the ways that people interact and communicate than I ever would have initially assumed. Participating in many volunteer organizations and student achievement groups, I realized that not two people interact in the same way. .

             Most people I learned are products of many different elements including their beliefs, values, morals and faith. One's religious ideals, culture and even familial upbringing can all influence their perceptions on life, their ability and motivation to interact with others and their desire to achieve. With this knowledge I learned new and exciting ways to interact with people, even those that were very different from me and with those that held very different beliefs. In fact in most of my pursuits I found myself drawn to those with conflicting ideals and moralisms, in part because they challenges me to learn more about myself and question the beliefs I held true about the world in which we live. .

             I believe it is through these types of interactions that we actually learn everything there is to know of the world. We need to rely on people that challenge us and our views so we open our eyes and get a better understanding of the world in which we live.