Essay questions

My achievements:

Last year, I was on a culinary competition team that competed in different events. We named ourselves ‘Rustic Charm.’The first event was held at Metropolitan Community College. We ended up taking first place in the knowledge bowl and second in the case studies. Those points alone gave us enough to take a gold medal. From those awards my team was given 24 free credit hours to study at Metro. That school is ranked eighth in the entire nation for their culinary program. I was truly appreciative for the opportunity. Not only did I get an incredible scholarship, the experience helped me to better understand the culinary world and what it takes to get up in the ranks. I met a lot of professional chefs and teachers during the weekend, and they have been wonderful contacts for me. I now have more confidence in everything I partake in. If I can compete at a higher level and get such recognition, it reassures me that I can do anything I put my mind to.

At the end of my sophomore year, I joined yearbook class, just for an easy credit. I immediately fell in love with the whole process. That summer our advisor named me Editor in Chief for the 07-08 school year. I would be the first Junior editor in the history of Benson's Cupola. During the course of the year I learned more than just how to make a yearbook. It taught me how to run an effective 'business.' I had to sit and listen to the staff's complaints and just not boss them around. I put everything I had into the book, and in the end the bond I made with the fellow students was unbreakable.

My influences.

The most influential person in my life is my mother. She is carefree and understanding, but at the same time she keeps her head up and stays grounded. She taught me that it is okay to give someone a home if they need it. She always gave but never expected anything in return, and I think that it's important for me to live my life that way. When you open yourself up to another person there are always a million things that could go wrong. From growing up with different people in my home, I can honestly say that the outcome of the positive outweighs the negative by a mile.

Issues that matter to me.

Unlike most girls my age or women in general, my views on womans role in the home is drastically different. If it is possible I want to stay at home with my children. Through studies done on children in daycare they are more likely to be easily angered and unhappy later in life. I want my kids to grow up in a loving enviroment, not raised by a stranger. I would like to see more women going back to the home, but with the way the economy is going, it just isn't possible. Two incomes are needed just to survive.

Journal # 1

The most motivating experience I have had this week was when I met Jesse, a Native American man. He came to speak to my class about the troubles he has gone through growing up. I am taking my education very seriously and I know how important it is and how quickly it can be taken away.

The most challenging experience this week was the team building workshop on Sunday. It was hard for me to let people I didn’t even know guide me through a course. Even though I was safe, it kind of felt like I was putting my life in their hands.

I learned that I don’t have to be someone I’m not. In college it is completely different, you just rely on yourself to get you through school, and you don’t need the drama or anything like that. When people start realizing that, you make some great friends.

The experience that had the biggest impact on me was living in the dorms. Even though there were a lot of different activities, it still felt like the real college experience. I figured out that I need to do my homework right away, so things don’t get in the way later, and how to be more organized with my stuff.