Personal Reflective Essay

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Prompt: We want to learn more about you and evaluate your writing skills. In 250 words or more (approximately one double-spaced page), respond to one of the following essay questions: 1. Tell us about a significant event, achievement or personal characteristic that will help us get to know you better. It was 1:00 a.m. on July 13, 2016. I felt the crisp winds and thin air, observed the bright moonlight shimmering down on the icy snow and a sky full of stars. There I stood, at an elevation of 10,000 feet in Northern California, on the side of Mount Shasta. Excited yet terrified, I was geared-up and ready to summit the snowy beast. We commenced the accelerating climb, and attempting to stay optimistic, I repeated to myself, “You can do this. …show more content…

After the straining climb to Helen Lake—our break point—my mountain guide, Frankie, walked toward me and sat me down. She informed me that I displayed multiple symptoms of altitude sickness, making advancing the climb unsafe and detrimental to my body. Immediately, I did not accept it. How could I? I was heartbroken and sobbing. I desperately wanted to climb Shasta; I hopelessly desired to summit the 14,679-foot mountain, and abruptly, my dreams were taken away by my physical condition. As I started the descent to base camp, I continued to cry and contemplated the numerous reasons I was unable to achieve my goal. I came to the realization that although I told myself I could summit the mountain and that I trained for the climb, I really had not. I realized I had trained for failure. Expectant on summiting the mountain, I did not put much work or effort into training for the climb. I trained poorly for success and adequately prepared for failure without even knowing it. Upon the descent, I knew I had failed; I did not have the chance to witness an amazing experience on Mount Shasta’s summit. Despite not receiving the experience I aspired for, I acquired knowledge that is meaningful and essential to life: the truth about failure. For most of my life, I

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