Cross-Country Personal Statement

I received two awards for my participation in cross-country. The first one I received as a junior, and it was the domestique award, which coach Heath named the award after a biking term used in the Tour de France. The domestique is a term used to describe a rider who works for the benefit of his team or leader instead of trying to win outright. Although I wasn’t our fastest runner, I was almost always at practice, and willing to help push my teammates to greater heights. Later that year I also became a member of the National Honor Society, since I had shown commitment to scholarship, leadership, character and service. The following year I received the excellence in leadership award for cross-country. To be honest, it was completely unexpected on my part. I felt stunned, as if I had just jumped into icy cold water. From my point of view I had merely done what was necessary, and I would expect the same from anyone else. Despite my initial shock, I feel honored to have received this award, and I hope to bring respect to my program no matter wherever I go.

As of now I am participating in Indoor Track and Field.

Ordinarily I would have an off season in between the cross-country and Outdoor Track and Field, however, I decided that I would try out the indoor program this year. I’m glad that I made this decision, as it is a truly unique sports program. It is a tight knit group similar cross-country, yet it is also similar to Outdoor Track in that it’s also a diverse group of athletes. Both these qualities allowed for a truly unique experience that made it a worthwhile activity to participate that I truly enjoyed. It has also proved to be a learning experience in dealing with challenges, and it has provided a source of profound self

reflection.
My first goal for my education is to earn a bachelor’s degree in either environmental science or environmental engineering. My second goal is to become a well rounded individual. I can accomplish the latter through elective courses, which will help me to diversify my education. If I take this approach to education will equip me with a broad knowledge base, but also with enough expertise in one area to excel both as a citizen and as an employee. If I were to study one area only I would become an expert in the field, but gaining that little extra edge would be detrimental to creativity. In order to solve problems one needs to be able to consider it from multiple angles in order to come up with the best possible solution. By taking courses outside of my intended field of study I will gain a better perspective on any number of issues. That is ultimately the end goal of my education.
My career goals are to become an engineer with a decent salary, so that I can pay my bills and my general living expenses. That is to say, I want to have a well paying, practical job. The other part of work though is the fulfillment of a job well done, and the satisfaction of being paid to do your passion. I want to do my job well, and improve this world for future generations. The world we now live in is teetering on the brink of collapse, in more ways than one. It is my duty to improve our situation in any way I can, and the best way that I feel I can do that is to ensure that this planet is still habitable for centuries to come. If at the end of my career, I can honestly say that I made a positive impact, then I can look back on it with a smile on my face. Becoming an environmental engineer would mean that I’m getting paid to do something that I am passionate about, and allow me to improve this unique world of ours. I can’t think of a better bargain than that.