Middle School Application Essay

Spoon
Smooth. Elegant. Poised.
And then it meets the awkward bump.
When I was an awkward, young teenager, I considered myself to be a shy person, especially at school. As a result, my experiences at middle school somewhat intimidated me. Although I always felt I had the right answer for classroom discussions, my hand never shot up. Whenever there was a class project involving an oral presentation, nervousness plagued my body. Palms filled with sweat, I would speak quickly and quietly, looking down to avoid eye contact. My goal wasn’t to articulate on my project, providing education and spreading beliefs, but to reach the end of my presentation as quickly as possible. It was almost a game.
Interestingly, I credit my shyness, a major communication barrier, to have ultimately led me to focus on a specific field for my life’s work: nutritional education. Despite my aversion to public speaking early on in life, I now enjoy

On weekends, I go to the city’s senior center and tutor disadvantaged elementary and middle school students. Rather than allowing these students free study time, YLOC stresses the importance of communication and personal connection to the learning process. By working with these young, eager-to-learn, students, I have come to understand the importance of helping them understand the concept and apply what they learn from the education. Although these students come struggling in school, they leave with a greater idea on how to apply knowledge and study. The rush of being able to communicate knowledge with these students motivated me daily to persevere and work closely with the