Pivotal Moment In My Life

Our life experiences shape who we are and what we set out to accomplish. A pivotal moment in my life took place when I was eight years old on a family trip to Celaya, Mexico. After going to bed the first night there we were jolted awake by an enormous explosion. A local gas station had burst into flames creating a fire tornado that left noticeable carnage just down the road. People were screaming and running down the street past our house as the fire tornado ripped through the trees headed in our direction. My family and I tried to escape by in our truck, but the dirt roads were impassible because of the excessive amount of mud and broken glass everywhere. Soon our truck became wedged in two feet of mud, forcing us to jump out and leave it

We spent that night completely distraught, searching everywhere desperate to find them. As we continued searching the next morning, I saw a lady and some men giving out shoes to people who fled barefoot the previous night. Afterwards I witnessed others offering strangers a bed to rest, phones to call nearby hospitals and rescue centers to find family and friends lost in the pandemonium. With their help, we were fed, received medical treatment for the shards of glass embedded in our feet, and were reunited with our family within two days. These generous strangers left an ineradicable mark on me. I vowed to help others as these heroes helped me.
Mr. Nelson Mandela stated, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Through this tragic experience I learned that before I could accomplish my goals of helping others I must first succeed in completing my own education. I love my alma mater, but the reality is my high school performed poorly across the school rating spectrum. As a result, the pace and depth of my first few Dual Credit courses were a struggle, but I persevered. For this reason, is why I strived to graduate as the valedictorian at my high