Perhaps one of the most profound moments of my life that shaped me was a near death experience that I had at the age of 11. After being in a car accident and almost losing my life, I have started to view life in a different light. I didn’t learn the true meaning of sanctity of life nor did I had a fear of death that took me a while to overcome. Instead what I realized was that I never had a chance to leave my mark on the world if I passed away. That didn’t mean that I wanted to be well known or have done something extraordinary. It was closer to home; if I have died I never would have the chance to be the first one in my immediate family to attend college, or would I have the chance to experience love, or would I have the chance to feel what it’s like to be a father. It was small things like that that really got to me. Enjoying life became second priority to experiencing life and all the ups and downs it offered. Every opportunity that presented itself before me, I grabbed and took it for the sake of making something of myself.
To better myself and to leave a positive mark on this world; that is my dogma. Better is a rather broad term but in this case I think its fitting that one my my values “better myself” is so expansive. There is always room for improvement either physically, mentally, academically, morally or among other things. I have come to understand that to better myself to is expand my pool of knowledge and to test myself to the limit until I can’t. This fits perfectly with my other value which is to leave a positive mark on this world. It’s important to share all the experiences and knowledge one gathers throughout and life time with others. Not only does it serve as a model for the other person, but it motivates them to do the same as you have did with your life. Moreover, leaving a positive mark in the world doesn’t necessarily mean sharing something that is life changing. It could simply mean sharing something with your significant other or loved one. Something as small as that can make the biggest positive difference in that person’s life.
I have come to see college to be the continuation of improving myself. It goes without saying that I want my academic horizons to be expanded and that I value the knowledge that professors at Baruch will give me. More important to me, is learning how to better socialize with my peers, learning the skills that I learn and making them useful in the work place and making connections that will last me a lifetime. At the moment, I don’t have any concerns for my first semester here at Baruch college. I do hope, however, that I will continue to find this place as enjoyable as I do now and I hope it challenges me so that I can improve myself.
