Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Personal Statement for College

Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

My grandma had always been a major influence on me. When I was younger, my grandmother took custody of me. While living with her, I have observed and realized that her leadership is a strength that has shaped a large part of me that can never be replaced. Although, she did not gain an education beyond middle school, her wisdom is incomparable. She said that to serve others is the best a person can ever do. My dreams and aspirations were shaped by my childhood. I took these words into consideration seriously and with those words, I learned that I want to be in the medical field where I can serve others.

As a child, my heart was set to help people. This all began when my grandma sat me down on the couch to watch television together. There was a commercial that used to come on, it showed children from developing countries where food, water, and clothes were incredibly scarce. At the sight of this, my eyes would be clear of sorrow and from that moment I realized that I could be the one who help kids alike and today, this seed still grows in me.

Into my teen years, my dreams of being a doctor slowly shaped into something much more specific: Surgeon. I realized that I had the interest of helping people medically. Medicine and Anatomy had always intrigued me. Becoming a surgeon would be the start of my journey of helping people.

I was easily convinced that I could grant poor people a better life. But that is not the case. I had to work for it. I worked extremely hard to enter a rigorous early college high school. In the middle of the stress during my studies, I felt the urge to give up. but as discouraged as i was, i couldn't let go. I refused to lose sight of my future.

My world was always lead with the idea that i could do everything i wanted. Which is true, I can do whatever I want. But I specifically, i choose to serve others. I choose to work for my education so that I can cure others of sickness. I know what my dreams are and I know what my goal is. My sight is set to graduating from medical school to working in a busy dainty hospital.

I had always envisioned myself in the hospital. In middle school, I took an internship at the local, Highland Hospital. I worked in labs and assisted the doctors in any way i could. In the hospital, I saw the families that had their loved ones treated and cured. I saw the happiness in there eyes. Although, i was not the one who treated the patients, the sight of seeing these people happy and alive was absolutely rewarding. The experience of seeing the patients beyond the hospital walls alive and well was the most important event that showed my insight in what i was in for. This is what i wish to accomplish in my near future.

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

My grandma is a great guide and mentor, but there were some shoes as a grandmother that she could not fill in completely. Growing up without parental authorities, I had to teach myself the lines and boundaries of life. Independently, I grew up under my own laws and discovered the ways of life on my own.

Alone, I taught myself to persevere, to aim high and despite all odds, I am better than what the situation makes me feel. However, it took me a while to learn this. I first started out feeling smaller than I was. I felt, insignificant and alone, like no one was here to care for me. So for a long while, i hid in my room terrified of the weight of the world locking me down and never letting me go. However, uncomfortable as I was, I slapped a smile on my face and ignored my depression.

I worked through school and was at the top of my game. I came to class and did my work and every quiz day, I aced it. I was a cruiser, I did not have to put as much effort as I did to get the grade I wanted. School was an easy challenge for me. So once eighth grade rolled around, I knew that for my high school education, i wanted a true challenge and so i found it: ASTI. Asti is a small, early college school.

At this rigorous school, I worked through the ridiculous load of work despite my desire to sleep away my nights. I mean, that is what most people do -- sleep at night. but instead, i wanted to do well, and I endured the long nights studying and doing homework. School was definitely a challenge. But why is it that I put myself through so much work? Well, this is where my aim high came through.

I want a better future for myself. I want to live in a safer environment and I want to take care of myself financially. Since childhood, I took care of myself physically and mentally but I was never able to fend for myself. I aim to work my way through school, to have access to opportunities where I can earn a living to care for myself. I know I can make it to where I want to be if i stay in school and work hard. As young and small as I was, I was mature enough to give myself faith that I could accomplish more than I have and I plan to.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Revise

How would you describe the author's style of writing? What's your opinion of the style?
You must include a passage or two from the text if you choose this question.

In Orson Scott Card's Science Fiction novel, Ender's Game, he truly presents the story in a very indistinct and mystique manner. The story follows through the life of a young boy who was sent off to outer space military school and then again, into war. Ender, is put to the test to determine whether or not he is capable of being in the war. Throughout his journey he learns many things, many lessons that were crucial for his future. The way Orson Scott Card tells the story shows great clarity yet, is veiled with a little bit of mystery that foreshadows Ender's future.

Orson Scott Card's style of writing describes the type of author he is. It also shows how he wants to portray this story of a young boy going through unexpected trail and errors. His story shows a scent of vagueness and mystique in every chapter. Each chapter comes with a bolded conversation between two people. These two people, are slowly revealed to who they are. Orson Scott purposely slowly with every chapter reveals who these people are and that is the first and foremost way how Orson shows mystery within the book.

"I've watched through his eyes. I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one. [...] All right. We're saving the world, after all. Take him." (Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game, Ch. 1).


"We've had our disappointments in the past, hanging on for years, hoping they'll pull through, and then they don't. [...] Graff you're giving me ulcers. [...]" (Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game, Ch. 6).


"'Colonel Graff, the games have always been run fairly before.'[...] 'Fairness is a wonderful attribute, Major Anderson. [...]'." (Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game, Ch. 9).

As evidently proven above, throughout the story it is clear the Colonel Graff is speaking and holding the assignments and experiments. However, each chapter is a mystery towards who he is speaking to. Perhaps, Orson Scott did this on purpose to show that the people without name are insignificant to the play. But I believe it is to create that dark shadow. LIke there is a secret hidden in this operation. Orson does a wonderful job with mystifying his book by including these short conversations.



Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth. You can also analyze a relationship between two different characters.

Furthermore, throughout the story, Ender goes through a series of tests. He is put through many tests. Some of the tests are like what determines for him to move up the stairs that Colonel Graff had built him. The reasons for these tests are vague at first, but then they are revealed to have a purpose which is to prepare Ender for his destiny.

Ender is a young boy who choose to enter the International Fleet to help save mankind from the buggers. In his society, he is unacceptable towards society's standard. He is a third child created as a test subject to fulfill the jobs his older brother and sister could not do. Enders was chosen for the reason of both his compassion and violence, both in which are characteristics of his siblings.

In his fight with a bully at school he he was harrassed and yet he defends himself for reasons honorable for a 6 year old. Graff found that, for this, his self preservation, is a true quality that will then yet again fulfill the shoes of a legendary Leader whom defended Earth from the enemies: Buggers.

From the moment he is recruited he is put through various tests without his knowledge to see if he can handle his relationship with his roommate and to see if he can make the right choices. A prime example, that determines his great progress is when he made amends with a boy who bullied him from the beginning. He made these amends by building a bridge with another boy named Alai. "the launch was no longer divided into Bernard's in group and Ender's outcasts. Alai was the bridge," (62). Ender was able to become neutral with his peers and by doing so he passed yet again another test. His sucess proved him worthy of moving to the next level where he can be further challenged.

He was promoted to a higher group. He was the youngest in the group and the second oldest was like a year older than him. When he entered her felt angered and out of place. He was frustrated with what the system was doing to him because he was just making progress with his older group. At the start of his promotion he was then again forced to start in the beginning.


Ender went through a harsh childhood to fulfill dreams that were not his. Ender knows that he was being force to do things that were not his thing but he is brilliant enough to understand the manipulation that the teachers have on the children. Just like how Colonel Graff manipulates Ender, Ender also like manipulates Bean while he is the commander of the Dragon Army. Although Ender lives in a world full of people longiing for power, he does not desire for control like others. Ender was able to experience the abuse that others gave weaker people. Which is why when he is given power he tries to avoid it by like not abusing others. But then like Ender learns that in life people are sometimes forced to play games that they would rather not play, and that sometimes winning must be second to nothing else. Still, he manages to retain his humanity and his compassion wins out in the end, as he sets out to repay his debt to the buggers.

In Enders Game, we are guided through Ender Wiggin's world to see the way he does. Ender creates a world full of life and optimism and he had to live above the influence. BUT THEN...

"Real. Not a game. Ender's mind was too tired to cope with it all. They weren't just points of light in the air, they were real ships that he had fought with and real ships he had destroyed. And a real world that he had blasted into oblivion" (297).

This was said in the end of the book and it shows the death of Enders soul. It shows that winning does come with a price. He won his war with the buggers. BUT! in return he had to like totally lose his soul, his life. Like, he was still alive, active, like neither heart dead or brain dead. BUT he would never be stable in the brain ever again.

Ender's game shows that life comes with rough edges. A young innocent boys playing through the plans of hush hush adults plans. His life had changed drastically both physically and mentally. Also, the mysteries of the adults and teachers were revealed. That they needed him to win the war. The mysteries and the boy are pieced together to show the truth in the end.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Repsonse

What I said about Vy's blog:
It seems that you talk about what Peter and Valentine are. But maybe you should talk about why they are significant. how they shape who ender is. and why they do what they do in the story. maybe even talk about how ender plays a role in Peter and Valentine.

What I said on Kaila's blog:
I think your books seems ... pleasant. I like how you blog like how you would talk, it reveals a Kaila in the blog. like i can hear you reading this. I also like how you keep the sentences short and brief and up to the point. i think that your introduction seems a bit longer than your entire essays. But all i really like your essay it shows that you understand what goes down and all that. (:

What I said on Max's blog:
reading through your essay was humorous. you has alot of grammatical errors. LOL. ok. i think that you got the gist of the book. and your analysis was really good. Your analysis was pretty accurate regarding the idea of Collins sneaking a quick little history lesson for her readers.