Diego
9 years ago today I was a student in third grade attending The Language Academy K-8 school in the San Diego Unified School District. For many of my peers this was a time of carefree living and adventure. For me it was the start of my self discovery. For my entire life prior to that point those around me could infer I was not ordinary. I was overly hyper, could not pay attention for more than three minutes, and could never stay still. I can still vividly remember how my brain could tune out everything going on around me at such an efficient level that not even the shouting of my name could grasp my attention. I still recall how it would almost physically hurt to stay still for long periods of time and how I would never tire no matter how much I ran. This caused me to be wildly ignorant to my surroundings and common sense was an alien concept. To put simply, my future seemed to be that of a “problem child.” However, I was not a hopeless child. My teachers could see my intelligence was high, maybe not as astute as my other peers but I still was above grade level in most subjects. Furthermore, when I finally received my long overdue diagnoses of ADHD my parents could finally begin helping me through my condition.
Throughout my school years I have found various methods of staying on point. While I still struggle with procrastination (derived from always being distracted) certain activities and methods keep me on track. Sports are one of the many ways I have found clarity in my condition. Instead of going home and having to study for another three hours and do boring
and tedious school work, I now have the luxury of releasing a mundane day at a volleyball practice. This helps me truly concentrate once I get home to begin studying. However, sports are known to be notoriously expensive. Shoes themselves cost a minimum of $80 a well made volleyball also cost $80. I would use the money from the sponsorship to pay for these expenses, not just for volleyball but for any other sports I decide to participate in. Not only will these sports attract the eyes of Universities, but they will also keep me on a focused line to success.
The future brings uncertainty and for many students the college system is a maze of applications, requirements, and essays. However, many organizations such as UCSD Trio and even Bridge for Kids program help organize much of the uncertainty. Personally, the tours, workshops, internships, and college readiness programs are my favourite. I have the luxury of having a somewhat clear vision of my future. My sights are set on mechanical engineering and these programs have helped clean the muddy waters of the future. These hands on field trips are the perfect opportunities to find a University that complements my needs. Unfortunately, many of these offered programs still require payment. Some are small fairs but others can reach up to thousands of dollars. The sponsorship can help alleviate these prices and help me find the right university to attend to maximize my success in our uncertain future.