Moving On free essay sample

Here is who I am: I grew up in a predominantly Jewish suburb, in a Jewish family. I celebrate the same holidays as all my friends, have days off from school for Jewish holidays, and feel comfortable in my community. Here is where I desire to go: Texas, a state and college where I will be part of the minority, where everybody else will be celebrating â€Å"other† holidays, where I am not in my comfort zone, where I will be different. There is much to discover in Texas, and in order to grow, I must meet people who have had different life experiences. Over 80% of the students at the University of Texas are from Texas. Few are Jewish. Through many encounters with the student body, I will open my mind to the rest of the world that is so different from the place where I grew up. I want to meet many people who represent the ideal that the United States is a melting pot. We will write a custom essay sample on Moving On or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While looking at my town, one would be shocked to know that less than 5% of the country is Jewish, as there are more than a dozen synagogues and only a few churches. I want to encounter the realities of our country. College is all about growth, and in order to grow I must be surrounded by individuals whose beliefs and customs are unfamiliar to me. I have lived a sheltered life, but college will be a steppingstone, a foundation on which to become more open-minded and well-rounded. I want to branch out and experience as much as possible through the constant encounters that I will have with students at the University of Texas. What better place to face the melting pot of our country? I will be able to find my true identity as I deal with difficult situations. Going to college in a different part of the country won’t be easy, but it will be life-changing. An individual cannot be scared of the unknown. By meeting so many people at the University of Texas, I will embrace, get to know, and finally understand different cultures, races, and religions. The classmate I hope to encounter is not one person, but the University of Texas. Moving On free essay sample My first couple years of high were going great. I had good friends, I kept my grades up, and I was happy. It wasn’t until I experienced the suicides of two friends that my life drastically changed. It has been a difficult process getting through these tragic events, but I have overcome adversity and now have a brighter outlook on life. It all began the summer before my junior year. After a great night celebrating my best friends birthday, it seemed as the beginning of summer was starting off perfect. I awoke the next morning as happy as ever. However, that feeling didn’t last long. I got a phone call later that day that would alter my life forever. My friend Hannah called me saying, â€Å"Sam, Zan committed suicide last night. I replied, No he didnt. I was with him last night. No matter how much I tried denying it to myself, it was true. We will write a custom essay sample on Moving On or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My first reaction was shock. The moment I realized he was really gone was at his candle light service that night. The memory of the looks on my friend’s faces will stick with me for the rest of my life. After accepting the fact that he was dead, the next reaction was guilt. I hated myself for not noticing the warning signs, for not being there for him, and for not standing up for him the night before he died. Towards the end of summer, I found out I was moving to another state for school that year. Not only was I moving away from the town I grew up in, but I was leaving my support system. The people at my new school didnt understand what I was going through. I had never felt so alone. Six months after Zans death, I received a text message from Hannah saying that our friend Shelby had also committed suicide. I couldnt believe I was going through this pain again. My anger and depression grew stronger. Life seemed pointless and unfair. I lost interest in school, in friends, and in sports. My depression took over my life physically and mentally. My depression started making me physically sick, causing me to miss school. My grades were dropping, but I didnt care. After the first semester of school, I started thinking about my friends deaths differently. I realized that instead of dwelling on their deaths, I should be working on how to prevent this from happening to anyone else. I started to work hard at school again in order for me to get into a good college where I can study psychology. I want to study psychology to learn ways to prevent kids from committing suicide and how to comfort the ones going through it. I want kids to know that life is worth living. Not only do I want to help kids dealing with thoughts of suicide, but also with people facing all types hardships. My ultimate goal is to help people overcome adversity.