Monica Dominguez
College application essay
October 13, 2015
My super hero lost her battle, but I am still fighting. I thought heart-breaks only happened in movies between star-crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet. When I heard the words,“Abuela passed away” fall out of my cousin’s mouth, I no longer believe that heart-breaks where just a made up movie element. The shattered pieces of my heart pierced through my lungs and took out all the air; I had never been so broken in my entire life. I lost my breath and my entire body went numb. Little did I know the there was a positive element that was about to come out of this tragic event; the transformation I was about to undergo.
As a child, my fondest memories took place in a tight, yet cozy apartment that never lost its staple scents of flowers, coffee, and freshly baked pastries. “We are going to Abuela’s house today,” my Dad would say in Spanish. Those seven words made me jump out of bed on the weekends.While most kids went to soccer games and dance class, I looked forward to going to my grandmother’s house and spending time with her. The greatest lessons I ever learned came from her. My passion for learning, my charismatic personality, and my strong faith in God were all instilled in me through her. At the age of six, I quickly learned the meaning of caring and kindness when my grandmother and I started reading passages from the bible. This created an unbelievable bond between the both of us and it helped me mature as a young child.
Many events over a period of time helped transform me from a child into an adult. On December 5, 2015 my best friend lost her battle after fighting endlessly.I no longer had somewhere to go on Saturday mornings or someone to learn the most valuable lessons from. With the values I learned from my grandmother, I decided to turn a tragic situation into something positive. The summer after her death I got a job at a local YMCA.I worked with young children whohad a delayed speech. I was able to share my passion for reading when I read thembooks and teach them words that kids their age had learned years ago. Furthermore, I volunteeredfor a mission trip with my church youth group. I restored homes that had been ruined due to some type of natural disaster. Not only was I spreading the good work of God that my grandmother instilled in me, but I also met some unbelievable people that made me appreciate my life so much more. Although she taught me many valuable lessons, the greatest things I learned from being with my grandmother werethe importance of medicine and proper health care being that she was sick for a long period of time. Since then, I’ve wanted to pursue a career in pharmaceutical science.
The words that fell out of my cousin’s mouth still replay in my head like a broken record. By staying positive I was able to overcome the darkest time in my life thus far. Because of the lessons I learned throughout this event and the way I applied them to my life after, transitioned me from a child into an adolescent. Over the past few years, I have seen an incredible and uplifting change in myself. I now know who I am, what I stand for, and where I am going. I am excited for the future and everything it has in store for me. The college or University that I will attend, will not only allow me to achieve my goals with the help of their faculty and resources, but itwill give me room for personal growth and development that will help me with jobs and other events that I may encounter in the future.