I grew up in Akron Ohio with the Revere School District. I am the youngest of three boys. I grew up split between my mother and father who lived down the street from one another. If I was ever board of one house, I could simply walk to the other. Academics weren’t always my strong suit. Both of my brothers struggled academically, and I was no different. Before high school, my grades were average at best. I wasn’t in any advanced classes, and I took little interest in any subject. I would have rather stayed home and read a book than go to school. Unexpectedly, however, my outlook drastically changed in eighth grade. With the help of a couple fantastic teachers and some personal motivation, I was able to truly excel in my classes for the first time. I even did well in English, my most difficult subject.
Brimming with new confidence, I brashly enrolled in a full honors schedule. The move was unprecedented for someone who had been in more than one remedial class. I was ill-prepared for the transition. Most of my new peers had been in the honors track their whole lives. They were used to heavy workloads, unstructured environments, and challenging subjects. I was surrounded by people more skilled and more knowledgeable. Most of my friends would say junior or senior year is the most difficult year of high school. Freshman year was, by far, my most difficult. I usually got less than five hours of sleep, and rarely involved myself in extracurricular activities. But I ultimately passed.
As my abilities grew, school got easier. Although I had more work every year, I always seemed have more free time. I joined the speech and debate team freshman year, but didn’t do much else outside of school. Come junior year, better time management and a drivers license allowed me to get involved. I joined the science Olympiad team, got accepted into the math club, and helped start a FIRST robotics team. Above all, the experiences and people in these clubs have shaped who I am today. I learned leaderships skills, gained confidence, and developed talents that have pushed me beyond what academics alone could do. I met friends who have changed my perspective and enriched my life. Perhaps most importantly, I developed a passion for science. Science Olympiad especially opened my eyes to fulfillment and excitement that can be found in math and science. Out all my time in high school , I am most proud of what I achieved and learned with the science Olympiad team.
My journey through high school is a story of growth. I hope to continue that story at Ohio State. Despite my best efforts, I didn’t earn a year of straight A’s until I was a senior. That achievement — five years in the making — may seem small compared to the records of many students here, but it means the world to me. It represents persistence in the face of a change. I hope to use that persistence to cement my long held love for the environment, passion for science, and interest in large, complex systems into a degree of atmospheric and earth science. I’m sure my academics will be daunting , and my peer group may completely change. I’ve faced this challenge before, however, and this time I’m prepared.