MIT Essay
I spent most of my childhood alone, with books, television, LEGOs, 90s computer games, eventually the Internet, and my imaginary friend, Joe. I wasn't social at all, tightly wrapped in my own cocoon because of shyness. Though seemingly disastrous for a young child, it turned out to be to my advantage, as I had time to explore and learn on my own without being at school. Actually, I discovered that I enjoyed learning more at home than at school because I could do so through unconventional methods with homemade experiments, Internet browsing, and no boring book work. My peers thought it was cool that I knew stuff outside of the textbooks and teachers loved when I shared my discoveries.
Unfortunately, my environment was not always as encouraging. As amazing as elementary school was, middle school was a completely different ball game. Fellow students were no longer encouraging, but instead taunting. Teachers didn't care if we learned. Suddenly it was only about standardized testing -- the FCAT, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, dictated what was taught. There was no time for experiments and enriching discussions. This stage left me thoroughly confused. Wasn't the purpose of school to learn and motivate students? Apparently not. I was faced with mixed messages and expectations. At home my family encouraged me to strive for my absolute best all the time, while at school I was held to an incredibly low level of achievement, just passing was good enough. I attempted to focus my attention away from the influences of others by getting involved with clubs and activities, such as Academic Games, but that was not enough to overcome the social frustrations of middle school. I had no real friends and I was rarely happy.
In high school, everything changed, though not immediately. I broke from that social cocoon and began interacting with others on another level. I could make friends easier because there were more people with similar interests and I could also work in groups without conflict. Many teachers were actually enthusiastic about their courses and I was eager to participate in their classes every day. Perhaps my involvement with the FIRST Robotics community had a major part of this. Not only was the robotics team welcoming, but I was able to learn, contribute, have fun, and also mature by being on the team. At my first competition, I realized that I was part of a much larger community than my own team. I was part of a network of students, engineers, teachers, mentors, volunteers, and others that were just as enthusiastic about science and technology. I realized that I was part of something that had the potential to change the world. I had never experienced something like this before. Through this organization I made friends, discovered other talents interests, was able to help others, gained leadership skills, and solidified my career interests. It has helped to change my perspective, as I can look back at my previous experiences and learn from the mistakes of myself and others while also being grateful for what I have advanced to. I have grown as a person, I am happy.
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