Community College Experience Essay

The single most impactful experience in my life is attending Ventura Community College. Nothing has hurt me more. In high school I had taken AP and IB classes and had finished within the top ten percent of my class but I had no idea what I wanted to do. I applied to some schools that I considered to be mediocre so that I could continue swimming, but as the application deadlines ended and most of my friends were being accepted to places such as UCLA, UCSB, and even Harvard, I had realized that I wanted a greater challenge and possibly a greater reward. It was too late, I was going to community college.
I felt stupid because I thought that only stupid people go to community college. Many people I know, including students from my school sarcastically
This organization helps cancer patients find needed bone marrow donors. Finding donors are very difficult and finding matches are even more unlikely. This event made me realize how fortunate I was. I began volunteering more regularly with the same organization as well as places such as Food-share and a retirement home with residents who have memory loss. SAM and the retirement home mattered the most to me because I have close relatives who have schizophrenia and have died from cancer. Volunteering with these organizations made me realize how fortunate I was and inspired me to keep striving. This gave me a new perspective on life and I became more optimistic and outgoing. In addition to volunteering, I found a job, I began weightlifting, and I became much more social. In changing the way I think, I learned that life continues and that I still have time to improve myself.
My time at Ventura College is almost over but this experience has made me proud because I am more aware of the life I live in, that I have the ability to shape my future, and that I can positively influence others' lives. I have learned that failure is not fatal and that success can always be achieved. This new motto has given me courage improving my outlook on life as well as motivated me to find success in the