The University of Miami’s official mascot is the ibis. Folklore maintains that the native marsh bird is the last to take shelter before a hurricane hits and the first to emerge once the storm passes, making it an apt symbol of courage and resilience.
Essay topic:
Considering your ability to control your own motivation and behavior, how have past experiences helped build your courage and resilience to persist in the face of academic and life challenges so that, once these storms pass, you can emerge in continued pursuit of your goals?
I want to write about:
I have learning differences (visual processing struggles as well as ADD and non specific learning disabilities) and have persevered by overcoming them by mastering tools to support the way I processes information. I have worked hard, tutored since I was 5, learned various tools to support my learning disabilities and have learned how to apply myself in other ways. Although I struggled academically early on, I was able to push myself and reinforce some of my other strengths by excelling in vocal presentations as well as hands on actives and group participation.
Despite my learning struggles and the multiple obstacles I have faced because of them, I was fortunate enough to have an amazing support system at home and school that have built the confidence and determination I exhibit in my foundation. I have been at the bottom and know what it feels like to climb my way up and how rewarding it can be to achieve your goals after putting in effort despite continuous setbacks. This minor failures in life have taught me the importance of putting in work and seeing it to fruition no matter how hard it may be. Even though I felt inferior to my peers academically at times, I persevered through the hardship to get to where I am today.
