College Essay/Personal Statement Topic

UCLA (University of California Los Angeles):

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are? 

Website: http://www.ucla.edu/ 

University of Arizona Website: http://www.arizona.edu/

Standford University Website: http://www.stanford.edu/ 

University of Washington Website: http://www.washington.edu/

Draft for Coming Of Age Poster

Draft for Coming Of Age Essay

As the pilot landed the plane, I looked out the window and saw flat land, the scenery of Phoenix, Arizona.  As I step onto the airplane bridge walkway, I was ready for my volleyball trip.  It seemed just like a regular volleyball trip.  It felt like a regular volleyball trip but little did I know that I was taking the first step towards my future.

It was 6 o’clock in the morning when my alarm went off “BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!”  I kept saying to myself, “Come on get up and get ready”, but my body was telling me, “Five more minutes, five more minutes.”  As I slowly got up, I put on my clothes, do my hair, brush my teeth, and ate home made waffles with syrup, then went into the van. 

Ever since I was young, my mom would say, “So what colleges do you want to go to?”  Then I would think, “Why do I need to think about this stuff already it’s so far away?”  However it all changed, the moment I set foot, sore knee, and crutch on to the University of Arizona campus my first college, and my first campus tour.

As we arrived at Tucson, Arizona we also walked into the gates of University of Arizona or otherwise known as U of A.  I took one look at the campus and I didn’t know what to say.  My mom and I were dropped off at the Office of Admissions while my dad and brother went to park the car.  As we entered the room, I saw how enormous the room is and I thought to myself, “If the room is enormous, image how huge the campus is going to be.” 

I went up to the receptionist to check myself in for the campus tour.  The receptionist asked me “Name?”  I answered, “Domingo, Mikayla party of 4.”  She said, “Ok got you, just sit down in the room and the presentation will begin soon.”  As I made my way to a seat, I thought to myself, “Wow I actually did it.  I am now an adult and people actually respect me.”

As the presentation to start, I took one look around at the crowd and thought to myself, “I am not the only one looking at colleges and getting ready for my future.”  The power point was extremely informative and I thought to myself, “WOW!” that was all I could seem to think or say.  Next thing I know everyone is exiting the room for the tour of the campus. 

As I made my way through the campus and the tour guide is droning on and on about how you should go the school and what they have to offer.  I look around the campus and think to myself, “Oh my gosh, there is so many students that go here and it’s only summer school.”  As we head back to the Office of Admissions and take one last look at what could be my future. 

My dad and brother to and get to the van while my mom and I wait to be pick up when she asks me, “So what did you think of University of Arizona?”  Truthfully I say, “It is an amazing campus and I was really impressed by all the things they have to offer and how the university is math and science oriented.”  However I thought to myself, “It is nice and everything but it is completely scary and intimidating thinking that I am going to college and I am not ready for it yet.”

After about 15 minutes of waiting in complete silence, the van came and we headed back to the hotel.  I looked out the window as the sight of the university disappeared as we drove.  Then I started thinking to myself, “I want to go to college and I want to be an independent young lady.”  Then that scary thought about how college is going to be so intimidating with so many people there and I have to make all new friends, I told myself, “Sure I have to do all of those things but I am ready for it.”  Then I told my mom with confidence, “I am ready for whatever life brings me especially going to college.”  Then she replies, “Are you sure because you still have time?”  “Well I am sure.  Looking at the University of Arizona made me realize that I don’t have that much time left, maybe 3 to 4 years max and I am ready for next step after high school which is college.”

Blog Revisions and Archiving

My knowledge has changed and grown since the beginning of freshmen year, now my blog has changed with me from freshmen year to now.  I have revised my title to a catchy new title having to do with writing (before my title was A Million Ways To Say The Same Thing and now my title is Express Yourself With Words).  I changed my title to Express Yourself With Words because that is what writing is it is expressing your feelings and experiences through words on paper.  My blog now has a header (picture) with my picture, title, and images to express my title.  The header shoes my advanced skill in graphic design by showing I can use the various tools in photo shop such as layering, filtering pictures, manipulating photos, using the clone tool to put the picture of myself in the corner and having it organized so it doesn’t look all bunched up.  My header shows my title (Express Yourself Through Words) by each letter having their own different personality or appearance and expressing it and embracing each letter’s personality.  Then on my header I have a pencil and paper on the background to symbolize writing and words.  I organized my blog archive through labeling all of my posts and selecting the specific assignments under each year.  I made a new section in my blog called Sophomore Year '11 to '12, as well as have last year’s section labeled Freshman Year '10 to '11.  Then underneath the two sections I have a label for all of that year’s posts and then all of the assignments from that year.  As I continue to change and my knowledge grows so will my blog along with me so next time it may look different because that is what revisions are all about making things better or improving it. 

Position Statement Essay On Tourist Safety: Who Is To Blame?

           Tourists from all over the world come to our land for our gorgeous beaches, scenery, and Aloha spirit.  Some tourists have acted very dangerously and often die due to their mistakes.  I don’t understand the reasoning behind our government having to pay the families who’s loved one have pasted due to their own mistakes.  I feel this way because the government has already alerted the public with signs, commercials, newscasts, and etc.  Tourist must be responsible for their own safety by researching and being well informed when visiting.  Tourist should have enough common sense to know the possible consequences of their actions.  I feel that the government has done an adequate job on making sure the tourist are well aware of the risks at each site.

We hear stories about tourists getting killed by blowholes or other tourist attractions because they didn’t follow what the warning signs say or they didn’t ask anyone. In 2002, Daniel Dick was killed after he straddled the blowhole or waterspout at the Halona Blowhole and was lifted three to five feet and dropped head first into the waterspout.  If he didn’t already know what a blowhole is it’s his fault for not knowing about the risks of being anywhere near a blowhole he wouldn’t have straddled the blowhole.  Especially since the site is equipped with signs warning tourists about the dangers.

When you hear the stories of tourist dieing, locals think what is going through their minds and if they know what they are doing.  Tourist should be more responsible to research where they are and what is safe and not.  In 2006, Paula Ramirez and Elizabeth Brem, died when they walked off the steep cliff near Opaekaa Falls.  They followed the right side of a split trail and fell from an area of the cliff that was covered by vegetation. Online and Guidebooks say the side of the trail is not an official site so common sense should tell you that you should not risk it and stay on the trail.  You know the tourist didn’t research since they veered off the trail, which was close to a cliff.  In the end, when tourists act on their own and get killed when doing what they wish it is not our fault or the state government’s fault and the only one to blame is themselves.

I feel the government does a good job of already of making sure that tourists know where to go and where not to go.  The government puts up the proper signage for tourists to know safe areas from unsafe areas, makes commercials to properly educate tourists, and usually fence off areas enough for tourists not to act improperly.  As well as, Cindy Orlando (who is an superintendent of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park) and her team make sure the visitors are well aware of what dangers that could happen.  However many lives are still lost.  It is not the government’s fault tourists are not taking warnings seriously.

In the end actions, which result in a tourist’s death, are usually their own fault.  The families have no right sue our state for their loved one’s recklessness.  Our government does enough to make sure tourist’s know what is safe and what is not.  It is then the tourist responsibility to listen be cautious of their actions.