A Personal Development Progress Essay Example

As a graduating senior, I can assuredly say that I am a much different person today than I was four years ago. The contents of my character, my outlook on life and society, and my central morals and values have all been molded by my passion and ambition that has guided me throughout my high school career. From my school courses to my extracurricular activities, I've developed my individualism that cherishes hard work, kindness, and respect for others.

Academically, I've taken the most rigorous and demanding course load my school offers, taking a plethora of Advanced Placement classes demanding my time and attention to studying the complexities and dynamics of English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Certain classes, such as AP Biology and AP Chemistry, were courses that developed my passion and showed me the enjoyment that comes from doing what you love. My interests in these subjects inspired my future goals and desires to pursue a professional career in the field of medicine, a discipline that I saw encapsulate these subjects I've come to adore in high school. 

Contrarily, classes that I haven't fully enjoyed, such as AP US History or AP English Literature and Composition, have also taught me the importance of working hard and remaining persistent when doing something that isn't completely enjoyable. While hard to acknowledge, these classes assured me that I will inevitably have to do things, professionally, that aren't necessarily compatible with my interests or ambitions. Regardless, these classes showed me the importance of persevering and trying to find enjoyment out of situations that aren't preferred. 

Outside the academic world, I watched my leadership skills grow when working with the my WISE Initiative, an student-led organization aimed at inspiring young girls to take interest within the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. When demonstrating different science experiments to these students, I found enjoyment in the excitement in their voices and the smiles on their faces as a geyser of coca-cola sprayed from a plastic bottle. Working with these students, I found a responsibility to demonstrate what science is and what it's like to be a scientist. I answered every question with desire and purpose, hoping to inspire and incentivize each student to discover further into what is unknown. It was from this experience that I gained a sense of what it meant to be a leader: not for personal enjoyment or purpose, but to guide others to achieve greatness.

Additionally, many of my extracurricular activities have influenced the importance I place on service to others. While in high school, community service activities have been essential to my growth as I experienced the predicaments of people who I don't see outside the suburban communities of Lewis Center, Ohio. Having the opportunity to help those people in need, I found a sense of belonging and hope. Giving those people something they didn't previously have, in this case being a hot meal, It was pleasing to see my service give them happiness and satisfaction. 

Alongside this, working in the food industry has additionally influenced my love for helping others. While at times difficult, my time constructing and distributing food has taught me the importance of listening to others and going the extra mile to make someone happy. Even with the most complicated of orders, seeing a customer's satisfaction has never failed to make the hard work and running around all worth it. In reality, my job has taught me the patience and resilience it takes to work with people, but it's also shown me the pleasure that comes from other people. 

Ultimately, my experiences both academically and extracurricularly are what have incentivized me to become a medical doctor. Over the course of my high school career, these different courses and activities are what have molded my personal emphasis on hard work, compassion, and perseverance that I believe can function well within the medical field. My grown love for science and innovation, with my acquired passion and desire to help others, is what has led me to this field of endless possibilities that I can use to save lives. With my character, I will never stop trying to help others in the best way I can, and I have no doubt that the medical field is best fitted to allow me to do that.