Personal Statement For Marquette University High School

As a child with two immigrant parents who came to America with nothing and are now successful, the values of hard work, persistence and determination were instilled in me at a very young age. My parents have always attributed their success to their Jesuit education in their formal years, and have taught me to be not only a good scholar and athlete, but also a good person. I hope that by going to Marquette I will develop leadership skills as well as a brotherhood that I will keep for the rest of my life.

In addition to academics, my parents also signed me up for Taekwondo at a very young age. Going through the belt progression and sometimes being stuck at a certain level for a long period of time, even though my older peers were progressing faster, taught me to have persistence and determination to achieve my goals. It also taught me that the sport of Taekwondo was not just about punching and kicking, but having respect and discipline towards authority and elders, as well as to always remain humble. Now, seven a half years after starting my Taekwondo journey, I am a Kukkiwon certified first degree black belt, and have won 1st at multiple regional championships. Still these accolades aren’t my largest takeaway, instead are the life lessons I learned along the way, and that I continue to learn as I keep training. Another sport I had a passion for is swimming, my parents signed me up for lessons ever since I could remember, and I started swimming competitively at the age of 8. During those early morning practices, with grueling long sets, I built courage, will, determination, and the mental strength to persevere through anything challenging or tough, as long as I put my mind to it. During my early years I wasn’t as good as my peers and I was discouraged, but with the help of my coaches and many trials and errors, I remained diligent and was able to catch up with my peers. Since I turned eleven I have been a consistent member of the Wisconsin State Team and even achieved a bronze at the last state meet.

Another thing I learned that was just as important as athletics and academics, was to become a good person. I always remember when I traveled to India, where my parents grew up, we would always go to the temple to help out the under-privileged kids by making them food or donating clothes to the orphanages. Trips like this inspired me to become part of the National Junior Honors Society, and help more people across the country. The reason I want to help people is not because of the prestige or the praise, but because it makes me feel happy when I have brightened someone else's day no matter how small the deed. My parents also told me that this kind of service and giving to the underprivileged community, are a core value in the Jesuit way of life.

Whenever I ask my parents about what school was like for them, one of the first things they mention is the community of students and faculty and the amazing community that is created in Jesuit schools. I witnessed this first hand when I attended Marquette High School’s open house. As soon as I walked through the door I was greeted by students and staff alike with warm smiles and firm handshakes, and after walking around the campus, and seeing what this great place has to offer, from Academics and sports to moral values, I knew that Marquette University High School was the place for me.