Reflective Essay on Risk-Taking

Risk-taking is the essence of human nature. From the beginning of our lives we learn to be adventurous. We learn to walk despite the many falls we undergo. We learn to ride a bike even after earning scars from losing our balance. But as people grow older, many try to abandon the scary, yet thrilling reality of risk-taking. If we avoid risk-taking altogether, society would be stuck in an endless loop of when it was first founded. Imagine a world without space exploration or medical discoveries, one that is dull without the advancements of risk-takers who escaped the loop. 

I come from a long line of risk-takers. The unique mindset of my family has made me who I am today — a young adventurer who sees the world full of endless possibilities waiting to be conquered. My mother and her three siblings grew up in a small town outside Yerevan, once part of the Soviet Union. Now part of the thirty year old country, Armenia. They enjoyed life as they knew it, speaking fluent Armenian in a neighborhood that felt more like a family. However, my grandparents knew that their children were destined for more than their country had to offer them. They were children of survivors of the Armenian Genocide, with parents who could hardly smile due to the constant discrimination and traumatizing events they endured. They wanted to give my mother, and her siblings, a different childhood than the one they had. The United States provided them this opportunity, but they would have to abandon everything they knew to get there. 

My far-reaching family soon became my support system, who encouraged me to be the most adventurous and curious version of myself. They signed me up for every opportunity available — dance classes, tae kwon do, piano lessons, soccer, clubs, art classes, and anything you could ever dream of. As a child, I unknowingly sucked up their ability to be a risk-taker and adopted it for myself. The timorous child I once was would be unable to recognize the person I am today. I was a young girl who daydreamed of being a leader, but was terrified to be one. That young girl soon met programs that made speaking out worth the fear, and soon deserted that fear for a passion: government and politics. 

Freshman year, I reluctantly joined YMCA Youth and Government, a club designed to model the New York State government, with youth taking over the capitol building to debate bills, argue cases, and keep up with the press. I knew signing up meant that I would have to speak in front of hundreds of people. I didn’t think I could do it, and I couldn’t the first year. I crashed and burned at every conference we had. But, I fell in love with writing my own legislation that I felt passionate about. I was determined to be a successful bill author, and create awareness and justice for those underlooked. So, I signed up again. My new bill protected those in domestic violence situations through removing firearms from perpetrators upon arraignment. It was soon passed and signed by the governor, voted as the best bill, and earned me a winning election for Speaker in my chamber. 

I hope one day to use my ambition in a career. For now, I strive to bring back my knowledge to my school and help those who strive to be risk-takers too.