<p>[MITES</a> 2013 Admissions | CountingDownTo.com | Countdown Clock](<a href=“MITES 2013 Admissions | Countdown Clock”>MITES 2013 Admissions | Countdown Clock)</p>
<p>My personal “challenge” isn’t even a challenge compared to that. C’est la vie.</p>
<p>Holy fuuuu it’s 1 am here in Flo-rida… Good night everyone!</p>
<p>@Rivstein I’m sorry to hear that my friend. I wrote about divorce. I know it’s something that a lot of people might write about but it has affected me a lot.</p>
<p>@Waffles I made that haha oh man! 5 days D:</p>
<p>Actually I can see how divorce might suck epic gorilla b*lls. My parents have been married for 23 years in spite of what has happened. If they got a divorce, that would be the last straw for me. That’s another reason why I’m not religious. It’s hard for me to absorb the possibility of a deity that loves us, yet allows a lot of effd up shiz to happen in the world.</p>
<p>I get it dude. I’m religious though, despite of some stuff that I’ve been through. I actually wasn’t even born into Christianity. Sure, I grew up hearing all the biblical stories because of my grandparents (and I guess the nature of the Hispanic culture), but eventually I made the decision to become a committed Christian. I go to church by myself.</p>
<p>Divorce really does suck. Switching homes every so often sucks. And to make it even worse, my situation is not one of those divorces where parents just split up and everything is good between them, but my parents hate each other. You have no idea what the feeling is like when they’re within a mile from each other. It’s really scary. I’m 17 and it still scares me and makes me sick.</p>
<p>I’m glad your parents are together and I hope it stays that way. Divorce shouldn’t happen to anyone.</p>
<p>You both put my own “personal challenge” to shame @_@ Really sorry to hear all of that…and I mean that</p>
<p>Not to start a religious debate, but I personally don’t commit myself to religion so much because of all of the problems that arise from it. To be honest, my eyes see religion as another thing for people to misunderstand and argue over, and it just gets in the way of all of us getting along :\ Just my own take on it.</p>
<p>No one’s personal challenge is shameful. I think life experiences are very subjective. I have a friend that wouldn’t be fazed if one of her family members died (she hates her entire family with a passion; I’m pretty sure she was molested or something). Likewise I also have a friend that would probably burst into tears if a random stranger calls him a “f<em>gg</em>t”. Instant PTSD, lol.</p>
<p>It’s not my place to judge someone’s challenge because there’s always someone out there that has it ten times worse than I do.</p>
<p>Sad part is that Rivs is completely right in that last statement :/. </p>
<p>My challenge wasn’t too bad, but I think I feel more comfortable to talk about all my dead family members than the events I had in that essay. That is the reason why (hundreds of pages back) I wanted to write an essay mocking the challenge essay. </p>
<p>Holy crap, I go to sleep and this thread gets 6 pages 0.o</p>
<p>Post #1729</p>
<p>I wish I was 1st gen… I know in my gut, that’s what’s going to kill me.</p>
<p>If any alumni are lurking, could you please confirm or deny whether or not anyone at MITES last year wasn’t 1st gen.? I have yet to meet an alum that wasn’t…</p>
<p>@Mobius I understand that as well. It’s really sad that Christianity gets twisted and distorted to serve human purposes like in the Crusades, the Inquisition, and Westboro Baptist Church, and everyone ends up fighting about it. I’m not gonna try to make anyone believe what I do but I’ll gladly have a nice conversation with anyone about what I believe.</p>
<p>@Rivstein I agree with your statement as well. I’m worried about not being 1st gen too :(</p>
<p>LURKERS COME OUT</p>
<p>Lurker here…
My personal challenge was about how I’ve been homeschooled(cyber-schooled) for 11 years and how it was difficult for me to find good STEM extracurriculars since so many(Olympiads, FIRST, etc.) are school based.</p>
<p>Yes, was anybody not 1st gen? XD</p>
<p>Does being a first gen immigrant help? My mom has a Masters and my dad has a Bachelors. Both in science fields Dx.</p>
<p>@Amaranthine I’m confused with that last statement/question.</p>
<p>Edit: nvm I got it lol</p>
<p>1st gen here.</p>
<p>Mine is about how my grandparents have taken care of me since I was born (dad had 3 jobs, mom … no words for her), and how they’re both close to death atm.</p>
<p>Dammit! I’m not a first gen! Gahhhhhhh</p>
<p>I think it’s alright. There’s still hope.</p>
<p>The suspense is killing me. This thread is going to go nuts come April 14th</p>
<p>Anyone here that’s not a URM?</p>