<p>“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?” (445)
I advanced before a crowd of my competitors who came from a myriad of other schools in Southern California, and I noticed the atmosphere in the room shift towards that of a sinister despondency. Swiftly, I ascertained the source of their trepidation. They dreaded my voice, knowing that it would serve as their judge, jury, and executioner in this speech tournament. Who was I to fail to meet anyones expectations? I delivered a five minute speech on how the Twilight Saga saved modern American literature. I have always fancied myself the wildcard.
I am my oratorical talents. Contrary to popular belief, said talents extend beyond the realm of satirical speeches on the subject of sparkling vampires. In actuality, I have colossal ambitions which require the use of my voice. Once my intentions come to fruition, I shall change the world. My conception of these aspirations occurred as a result of many years of trying to uncover what my future holds for me.
I spent many of my formative years banking on a Hogwarts acceptance letter that never came. During my early high school career, I wasnt as academically robust as many of my peers. My ineptitude in my classes the first two years of high school was so substantial that I couldnt help but feel that I had nothing to contribute to the world, that I was worthless. I held steadfast to this mentality until I learned of a field where even someone like myself could have his worth based on how well he employs his voice and articulates his ideas: speech and debate.
In speech and debate, I work in conjunction with individuals who share my passion for speaking. I am now exposed to new avenues through which I may apply my voice. My teammates, many of whom serve as role models that I constantly attempt to follow, instill in me the desire to utilize my voice for philanthropic ends.
My voice will inform the masses about the legitimate workings of our country. The rampant complications in our nation that stem from civil liberties and the rights of the people being infringed upon require the use of my voice to represent my silent peers through a career in journalism. I have already begun my preparations for this by involving myself in every journalistic endeavor my school has to offer: the school newspaper, a yearly literary magazine, and even an on-campus daily news broadcast I anchor for. Eventually, as supporters call my name and I advance before a crowd of miscellaneous Americans from a myriad of other states in the country, Ill notice the atmosphere in the entire nation shift to that of hopeful conviction.</p>
<p>Describe the world you come from for example, your family, community or school and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations. (552)</p>
<p>The feeling of dread that prevailed in my mind as I was being forcefully restrained in a ambulance with leather braces cannot be delineated with mere words. The mindset I was shackled to as I was driven away from my home, from my family without even being told when I might see them again continues to haunt me. It is the only mindset I have ever known, and it is the arena that has defined me. This mindset is that of misery.
In December of 2012, I was subjected to a new height of misery. I was put on a 72 hour hold in a mental hospital for suicidal and self-destructive teenagers. The reason for my captivity was the depression that had infested my life since I was young. Everything from being bound to an autistic twin sister, to my witnessing of a young man my age kill himself right before me the previous year had only worsened my depression. The LA County Childrens services resolved this by sending me to the hospital.
For three days, I fell asleep to the sound of children crying out for the reprieve of death. I was treated as if I was an unfeeling object by hospital staff that took out their frustrations by yelling at sick, defenseless kids. Everyday it seemed as if I was being introduced to a new plague, a new source of anguish in my mental prison. When my binds were severed and I was finally free to go, I felt an alteration had taken place, as if my damp spirit had been lit ablaze with passion and drive.
Overcoming the challenge of laboriously piecing my emotionally and intellectually damaged mind back together undeniably made me stronger. The requiem of childrens cries in the hospital didnt desolate me. Rather, it served as the theme of my renewal. After three days of inescapable anguish, my misery changed.
My misery was no longer an oppressive weight. It was a call to action. The memory of my experience in the hospital pushes me to this very day to achieve greater emotional and intellectual heights. Since my liberation, I have started taking my academics and extracurricular activities in school more seriously.
Above all else, it provides me with a purpose. I have a story to tell, an example to set due to my background in the hospital. The fact that I chose to continue living only serves as a testament to the truth that strength comes from adversity. After being strengthened by my misery, it now serves as an instrument of my will.
Now, I have an instrument at my disposal that few others share. The depression that used to ail me now serves me. In the future, I will use my voice, amplified by my sadness, to commence a career in journalism that will relay the truth on matters such as the status of our childrens mental hospitals to the general public. Never again shall I let organizations like the LA County Childrens Services exploit kids depression or lack of knowledge. And more importantly, to every depressed adolescent in the world, I will confirm that if someone like me can find a purpose, then they have the capacity to be happy, too. This mindset is that of misery, but it is now coupled with hope.</p>