Manuel alvarez

Per. 0

4) Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or

worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
I have never taken an honors class throughout middle or high school until 11th grade when i
decided to take an AP English LIterature class. I transitioned from a regular english class to
something i thought i would do. My cousin that just graduated from carson high school told me
to take that class and i was doubting myself at that time and what made join was people telling
me are you sure you can handle the class,because the teacher gives lots of challenging work
and that felt like they were underestimating me and that made me want to prove them wrong, so
that gave me motivation and i joined the class. That class challenged me a lot because It made
me do things i've never done and it expressed the challenging tasks i could handle even though
it took long nights. The first semester of the class was mostly memorizing words and taking a
test writing down the word, definition, and an example from memory to a blank piece of paper. I
scored high mostly missing 3-5 items on some test with 20 plus words, definitions, and
examples. What also occurred during the first semester was a lot of analyzing. We had to
analyze an article every time we had the class a class, we focused on finding examples of
diction, syntax, figurative language, and etc. The second semester was mostly writing and
typing essays everyday. We had timed writing (40min) in class when we had time and we took
one home to work more on detail and typing it making it better. I on a grading scale of 1-8 i got a
4 meaning you got the main idea of the article and knew how to complete the task and a 5
meaning you got the main idea and completed the task without confusion. I passed the class
with a C but im glad i entered that class because it gave me confidence and it made me test
waters in things i've never done.

6) describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you.
My favorite academic subject is math, i was a good at math in elementary and i lost interest in
middle school but in high school a teacher made me have a passion for it again and now i'm in
precalculus. I would say i'm good at math but i'm not the best. I can learn the lesson fast if the
topic is well explained and with examples. My teacher in 11th grade made me have a passion
for math again that whenever he would have tutoring after school, during lunch, before school
started, and on the weekends i would always attend. When i had math class i would be excited t
it wouldn't be a struggle like it was before. When i get the feeling of knowing the lesson and
knowing how to execute the problems it makes me want to do more and advance or take a test
right then and there. What i have trouble on is memorizing things for a test or final because it's
not like english where words don't change and in make one simple change of a sign could
change the entire situation of the problem. I have more trouble studying for a math test than an
english test. Even though they are obstacles that i have to face with my favorite academic
subject i still like it because there's something new everyday nothing stays the same. From my
mistakes i've made in the pass i have learned to take any and every opportunity that you have
for math because your teacher might explain something a certain way that you will find hard and
another teacher might explain it way easier or you could get more practice if you stay which will
make you better. When i get the lesson Ill help my peers that are struggling and people that are
better than me at math ask me for help and i ask them. Math isn't a subject where only one
person can dominate it you may have a blind spot in your profession that's why i'm not afraid to
take a risk and fail you'll eventually get over it and become better.

1) Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively

influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
An experience with leadership i had was in MCJROTC and in church leading a group of people.
For a year and a half i was In MCJROTC at carson high school and for half the time i was in
there i wasn't the one leading but the other half i was training to become a leader. For example
as we ranked up we had to memorize packets that contained questions about the marine corps
(i.e. the birthday of the marine corps, history of the marine corps. and ect..) the packets were
20-30 questions each. Every monday we would be tested on memorizing the questions and
answers which i did great on. When i started to become a leader i learned that it takes a lot of
responsibility and commitment. You can't act out or else the teacher or in this case my master
sergeant would call me out and talk to me and sometimes even punish those who acted out by
doing push ups or some other form of intense workout. I was never in trouble because i followed
all the protocols of being a leader. The first position of leading i had was being a squad leader
which consisted of remembering my squads name, there age, birthday and made sure they
knew they're packet also make sure they had the marching down because if they mess up on
any of the activities the officers will come to me and tell me to do something about. Another
position i had as leader was in church where i had to go to meetings to be trained in order to
become a group leader. I was a candidate for confirmation and having someone to look up to
was very touching to me. That md me wanted to come back and do the same thing to other
people and changing their lives. I learned that you should be there early and go to all the group
leader meetings and events to get closer with your team and candidates.

3) what would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and
demonstrated that talent over time?
My greatest skill is being a multipotentialite person. I have all these interest in a variety of
carriers and hobbies that it's hard for me to choose one. For Example in hobbies i'm interested
in sports and currently on the swim team and on my own time after school i'm training to
become a power bodybuilding. I have this addiction of working out because when i don't work
out i feel like bad and i don't feel my best it's something i have passion for. And in school i have
a passion to math and science. Those take a lot of time to master and i feel like i need more
time to completely get the lesson. I would like to be a psychologist because i have an interest on
why people act a certain way and so many questions on people's thinking. I also want to study
on how the body works and on the side have a bodybuilding career. I don't mind if i stay in
school for long time to pursue my careers and hobbies. I have all these interests that one
career isn't enough for me i'm striving for a long term goal to have multiple careers.