“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” - John Steinbeck, East of Eden I remember reading East of Eden my junior year of high school. I thought it was such a lovely novel that was beautifully written. Little did I know that the quote mentioned above would help me through many trials. I am a perfectionist. Not the kind of perfectionism where everything has to be neat and tidy, but the kind that causes panic attacks and depression. Being a perfectionist controls my life and is very discouraging. If I do not make a 100 on an assignment, no matter how big or small it is, I feel stupid and worthless. My friends often tell me, “an A is an A” but little do they know how much something that small bothers and haunts me. After I graduated my senior year of high school, I was looking through my notes before I threw them away. I came across my literature notes and I saw messy writing in big green letters across the page. It read, “‘[a]nd now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good’ - John Steinbeck.” Ever since then, the quote has stuck by me. I even painted the quote on a canvas to hang up in my college dorm. My first semester of college was easy for the most part. I received 100s on all of my assignments. However, my second semester was not like the first. I received a B on an assignment and I thought it was the end of the world. In the middle of my panic attack on my small dorm room, I looked to my left and saw that quote that I painted onto a canvas. Reading that quote made me pause and think at that moment. I remember asking myself, “why do I put so much pressure on myself?” As I stared at the quote hanging on my wall, I read it over and over. Reading the quote help me calm down from my panic attack. I felt better. I am still a perfectionist. That quote did not cure me; however, it made me realize many things. It made me realize that I am trying my best, even if my best is not perfect. It made me realize that I do not have to be perfect. I still experience panic attacks from not making 100s on every assignment; however, they are less severe. I am able to calm myself down by repeating that quote in my head. It helps me come back to reality. That simple quote written by John Steinbeck has helped me in so many ways. I wish I could meet him and tell him how much that one phrase has impacted my life. Who would have thought that the messily written quote in green letters would mean so much to me in the future?

Knowledge is the most important thing to me. From a philosophical point of view, knowledge is “justified true belief.” The reason why I introduced knowledge in the philosophical point of view is because everything we “know” is not necessarily “knowledge.” Higher education has and will continue to enhance my knowledge. It is true that one can be successful without pursuing a higher education; however, going to college is the best possible thing one could do. Knowledge has never deteriorated a person’s understanding of the world. In fact, it enhances our thoughts, lives, and even things we do not fully understand. With higher education, someone can possibly answer questions that have never been answered before. We come closer to answering the most basic question: why? That basic question can be asked in every subject that can be studied. If someone has ever wondered why authors write the way that they do, they can answer that question by learning from experts who asked themselves that same question before. I love learning new things and I believe that knowledge is crucial for bettering the world around us. Knowledge is a form of power. With power comes the ability to make a difference. Everyone has the ability to change the world, and with higher education, I am one step closer. I have always been passionate about being the best person I can be. I am passionate about kindness, equality, knowledge, security, and everything that makes the world a better place. By being kind, others will learn compassion. By promoting equality, everyone will learn their self-worth. By encouraging everyone to enhance their knowledge, problems can be solved easier. By offering security, everyone will become more comfortable and feel safer. By making the world a better place, everyone will feel as if they belong. By being the best person I can be, I can help others. I may not be able to change everyone’s lives; however, that does not mean I cannot try. I am in a sorority called Alpha Sigma Alpha. In this sorority, we promote kindness and we encourage others. Two of our philanthropies are Girls on the Run and Special Olympics. I always find time to volunteer for these two organizations because I love helping and encouraging people. Out of these two philanthropies, Special Olympics is the most important to me. My niece participated in Special Olympics. Her, as well as everyone else, deserve to have the same opportunities as others. They deserve to be treated as regular people. They deserve to have fun and be happy. When I find the time, I play tennis. Playing tennis helps me relieve my stress. It is my form of meditation. It helps me reflect on my day as well as form new goals to accomplish. When playing, I always expect the unexpected. No match will play out the same way. No ball will hit the same spot every time. Everything is unpredictable and that is what I love about it. I learn something new after every match because of this.