Children constantly look at how their fathers behave with people around them. One person that I really admire is my dad. My father has a Ph.D., and it is his ambition for our family to gather around the table and greet each other by saying "Hello Dr. Orsega." But, because my father is a teacher, I want to continue my education. He's always stressed the need to educate people for as long as I can remember. He is my real role model, not just because he is my father, but also because he is extremely intelligent in almost all areas. I'm not sure why, but I wouldn't be surprised if I got a call telling me that my father had just won Jeopardy. In fact, the only thing that surprises me is that he hasn't applied for the show yet. Because of my family, I was drawn to smart people in other parts of my life as well. In high school, my best friends were the salutatorian and valedictorian. But we ate lunch together every day of my freshman year before that decision was even made. The only issue was that because of their intelligence, they were frequently persuaded to join various clubs that met during lunchtime. After my freshman year, I got sick of sitting alone on days when they were gone to mock trial practice, so the next year, I decided to attend an interest meeting to learn more. As soon as the information session began, I knew I’d discovered something that I was very enthusiastic about. During sophomore year, I was one of our team's top witnesses. I've always loved acting, but this type of acting gave me a thrill I'd never experienced before. I learned how to manipulate the facts to match the affidavit while also upsetting the opposing counsel's lawyers by leaving out key components. After my first two years on the team, I discovered that my grandpa was a lawyer and began questioning him about his profession. I stayed involved for the rest of high school, and I want to continue doing so throughout college. I had no idea this even existed at college until I got there. After my audition, I became fast friends with almost everyone involved. It wasn’t until our first tournament that I realized that I was the only one on the team that didn’t want to become a lawyer. Everyone's conversations came to a halt when I said the words "not wanting to become a lawyer", and everyone simply stared at me strangely. I had never considered pre-law before, but this club sparked my attention. Overall, I feel that mock trial has had a significant impact on my friends and family, and I am excited to continue on this path.

The Freshman Fifteen. You may have heard about it, but I experienced it last fall when I started college. Everyone knows that once you enroll in college, you will begin to put on weight. You're no longer under your parents' supervision, so you start eating anything you want, which is precisely what I did. No one gains exactly fifteen pounds, but that's not to say I didn't see a change. When I returned home for the holidays, I knew that something needed to be done. At home, I began going to the gym for an hour each day and attempting to eat more healthily. When I returned to university, I intended to make this significant change and implement these practices. The only problem was that once I returned to school, I got too preoccupied with my schoolwork to go to the gym off-campus. Our dorm's elevators were down one entire weekend. This was really inconvenient for someone who lives on the fifth floor. It wasn't all that horrible until I got to the fourth story. The elevators were fixed Monday, but I continued to take the stairs. It was challenging at first, but after the first week, it became easier. After only three weeks, my friends began to notice a difference, as did I. My family even climbed up to the fifth floor with me when they came to visit for parent's weekend. I've been doing this for about three months and have noticed a significant difference. I never seem to have enough time to go to the gym, but I always seem to have enough time to go to my dorm room. I discovered that making a minor change in your daily life is far more dependable than attempting a large, new one.

Boom! One singular instant may turn into a lifetime before you know it. Throughout my whole life, I've been fortunate enough not to come into contact with any chemicals like this. Despite the fact that my school required a two-week substance misuse class, I cannot recall a single fact I learned in the class four years later. And it was already too late when I took this course in high school. With the current state of the world, I believe it would be incredibly beneficial if this course were taught even earlier, perhaps in middle school. And instead of a two-week course, it could be a full semester course where professors could test out numerous different teaching tactics, so that they are able to find something that would truly grab people's attention and leave a lasting impression. As a result, I began to think about subjects that high school students are interested in. I'm always able to recall music lyrics or rhythms for myself. We were taught a U.S. president's song in elementary school, and I can still remember every U.S. president in order to this day. Younger students, I believe, were taught just not to consume these illegal substances, which is what I believe is presently being taught in schools. Instead of just saying don’t do them, teachers can instead discuss the substance's potential negative effects the application of these substances could have. This might be used to discuss not just the detrimental impacts in overall health, but also how difficult it is to stop. Withdrawal symptoms can lead to a variety of conditions, including anxiety, depression, or even schizophrenia. When it comes to supporting people in their recovery, there are several support groups and organizations available. When I searched for drug abuse help, I was sent to a website that listed hundreds of different groups; however, I feel the problem is that not enough of these organizations are promoted well enough for people to be aware of their existence. And the majority of those who require assistance will not seek it out. The only way they can begin to recover is if knowledge about these groups becomes widely recognized. I propose that required assemblies should be held in all middle and high schools where this topic may be explored in depth. If these assemblies are held in middle schools, it is hoped that many more students will be prevented before they fall into the trap. Be cautious and informed since one incident might alter the path of your life.