Greece And Back

Essay 1. Choose one of your special activities or interests and describe the difference it has made in your life and in the lives of others.

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One of the activities or groups that I am a part of is the Electa Sons and Daughters Youth Fraternity. The fraternity is basically the junior version of the free masons, the same group that our founding fathers were a part of and many leaders from communities around the world are a part of. One of the major ways that it has changed my life is that I am in the highest position that a male member of this group can become. I am able to make a difference in the lives of others. In the group we do many community service projects such as serving food to the homeless, singing carols at nursing homes, and we collected clothes for battered women and children in shelters. My position is to help run the meeting, make decisions about issues that arise, and to teach and set a good example for the younger boys. This provides me with a sense of satisfaction, and allows me to impart the wisdom that I have been given, upon the youth that I am associated with, who can benefit from it and possibly pass it on to friends and family. By being in this group it helps to prepare me to become a mason when I turn eighteen.

Another group that I am involved in is the Reserve Officer Training Corps. ROTC is a military run school program, run at my school by the United States Navy. It has dramatically changed my life because it has given me a sense of duty, and has taught me leadership qualities. Whenever I put on the uniform, I feel bigger, stronger, and I want to be the best I can be. I know that people through history have died in the same type of uniform, that I wear, defending honor and pride.

When others see us they may laugh or call us names because they do not fully understand what we are doing. But by being a member of this group it has taught me discipline and how to be a better team player. I have also applied the skills that I have learned in the classroom to other parts of my life.

Essay 2.The United States is home to many different types of family structures. Please describe your immediate family and your relationship with each member. Describe how you deal with one particular challenge of family life.

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In my household I live with my mom and my brothers used to live with me. My mom has raised all three of us with little or no help from our fathers. Matt, the oldest, and Jake, the middle child, have met their dads, but I have never met my father.

My mom and I do a lot of things together such as watching similar shows, reading, and I do work for her sometimes. She helped me a lot on getting ready on this program and helps me out whenever I need help.

Matt, is twenty-five and he lives in Colorado with his fiance Melissa. I see Matt every few months and holidays since he lives in another state. When I told him about YFU he did everything in his power to help me get there. He set up a donation website and a blog so that I could talk about my journey. He has always looked out for me and I could ask him anything.

Jake, is twenty-three and lives right around the corner from me. He lives with his girlfriend Jennifer. Every Sunday they come over to our house and we have lunch and usually watch a movie or go get books. Jake and I have a lot in common like the games we play and we both enjoy computers. He is always there no matter when I need him and that is a really good thing.

That is what my basic family situation is; live with my mom, my brothers are close to me, and all in all I have a good life.

Essay 3. Two of your good friends have had a falling out over a matter that is not trivial. It is clear to you that if they do not make up it will be difficult, if not impossible for you to remain friends with both. What will you do in this situation?

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Even though this has not happened to me, I can think of what I would do in this situation. One of the first objectives that I would try to complete would be to separate them and calm them down. Whether it is by just leaving them be and letting them cool their heads or talking them through the problem. Next, I would talk to them in turn and listen to their sides of the story. Once they are calmed down for the most part they begin to think more clearly and logically. Finally, once I have heard both sides and have found the major problem with it I would bring them back to talk out the problem with me as the moderator. With me as the moderator I would be more just in the ruling of who is right, wrong, or what they are overlooking and why they should not be fighting.

There are many ways to solve problems and even different genders have different ways of solving them. For a lot of women they solve the problem verbally and emotionally. The words that girls say, whether upset or not, can bring anyone to their knees because girls do not have to inflict physical pain on people in order to deal a type of torture. Where as guys are more introverted or they settle arguments with their fists. I had a friend who, every time he had a problem, he would storm off and we got him a small punch bag that he would go and cool himself down by hitting. Sometimes that may be the best option, instead of hitting someone you could just hit a pillow.

Essay 4. Describe one mistake you have made, how you handled it, and what you learned from it.

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2008 was my last year as being a camper at Swift Nature Camp. If I were to go this summer I would be a Councilor in Training, or C.I.T. Even though I should have been acting as a camper would, I began to overshoot my own authority. I did not actually have any authority but, I used size and age in order to impose imagined power. At the time I did not realize I was doing it, but that is how most mistakes happen. I would tell people to do something if they were younger than me. The more I did it the more it took control because power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. What I mean by power is that at the time I thought that because I was one of the older boys or because I was almost a councilor that those younger then me would have to listen to me. I was bossing them around, trying to impose discipline as if I was a staff person, which I wasn’t.

When it was brought to my attention by my councilor, and the owner of the camp, I began to change. The only time when I would let the power return is when either there was no councilor in range or if the councilor was freaking out and needed help. Luckily, I only was needed a few times and even in those positions I, when I think back on it, might have misused power. Not watching yourself when faced with authority can turn out to be a very bad thing.

The things that I took from this situation in order to learn from, is that sometimes you just need to relax and go with the flow instead of continually trying to swim against the current. When I was faced with power I tried to jump the totem pole up to the top. I have taken steps so that when I am next put into a similar situation I will not abuse what I am given.

Essay 5.As an exchange student you will be living in a new family and new community. Describe what appeals to you most about an exchange experience and what you think some of the challenges, other than language, might be. How might you deal with those challenges?

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I can’t wait till I get to Greece. I would have to say that what appeals to me most about the foreign exchange program would be the adventure aspect of it. I mean I know that I will not be traveling the world with gadgets like Bond or finding treasure like Indiana Jones, but just going someplace new and exciting is a really cool thing. I will love it there because of the sheer history that comes from Greece. I know that every place has history, but out of them all I like Greek history the most. I want to become a college professor in Ancient History and World Mythology and by going to Greece I will be one step closer to it.

I believe that besides the language problem, that the other problems I would experience there, would be the possible homesickness, the fact that I will not know anybody, and operating at school or just a new place that I am not used to being in. The way that I would deal with homesickness is that I would send letters home or for the most part just put my home in Kansas out of my mind and just not think about it. The not knowing anyone will be easier to deal with, upon arriving I will meet my new family and at least I will know them. I am also good at making friends so that really is nothing to worry about. Lastly, on the subject of being in a place that I do not know, there will most likely be someone else with me so they can show me the sights or just help me learn the many cool places to see in and around my new home.

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