In a high school filled with near-geniuses and intense overachievers, it was difficult to separate myself from straight-A students, varsity team captains, and class presidents. It was like everybody was constantly trying to fit the mold of the perfect student who could balance everything at once and still, somehow, keep it all together. But what happens when we realize we don’t fit the mold? I never got perfect grades, never excelled in sports, never had the determination to lead my high school class. And while I have yet to change the world, there is one thing that I hold above all other accomplishments: my life has purpose. I have a purpose, and that purpose goes far beyond the self-serving patterns of this world. I continue to seek an understanding of this purpose every day, and although my understanding may be incomplete, the pieces are slowly coming together. In a world that idealizes personal success and self-worth, I go against the system. My purpose is to serve, and every day is an opportunity for me to get closer to this objective. My passion for service took root in my devotion to serving children at an orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico. The transformations I witnessed in these children over time revolutionized the way I view life and my overall sense of purpose. When you discover the pain and disappointment they have endured throughout their lives, you see that where there was once desperation and uncertainty, there is now an uncontainable joy that can melt even the hardest of hearts. And you can see that they too have a purpose. Their purpose shows that there must be something else worth living for, something so much bigger than yourself or anything you could ever imagine. That’s the only way abandoned and abused orphans can find the strength to get up in the morning, to smile. They have a sense of unshakable hope. And although it’s hard to understand, when you finally grasp this small little miracle, you realize that you have a purpose and a life to devote to that purpose. Everything else is worthless.
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