Take Action: 11th Grade Launch Curriculum - 2024 - 165

STUDENT HANDOUT
UNIT 4: PERSONAL STATEMENT
Day by day is how I'm now taking it. I am in one Pre-Collegiate program and the Daniel's College Prep Program.
I realize that it's up to me to make my future despite the death of my family. With a combination of these two
programs and good friends, I know that I can soar high above the clouds with wings of an eagle. I can see Petie
just ahead of me as we begin to play and fl y with each other even though I'm still in this life and he's in the
next. Here's looking at you. ONE DAY. ONE DAY.
sample personal statement #2
BY ENDEMECIO SANTANA
Seeing my best friend walk out of our sixth grade gym class got me interested in where he was going. I asked
the teacher, after I got the courage to, " where is Manual going? " " He's going to band practice, " he answered. I
didn't know what he meant by that. This was the fi rst time I had heard about band. Three days later I asked to
enter the band program. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. The fi rst day, which was two days later,
I sat in the band room, which was in the cafeteria. I was so nervous that I was sweating like a piece of meat on
a hot grill. I looked around the room seeing all these shiny instruments held by my friends. The light refl ected
off of the instruments like the sun refl ecting off the ocean water. The teacher walked up to me after the tardy
bell rang. " I heard that you want to join the band. Do you know what kind of instrument you want to play? " she
asked. I pointed at the shiny silver-coated brass instrument that Manual was holding and said, " That one, " not
knowing it was a trumpet. At that time I didn't know the name of any instrument.
One week later, the teacher gave me an instrument, which she called a baritone. " This is the only one left to play, "
she told me. It was in a four-foot black box. I started to unlock the box and take the huge monster-like instrument
out. It was a snake of tangled brass tubes with two openings. One opening was at the top facing the ceiling.
I swear it must have had a radius of about twelve inches. " I can stick my entire head in this, " I told Manuel, my
best friend. The other opening was about one inch in diameter. " How in the world am I going to take this thing
home and bring it back? " I told myself. I paused and thought, " I can do this. I have never done anything. This is my
chance to do something. I will learn how to play this twenty-three pound piece of metal and no one will stop me. "
I carried the monster down the hall from the band room, up the stairs, and straight to the sidewalk where I waited
for my ride. When my ride arrives I put the monster in the car and go home. I unloaded it and put it in my room
until time to practice. To take it back to school, I had to take the monster out of my room, put it in the car, go to
school, carry it up the front stairs, in the front door, down the hall, and into the band room.
The fi rst time I played the baritone it sounded like two 4x4 trucks honking at each other before they crashed
into each other. It was so bad that I turned red when everyone laughed at me. At home the sound seemed
to be magnifi ed by the walls of my room. No one in my house wanted me to play. One Saturday morning
after I woke up and ate breakfast I went to my room ready to practice. I entered my room and looked for my
baritone but didn't fi nd it. I got scared thinking someone had stolen it. I looked for my mom to ask if she had
seen my baritone. I found her in the garage trying to hide it. " What are you doing?! " I asked her. " I don't want to
hear the noise anymore, " she answered. I took it from her and ran as fast as I could to my room with my mom
behind me screaming. " Don't play, don't play!!! " That day I practiced for 3 hours straight. Everyone screaming at
me every 5 minutes: " Shut Up!! " I practiced and practiced. I told myself, " I will not let anyone stop me. I will do
this. I will tame this beast of brass. "
After one month of playing I started to sound great and I loved it. I felt that I had improved from blowing air
to playing music. It felt like the fi rst time learning to read and write. It opened my mind to new thoughts and
ideas. It led me to enrich the sound quality of my playing. My view of the beast changed. It morphed from
a tangled hunk of metal to a beautiful music maker. The baritone and I became one. Without the baritone I
LESSON 16: WHAT IS A PERSONAL STATEMENT?
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LESSON 16: WHAT IS A PERSONAL STATEMENT?
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