College Admissions Essay: The Purpose Of My Life

The freedom to walk, the ability to run, the excitement to jump. All of these tasks are ones that come easily to many people, but come as a great challenge to me. I was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo with a condition called Amniotic Band Syndrome, which means that I was born without a leg.
Throughout my life, I have often felt that I was incapable of completing tasks and I often would find myself losing faith in God. Instead of facing typical challenges of school and adolescence, I struggled with depression and loneliness. I constantly wondered why was I different from all the other kids and questioned the purpose of life, or even if I had a purpose at all. I always pondered to myself that if such a small abnormality, such as a bad haircut or a missing tooth, could cause others

The health care in America was able to provide me with a prosthetic limb to have as normal of a life as I could, given my condition. Also the opportunity for an American education has given me the chance to attend a college. Each of these opportunities had been granted to me when I never thought I would have a chance. My father, who never had the opportunity to attend college, always expressed to me, “Faizal, an education is the most essential gift your mother and I can provide you. We brought you to America so that you and your brother would have a chance to compete in the country of opportunities, have a better life, and make better of yourselves. With an education, you are capable of taking this world to its highest potential, being whoever you want to be!” Similarly, my mother encouraged me to overcome adversity by speaking for what I believe in. Therefore, an opportunity to continue my education at a college would not only fulfill my own goals and aspirations, but it would also be a dream come true for my parents to see my