College Admissions Essay: How Lemonade Changed My Life

Growing up, children have nicknames, mine was "lemonade" because when life gave me lemons I made lemonade out of any situation. When I was given this nickname I was unaware of the trials I would later face in life, but as always I made lemonade out of the situations. One of my favorite things to do has always been to challenge myself and push my own limits, physically and academically. When I was 7 years old I asked for a unicycle for Christmas and taught myself to ride it. I've always had a motivation that can be matched by few, and a drive to be unique. I believe my drive to be the best I can be every day, and my outlook of being a difference maker would be a valuable addition to the UCF community. I believe anything can be accomplished

When I was about to enter my junior year of high school, I was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Prior to being officially diagnosed, for several months I was in insurmountable pain that turned me into someone who wanted to do nothing, not because I didn't want to but because I couldn't, but also limited me from participating in the activities I wanted to. Although I had many decent days where the pain was minimal, there were also plenty of days that I dreaded that caused my joints in my fingers, wrists, feet, and knees to swell and prevent me from doing simple everyday activities like tying my shoes or brushing my hair. After visiting multiple doctors and being on multiple different treatments I found the right treatment that successfully alleviates my pain. While going through the process of finding the correct treatment, I remembered my nickname, and I remembered that I can't change the circumstances, I could only change my attitude about it. On days where I couldn't write with a pencil and paper, I would type notes in class instead. There was always an alternative that made it possible for me to accomplish the goals I