Life changes and that is a blessing. A couple years ago I, Sam Bowar, never thought I would be applying to a prestigious school like the University of Minnesota with the confidence that I would succeed there. I am aware that no essay is required for your school, but I felt it would be necessary for me to write one since my situation is complicated.

I can recall, regrettably, how different I was during my freshman year of high school. My older brother excelled at football, so I blindly tried to follow in his footsteps. My attitude as a student was poor, as I disregarded the importance of my education and spent more time in the weight room than studying. Even during school, I remember missing potentially fascinating history lectures as my mind gazed off in anxiousness about how much I was going to be able to bench-press after school. I enjoyed music and playing my guitar, but like my education, I put football before it. My attitude and study habits did not align with my potential to succeed. I was deceived into believing that this was my path and that I was happy. It was one day during the beginning of my sophomore year that I had an epiphany: this was not my path and I was truly empty inside. I was so unhappy that I eventually faced depression, quit football and had to see a social worker. This marked the beginning of how I would evolve as a student, as a person.

Football was finally off of my back, and I started to take advantage of my free time to become more involved with music. In addition to guitar, I started singing and playing bass, keyboard and drums. I had always appreciated music, but I had a much stronger appreciation now. I eventually became involved with two recreational bands and started frequently writing my own music. My self-esteem improved greatly and subsequently, so did my academic performance. I finally changed my study habits and my attitude, resulting in a major improvement in my performance and a much more enlightened mind. I was more ambitious and willing to learn than ever before, and I started to become more involved by participating in my school’s debate team, newspaper and Junior Statesmen of America. I won an award for top speaker at one of my debate meets and became the editor for the opinions page of my school newspaper. Just achieving the happiness I did was a greater accomplishment for me than anything.

I am incredibly grateful for the epiphany I had and my growth as a person that resulted from it. My confidence has increased well enough that I can say I will succeed at the University of Minnesota and be a positive addition to the student community. Thank you.