college essay

In the space provided, please write a concise narrative in which you descried a meaningful event, experience, or accomplishment in your life and how it will affect your college experience or your contribution to the UF campus community. You may want to reflect on your ideas about student responsibility, academic integrity, campus citizenship or a call to service.
Following a one-year stint in Vietnam, two more in higher education, marriage and divorce, thirty years at the same law firm, a cat nap after a peanut-butter-and-jelly lunch, and a stop at Publix to pick up the groceries, my father closed the door behind him, looked at me and declared: “Tenacity is my only virtue.” I had heard it before. He had said it before – a million times maybe. Somehow, however, this time I understood that my father’s solitary virtue also belongs to me.
As the sun scourged the field – its rays intensified by the tall, silver bleachers – we ran out to begin our first Saturday morning practice. I was doing great; making tackles left and right; causing fumbles; recovering fumbles. But then, on one fated play, I over pursued the ball carrier who cut inside. I reached back and grabbed some jersey. My arm went one way and I went another but, our trainer was on the premises and he quickly popped it back into place.
After a few more dislocations and a surgery, I decided to suspend my football career for one year. When Coach Gill heard about my temporary retirement, he asked me to help coach the freshmen. I didn’t understand exactly what he had in mind but I was anxious nonetheless. Most of the time I spent with the defense because therein lies my area of greatest expertise. Also, I quickly gained the coaching perspective: not actually running that wind sprints but encouraging others to do so.
Best of all, I bonded with the players. Our fullback ran up to me prior to the first game. “Coach, do you have some tape and a marker?” “No, why do you need that?” Apparently he required directional assistance on the field because when he got what he was looking for he placed a piece of masking tape on each foot. He then, with a sharpie marker, traced an “R” on his right foot and an “L” on his left foot. After my well rewarding and, sometimes, laughable season as a freshman coach, I finally joined the same players who had once called me “coach” – but this time as teammate.
Towering over my life on the football field is my life of faith and hope. Bishop Verot High School has endowed me with opportunities beyond grades and friends and activities. Because of this strong and vibrant community, I have more in common with everyone around me than I could at another school. The commonality of which I write is our faith.
Since sophomore year I have been able to attend Mass virtually every day. Waking up a half hour earlier not only gives me prime choice of the parking spots but also allows me to attend a twenty minuet celebration of the Mass, receive the sacrament of communion, and ask Father to hear a confession if necessary. The sunlight slowly creeps into the chapel and the courtyard outside grows louder and louder as the school comes alive. Inside, the ten to twenty of us also steadily prepare for a new day, and attempt to attain the virtue necessary for surviving it: tenacity.