Throw Back Thursday: One of my Greatest Accomplishments

One of my greatest accomplishments: 2011 Teen Excellence Award.

I remember like it was yesterday reading in the newspaper the previous year's winners article. That's the moment I said to myself, "That will be me next year just wait."

I remember getting called down to the office with seven other students who were also top of the class and we were given applications and explained what Teen Excellence actually was. I was so excited and had this feeling of certainty. I handed in the application to my guidance counselor and that next month I received a phone call from the interviewer who was covering my story and she scheduled my final interview and photo-shoot right there with me on the phone.

Not only did I win, but my story would now be featured in the newspaper, and my family and I were invited to the award ceremony where people of high honor spoke, and a guest speaker from Penn State shared his story on why he never gave up on his dream. After that, every thing else was a blur. I was too nervous to eat, I didn't want them pronouncing my name wrong, but most importantly I was scared I was going to trip while walking up to receive my awards.

The host read through everyone's story before they called us up one-by-one to receive our awards, hugs and handshakes. As it was my turn, I remember my family and the other senior and her family at my table calming me down, congratulating me, and cheering for me as my name was called. As I walked up to the podium, it felt as if I was walking on water, my whole body went numb.

In the end, I made through all the handshakes and all the way back around to my table again. It felt so good to be recognized for something other than my GPA. Although that did play a huge roll in my winning, it was my community service, volunteer work and helping others that got me the scholarship, dinner party, plaque, and photo-shoot. After that, I felt as if my world was falling right into it's place, and that day forward I vowed to myself that I would never give up no matter how tough things get.