McNulty 1

Sara McNulty
Mrs. Pettay
ENG 111 3A
2 October 2015
Grace, Imagination, and Life
Our motto is Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). How is service to others important in your life?
97 degrees, 50 2x4 boards, 10 kids, 2 screwdrivers, 1 half built wheelchair ramp. By
Thursday on a mission trip, we are all a little irritable. Early mornings and late nights, absolutely
no privacy, and an abundance of 14-16 year old boys constantly yelling could drive anyone a
little crazy. St. Aldens, West Virginia was my fourth mission trip and I was enjoying every
second. This particular Thursday we were especially exhausted from our white water rafting
excursions on our break day the day before, so the task of finishing this 30 foot wheelchair ramp
was seeming more and more daunting each passing minute. A break was called around 10:30
A.M., so we sat for few precious moments in the shade. Halfway through our rest, we hear
several loud thumps coming from behind us. The 80 year-old woman we were helping was
slowly making her way down the concrete steps that we were building the wheelchair ramp to
replace, dragging a cooler behind her. Once she reached the group, she began quietly handing
out popsicles to all of us, a much appreciated treat. When handed mine, I smiled and thanked her.
The woman grabbed my hands, looked me in the eye and said, No, thank you for all youre
doing for me. It means more than you know. Our little sacrifice of one week of the summer,
changed this womans life drastically. The gratitude she expressed will never be forgotten.

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Mission trips are the most hilarious, exhausting, memorable and rewarding experiences of my
life.
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If you could have any superhero power, what would it be and why?
Invisibility. An ability that could come in handy in so many situations it would be impossible to
list them all, especially in 250 words or less. Late to class? Poof, slip in undetected. Have bad
seats for your favorite bands concert? Poof, get to the front or even backstage if you want to.
Want to avoid raking leaves in the fall? Poof, youre not even home to get recruited by your dad
for the job. Some say invisibility would be the best power for a villain, but I would only use my
vanishing powers for good. No robbing banks or sneaking in on confidential meetings for me.
Being invisible would allow for sweet moments of serenity when wished for. If no one can see
you, no one can come and interrupt those few silent moments you may get in a day. Silence is a
sound that should be treasured, as it is so rare nowadays with all of things we have going on in
our lives. Invisibility could be used for entertainment purposes and mental health, an all-around
useful ability. Humans have already mastered flying, hearing others thoughts would get
annoying real quick and super speed can easily be achieved by the latest Porsche. Invisibility, the
most practical and fun superpower.

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If you could spend one day with any person (living or deceased) who would it be and why?
What would you want them to know about you?
From the first chapter I was hooked. I first heard Louis Zamperinis story when my aunt
recommended the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and hesitantly began reading it on one
dreary autumn day. Raised from humble beginnings by Italian immigrant parents, Louis began

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running as a way to stay out of trouble. The 1940s came, the world changed drastically, and
Louis made the decision to defend our country. A bombardier for the Air Force, his plane crashed
in the Pacific Ocean, forcing him and one other crew mate to survive for 72 days on a raft, only
to be captured by the Japanese and thrown into a prison camp. Unspeakable, despicable,
inhumane things were done to him during his time in Japan. Fortunately and by extremely slim
chances, Louis survived and returned home. Louis suffered from PTSD after the war. He turned
to drinking and became an aggressive man. After years of struggling, he rediscovered his faith
and did the almost impossible: Louis returned to Japan, faced his prison guards in Japan, and
forgave them. Forgave them. These men starved him, beat him until he was barely breathing,
and he forgave them. This was an amazing feat that I took to heart. Recently my friendship with
my best friend of nine years ended and I was angry for a long time at her. Louis taught me that I
could forgive her, to hold love in my heart instead of hate. I would want Louis to know how he
changed me for the better and thank him for his bravery. 254 words (250 max)