McTighe-College Essay

How Am I Unique?

The word unique means being unlike anything else, the only one of its kind. As I look at

the world around me and all the people that I know, I realize, yes, everyone is unique. How am I

more unique than the people that I know? When I look in the mirror I see a tall young man with

brown hair and blue eyes, not so unique. But when I look closer, I think about the person that I

am inside, the characteristics that make me do the things I do, think the things that I think, say

the things I say and mostly feel the things I feel. Now I see a young man that truly is unique on

the inside.

What makes me, me? I realize that all of my life experiences have left an imprint on my

personality and contributed important and impactful pieces to the creation of the person that I see

in the mirror. Sometimes, we don’t always like the person that we have grown to become or the

person that we see in the mirror. Sometimes I find it hard to enjoy or appreciate the

characteristics that make up myself. It can be very frustrating to feel different than your friends.

Since I was young my Dad always told me that “God gives everyone different gifts,” but it's not

always easy to recognize your own gifts. As I became more mature I have learned to embrace

my differences or uniqueness and gifts. Having Attention Deficit Disorder gives me unique

traits and abilities. This is one of life’s most difficult challenges for me, to be strong and

confident in myself, and my differences. Some of these traits make me more creative,

spontaneous and energetic then other people that I know. My creativity is always an inspiration

to me. In my world, it is just not good enough for typical activities to be just typical. I always

want more, as I was growing up my backyard baseball games would always have a fully painted

field and batter box and I would hang lights so we can enjoy a game at night. There would be
 McTighe-College Essay

music to keep the crowd involved when the game got slow, an announcer and the coolest

uniforms and snacks. I am very sure when you came to a backyard game at my house, you

would not experience “typical”. I am also very sure when you meet me you will not experience

“typical”.

I am not a typical learner. Another unique trait about myself is how I learn. I do not learn

the same as most students, I work a little harder and use my creativity to find strategies to be a

successful learner. Sometimes it might be dribbling a basketball that maintains my focus and is

my learning support, sometimes music and sometimes a tutor. As I go through high school and

get older, I have a much greater understanding of myself and my differences. It is rewarding to

finally understand “me”, it has been a long and emotional road for me to finally figure it out, and

every day I learn something new about myself. I have learned to be proud of all my “out of the

box thinking” my humor, my drive and my passions.

There are numerous things that make up me and have made me such a unique person.

The few things that I have shared are the most impactful on my life. Yes, I am a fun person to be

around, I am a committed and loyal friend, and I am pretty good at most sports that I play. I

cherish my family and I am thankful for the support and opportunities that my family has given

to me. Living in my world, I have a strong sense of being different and unique. Maybe It is my

passion, maybe my compassion, sometimes my frustration and sometimes I feel lost in a world

that is typical. But mostly I am proud of just not being a “typical” me.