MICHAEL M.

BRAY

“You are unique. You have different talents and abilities. You don’t have to always follow in the
footsteps of others. And most important, you should always remind yourself that you don't have to do
what everyone else is doing and have a responsibility to develop the talents you have been given.” – Roy
T. Bennett

On the 7th day of December year 2001, a heavy baby boy was born. He cried so loud that it
almost made the nurses and doctors panic. His loud crying, ironically, has made his mother the happiest
that day. And yes, I am that boy; I am Michael M. Bray. The world has welcomed me at the sweetest
time of the year, and now, I am gratefully ready to conquer whatever the world has to offer with my
utmost capacity.

Well, this introduction of myself would not be complete without me stating some inherent facts,
so, here are they: my current place of residence is here in San Fernando, La Union; I was born and raised
here. I have three (3) siblings whom I deeply love despite the endless arguments we’re having every day
– tough love it is. I love people who are fun and are easy to get along with just like my friends. My
friends are like a family to me. They are the ones who keep me happy and alive especially at a time like
this. My height is quite tall for my age, but I don’t really mind it since it is actually an advantage for me. I
could stand tall, reach high, and dream high. Being tall for me is not just about the height per se after all;
it is my courage and determination that has been keeping me to stand tall despite the hindrances and
struggles I face in life.

Given my acquired trait of being persistent in life, let me now tell you about my dreams and
aspirations for myself – for my present and especially for my future. I am currently studying Bachelor of
Science in Nursing here in (SCHOOL) as a freshman student. This course is something I find challenging
because it requires a lot of memorization and practices in order to fully understand it. In spite such step
backs and doubts I have encountered with this course, I still don’t regret taking this, because personally,
I am a man who enjoys conquering challenges and problems no matter what and how it takes. People
may say negative things about me or even discourage me, but those would never affect me dismissively.
I would rather use them as motivation and inspiration to do better in my field as a nursing student. This
is just my first step towards my ultimate goal in life – and that is to be a successful medical practitioner
and to provide my parents the best in life which they truly deserve.

Academically, this subject is quite unfamiliar to me because as far as I know, it is one of the
newly elected subjects due to the changed curriculum. Despite the newness of this subject, its course
name has apparently made me contemplate about my nature as a person; it made question and doubt
my own knowledge and understanding about myself. Do I really know and understand myself? Do I still
have things about myself which I am unaware of? These questions have led me to find this subject
interesting. Hence, I expect that this “Understanding the Self” course would enlighten and guide me
deeper throughout my journey in discovering truths about one self – myself.