Sample: Personal Essay

Well I am currently coming off a no-hitter in the college world series. I was the first to do so. I am 24 and I just finished my last year at Clemson University. I received my communications degree but I will not put that to use. Because I was drafted into the MLB draft. Early today they held a ceremony to recognize the awesome things I have done for the program. They retired my number 22, at the ceremony. That made me drift back to just how far I had come. I remember when….

My cousin was 14 and I was just 9. He and I would spend hours in his yard training and executing baseball drills. He would make me lick the sap on a walnut if I messed up twice in a row. He was petite for his age, but he played bigger than he was. He played like an ox. He was also very fast. He worked with me every time I was there. We would condition run baseball drills lift weights. He was terrific with me and wanted me to be the best. I knew I was going to have to work hard because I wasn’t going to be much bigger then he was. He would never let me feel alone. He would even turn down is friends sometimes to hang out with me when I was there. Well it was the 8^th grade baseball season and I was coming off a no-hitter, my cousin going to attend the next game I pitched at. I was so nervous someone was going to have to appease me. I wanted to pitch a terrific game. I mean I couldn’t look bad with my cousin there I couldn’t let him down. I was determined to have a great game. Well I didn’t have the greatest game I pitched 7 innings gave up 4 hits and no runs. But the most important point was that I pitched well enough to impress my cousin. A couple months later I got word from my mom that Cj scored the winning goal for Western Michigan’s soccer team against northern Illinois. I was so excited I wanted to tell everyone. Right then and there I knew when we get older we would make a name for ourselves and turn pro.

Now, as I am getting ready for the MLB draft. I watch my cousin score the game winning goal for the U.S.A team in the world cup just like he had done for Western. I could not help but think, I had no better person to learn work ethic from. He was going to be one of the greatest athletes and I knew it. He showed me to not only learn from my mistakes but learn from his too. For instance, Cj did not do well in Junior High, but he made sure my grades were good. It’s great to know that both of are dreams have come true. As well, one thing you always need to remember is that you never know who is looking up to you. Whether it is your teammates or just your little cousin. You never know who’s watching you at any given time so it’s important to set a good example. As an older cousin you have a significant impact on your younger cousin’s lives. Whether you know it or not. I just hope he realizes how much he has done for me. I would not be where I am at today without him. I hope I have helped him learn from me also. I hope to continue to work hard and train like he has taught me to do. I am at the peak of my fitness and there is no slowing me down. Watch me and my cousin are going to look back at all the records we have broken and say, “Wow we did that together”. If you would have asked me when I was 9 years old if this would have happened I would say not in a million years! This whole thing is very inconceivable.