Stephanie Belmont, Class of 2012—
As I sat in front of my computer to write this essay, I realized I had no idea how to write my beliefs in a coherent manner. I have always known what my beliefs were, but I have never had to express them to other people. So here it is:
I believe in freedom and opportunity. I believe in the ability to make my own decisions and set my own goals. I believe in setting my mind to something and understanding that I will accomplish it. No matter who may laugh at my dreams or hopes and call them senseless, I will not be stopped from achieving them. I can wake up every day and decided what is it I want to do: I can go to class and try hard, I can go grab lunch with my friends and choose to eat a turkey sandwich or ham sandwich! To have the ability to make my own decisions is a freedom in which I strongly believe.
Life is full of opportunities that open different doors. I can choose which opportunity to jump at and follow its course. To be able to live in such a country where I am presented with so many chances and freedoms is what has shaped my beliefs. There are so many people in the world today that have their lives planned for them from the time they are small children. They have no ability to make decisions and act upon their own desires. To be able to truly say that I have the choice to decide what it is I want to do with my own life is such a special thing.
I believe in the ability to choose what I do and do not believe in.
Blake Kush, Class of 2008—
I believe in laughing until you are red in the face and your stomach hurts for days. I believe in planting a garden and learning what it takes to cultivate the actual fruits and vegetables. I believe in love and all of its undeniable effects on the human spirit, its mischievous mannerisms and especially all of its ‘off the beaten path’ tendencies. I believe in myself and if it were not for this belief or the occasional pat on the back with my own hand, I would not be capable of anything. I believe in 15 minutes of silence per day. I believe in spending more time with my family than the current amount spent now. At the end of the day, my family (no matter what it looks like or how it is made up) is truly all I have. My family deserves credit for who I am and for who I will become. I believe in taking more days off than working. I believe that false hope is better than no hope at all. I think repeating this is worth it: I believe in laughing! I believe that positive encouragement can go a lot farther than negative criticism. I believe in recycling, reducing and re-using. I believe in taking a shorter shower and turning off the sink when I brush my teeth. I believe in prayer, no matter what shape or form it comes in. I believe in the potential of the human spirit and its strengths rather than its weaknesses. I believe that simply believing can go a lot further than not believing at all.