Friendship

Correspondence gives meaning to our lives in a way that work never can. We connect to people on a human level and we feel the empowering effects of helping our fellow man, even if that means just listening or being listened to. Having someone on the other line or right across from us is more potent medicine than anything we can find from the downtown pharmacy or the local therapist.

The moments that we spend with friends are the moments that carry the most meaning. These moments are always the kindling for stories that set us afire and keep us warm for many months and years to come. The happiest of our memories are those adventurous, out of our minds, non-sensical, judgmental, critical, ecstatic, sleep-deprived, spontaneous, compassionate or just plain silly moments when we spent time with other people in a world outside of ourselves. Many of our personal and professional successes come from the constant onslaught of love and caring from our colleagues of the heart.

There is no motivation greater than a friend who believes in us and us in them. Reveling in our ambition, we are many times stronger with each other than we are alone. And as we continue to branch out and draw more loving people into our lives, our network of friends becomes united. People become connected and our success begets the success of others and vice versa. Soon one friendship ties to another friendship and a large trampoline is created, bound tightly on each and every edge with love. And from the trampoline, which we all hold together, we each are able to jump. Sometimes we hold the slack for others, allowing their bounce to reach new levels of achievement and prosperity. But other times, when our moment’s right, we find ourselves propelled to new heights and new realities, reaching a plane of life we never believed was possible. 

As we look below, we see nothing from our high vantage point. But as we turn our heads to the side, admiring our surroundings, we see each and everyone of us animated and in the air, smiling and laughing, each living his or her dream.

Study Abroad Essay: A Reflection on my Past & Future Life Paths

The summer before last, I had the opportunity to work as an immigration law intern in San Francisco, California. The work was with my uncle, Chris Kerosky, the family lawyer who owns his own law practice on Market Street, the well-traveled thoroughfare in the heart of the city. I still remember his words on that summer day in Ashtabula, Ohio, as he gave me a pep talk before the big trip. “My goal for you”, he relayed over the phone, hundreds of miles away but as close as the receiver to my ear, “Is for you to see this beautiful city, experience its lovely culture, and meet the incredible people who live here. Zack, I want you to see what a big city is like and to understand how the experience of traveling can expand your perspective and ultimately change your life.”

The day after I arrived, my Uncle and I took a stroll through the city. Although it was only my second day in San Francisco, in a small way, I began to understand what he had meant. It happened in less than a minute but I can still visualize the experience with remarkable clarity. We stood at a crosswalk, waiting for the traffic signal on the opposite side of the street to change so that we could move cross. As we waited, I drew my gaze to the people around me and listened. Between the strident motion of the oncoming traffic, I could make out a panoply of foreign words being spoken. As I sat idle, absorbing the sounds around me, it occurred to me that I was listening to conversations in many foreign languages.

It dawned on me that this one overcrowded crosswalk with no more than a dozen people, was teeming with culture and tradition beyond my understanding. I was both intrigued and frustrated, excited at my realization but humbled at my inability to glean any meaning from their words.

In this moment, I knew that I wanted to learn another language. I wanted to be able to make sense of what I had heard. I wanted to communicate.

And so it’s no coincidence that I am an International Studies major with a minor in Spanish. My uncle Chris profoundly altered my view of reality by exposing me to something much bigger than myself.

His words remain with me wherever I go. He had confided in me many weeks later that: “Besides having kids, studying abroad was the best decision of my life.” It allowed him to attend Berkeley Law School and become an Immigration lawyer, who helps citizens from different countries gain asylum in the United States. My Uncle speaks Polish, Russian, Spanish and English fluently and he speaks conversational German. From his one experience studying abroad in Luxembourg, the whole trajectory of his career was radically changed.

In a way, my experience with language is also at a crossroads, at the beginning of something bigger and more exciting. I have worked diligently to learn the Spanish language. I have found that learning a language does not come as easily to me as it did for my uncle. But I am determined to learn. I review three vocabulary words every night and have a running list of 16 sheets of white paper filled with words. I have completed 115/115 lessons for an advanced Spanish audio system and I have recently begun using the most advanced Rosetta Stone software. I see the opportunity to study abroad as an experience that will profoundly change my life. My goal is to be fluent in Spanish by the time I graduate from Allegheny college. The experience in Seville, Spain would help me reach that goal. In terms of my professional goals, I see myself going to graduate school to pursue a career in politics, business or higher education. In any of these fields, a second language separates one adroit candidate from another.

I would appreciate the opportunity to study abroad as a way to realize my life goals. Thank you for considering me for this opportunity.

Time Management: 4 Reasons Managing My Time Has Changed My Life

Over the past few months, I have taken an interest in time management. I've observed that successful time management is the difference between an average person and an extraordinary one. Therefore, I've decided to dedicate myself to making schedules, creating deadlines, concocting an "Actions for this day" list, prioritizing daily asks, and ultimately, generating results.

I feel empowered when I see my daily workload in print and I have confidence in my ability to complete each task single-handedly. I believe that successful time management offers a host of benefits to an individual who wishes to pursue the subject.

For one, time management frees up more time. As a result of spending time more effectively, I now have more time for work, rest or play. Just a few months ago, my schedule was chaotic and my free time was a tiny, albeit radiant interstice during the day. Now, my free time is much less constrained, because I create my own free time.

Secondly, time management allows me to get more done. Let's face it, if I have a list of prioritized tasks in front of me, I am bound to get much more done than if I had no such list. And in addition to getting more done, I have learned to produce and refine my work more efficiently. In this way, effective time management begets more effective time management.

Thirdly, I have learned to value my time more. When I started to prioritize my daily goals, I understood that my time was scarce and I would not have time to do everything I wanted to do. Some things would be left out. But that's the nature of time management and also the exciting part, because I have the opportunity to engage myself at any time. Also, I have learned to gauge the degree of importance in any given task, and I refuse to waste time on tasks that are not important. Because I value my time, the quality of my time has also increased. Since I create time for personal recreation, relaxation and time with friends, I have found that I engage myself more actively and enjoy my free time in a whole new way.

Finally, time management has helped me to take responsibility for my life. From reading, Time Power, by Brian Tracy, I have learned that time is an indispensable and inelastic quantity. It cannot be stretched and all work and accomplishment require it. Furthermore, time is perishable; it cannot be saved, preserved, or stored. Time is irreplaceable (Tracy, p.20). When I accepted time for what it is, was and will be, I understood that everything I earn, learn or produce is a product of how I spend my time. And why not spend my time more effectively? The time is going to pass anyway. 5 years of watching T.V. and wasting time will pass in the same way as 5 years of reading hundreds of classics, immersing myself in the best business literature for my field, investing in networking seminars and business conferences, and sharpening my personal and professional skills.

So ultimately, what we see IS what we get.

The choice is yours.