Turning Points

College is a very important part of life. Going to college right out of high school is the norm in today’s world. My journey to college was interesting. There were several lessons that I learned on my way to college, many new people that I met, and new obstacles that I had to overcome to get to college. My mom helped me incorporate the lesson of being motivated and chasing my dreams with purpose into my life. One of the most important people that I met during my journey to college was the one and only Tom Parker. The most challenging obstacle I had to overcome in my journey was organizing my life in order that I could be successful in college. I grew a considerable amount as a person the last two weeks of summer when I started my quest for college.

My senior year of high school I had several schools show their interest in me attending their school. My performance throughout high school in the High School Rodeo Association drew a lot of attention from several colleges’ rodeo coaches. I didn’t take the offers from these coaches very seriously. In fact I hadn’t even applied for college my whole senior year and most of the summer after I had graduated. Everyone has heard the saying ‘the best things in life come to those who wait.’

My mom, thankfully, helped me change my way of thinking. It was one afternoon toward the end of summer that I went to my mom at her office. I had been extremely upset and in a slump the last few weeks. I had realized I wanted to go to college, but I thought it was too late to start applying. As we were sitting there in my mom’s office with the sun bursting through the window she said to me, “Frankie, sometimes you have to make things happen for yourself and just go for it.” This was one of the most important moments of my entire life.

With the new perspective, I was extremely motivated to make my life better. After searching for the perfect college, I finally decided to choose Casper College as my next destination. There were a few problems that stood in the way of my college career. The main obstacle was that once I had found the college I wanted to go to, the classes started in only a weeks time. I needed to find a ride for my horses, apply for my student visa, contact the rodeo coach, and most importantly get accepted into the college. When I made my first phone call to the college, luck guided me to the exact person I needed to talk to. Tom Parker, my rodeo coach, helped me get scholarships and assisted me in signing up for classes. There were so many people that helped me move forward in life that I am very thankful for.

Although college was on my mind and taking up 99% of my thoughts, I figured I might as well go to one last rodeo before I came to the United States of America. One good choice of decided to go to college led to a couple of more good decisions. The last rodeo in British Columbia that I attended on my way to college helped me leave with a bang. I won both the breakaway roping and the barrel racing. In addition to the money I won, I got to say goodbye to my friends and rodeo family one last time before leaving. The day I arrived in the United States was also the first college rodeo. Nobody knew me I didn’t know any of the people I was competing against, but I showed everyone at the rodeo what I was made of.

Making it back in one of the top ten places going into the final round, in the barrel racing was a large statement. The Central Rocky Mountain Region is one of the most competitive college rodeo regions in the whole United States. I had officially started the rest of my life. Although my journey to college wasn’t the most fun thing I have ever done in my life, I wouldn’t change how everything ended up. My mom’s lessons that she taught me on how to be a better person, and to be myself helped me every step of the way. With the help of the great Casper College staff, I was able to put the lessons I had learned from my mom into action. Attending college is one of the biggest challenges I have ever had to overcome. Hard work and being persistent is my key to success.

Reflection
The conclusion in my essay refers back to the three main points that I made in my thesis sentence. Referring back to the thesis statement helps tie the whole essay together. In a sense the conclusion is the bow tied in a knot on the top of the present. The thesis statement sets the stage for the whole essay, the body of the essay explains the thesis in detail, and the conclusion wraps all of the points that were made. The conclusion matters in my essay because it reviews and ties everything together.