Alexandra Zarazua

Senior Defense

May 12, 2019

Growth Trajectory Essay

SKILL:
As a freshman, I was a big procrastinator. For example, I had a bad habit of finishing my work

last minute at my old school. Hence, the reason my grades were plummeting. When I arrived at

The Huntington Park Institute of Applied Medicine (HPIAM), I realized that I needed to change

these old habits. I was tired of failing my classes because I would turn in my work late. I was my

own motivation because I realized that I wouldn’t get anywhere by being a procrastinator. I have

dreams of going to my dream college. Therefore, I decided to challenge my skill of being a

procrastinator. I began working on my time management skills by having an agenda and making

time to do my homework. I saw myself improve as a student and my current grades reflect this.

This skill has opened a door to a better future for me as I have been accepted to the college I’ve

been wanting to attend since freshman year. These past two years at HPIAM have prepared me

for college work. I learned that in college it is important to utilize my time wisely. I will now be

more independent and will have to take responsibility for my actions. Due to my experiences, I

will do better in college and continue to improve my time management skills.

Trait:

In the past, I would describe myself as the unsure one. The girl unsure to raise her hand in class,

unsure when to say no to someone copying their work, and the one unsure about being

themselves. For instance, I was never able to choose things for myself. Even in groups, I would
let others chose for me. I would find myself uncomfortable in new social situations. However,

when I moved schools and came to HPIAM. I knew I had to challenge myself when I found out

about the IDPs. This would help me with my unsureness because I would need to present

evidence that I was sure of. In addition, I was put into groups of individuals that I was unfamiliar

with but I managed to pull through. Here at HPIAM, I became confident in who I was. I was able

to speak my mind with my group and work together with them. I became social and less afraid of

new faces. This will help me in college because I will be meeting a new set of individuals here

and instead of being scared. I am excited to start this new chapter of my life being confident.

Behavior:

As a freshman, I was a un-cautious person. For example, I would do things impulsively without

thinking of the consequences that came after. When I was attending school at Bravo, I would get

into a lot of drama due to the fact that I wasn't able to handle any conflicting situation that came

my way. There was a moment in my life where I was being bullied through social media. This

lead to my sudden change in my personality. I was now an angry person that would lash out and

act upon my emotions. When I was in the process of changing schools, I decided to change that

behavior. I wanted to enter this school with a fresh start. I learned how to think about my actions
before I acted. I took time to truly reflect on my actions and it has led me into becoming a better

person. Everything you do has a consequence after it, good or bad. In the future, I will continue

to use this behavior because it has kept me out of trouble thus far and I plan to stay away from

any negativity.