College Extracurricular essay

My entire life I have strove to be a determined, practical, and independent minded person, but as we are our own worst critics, I felt I was never rising to the potential I knew I was capable of, I knew something was lacking. So, for six weeks out of my senior year summer I attended Arkansas Governor’s School at Hendrix College in pursuit of discovering this “lacking factor.” While there I attended many environmental lectures. These lectures made me want to learn more about not only the atrocities that mankind is committing to our one and only world, but it also made me want to study more about ways to lessen the carbon footprint, and search for renewable energies. While at Arkansas Governor’s School another friend and I organized a meeting and wrote a letter to the Governor of Arkansas, Governor Bebe, about our dissatisfaction with the idea of a new 600 mega watt coal fired power plant being built in Arkansas. We started a petition around the school and obtained well over half the student body’s signatures. When Governor’s School was over, I knew that my work was not anywhere close to being finished. I personally met with the Governor in a conference to present the letter and petition from Governor’s School, I appeared on a local radio station discussing the affects of coal, and why this plant should be put down. I have organized a coalition of high schools not only in Little Rock, not only in Central Arkansas, but throughout the entire state of Arkansas for young adults interested in the environment. Through organizing meetings, writing letters to the governor, attending local rallies, and writing my senior thesis on this topic I have developed a greater understanding of the environment and how it is to be used. I have also come to a greater understanding of the differences between idealism, which many environmentalists tend to be, and practicality, which I believe I am. I am the girl who listens to the idealist speak, take their ideas, and show them how it can be utilized practically. Sometime between Arkansas Governor’s School and attending rally’s on the state capital’s steps; I discovered the “lacking factor.” Passion was lacking; but now, through this enlightening, and sometimes sleep deprived, experience, I have found a passion, and I now know that I am not only capable of being passionate, determined, practical, and independent, but I am.