Essay by Tyler Bollin

Throughout my life, I have been surrounded by challenges.  However, these challenges have not hurt me, instead they have made me stronger in their own unique ways.  One of the more difficult challenges I have faced a few times is switching to new schools.  I always hated it so much because I knew when I got to the new school, I would be the odd one out.  These experiences, though, have taught me to be kind and compassionate to others in order to make new friends. Switching schools looked like a bad thing on the outside, but it turned out to be a good thing on the inside.  I believe my kindness to others helped me in my journey to make new friends, because I was always open to talk to anyone.  I wanted to make sure that I left an impression on them and to make sure that they liked me as a friend.  I have always been a loyal friend and respected my peers.  No matter what other people thought of someone, I always found a good thing about them to compliment them on.  At one of my previous schools, there was a new kid that came to the school during the year, and he came from outside of the state.  When he walked into the classroom on his first day, I already knew what he was feeling like due to my previous experiences.  I told the teacher that he could sit in the empty seat by me, and we got to know each other.  We have been good friends ever since. The main motto in my family is “treat others the way you would want to be treated”.  As a Catholic, I think this motto is something that I should always do when I approach a new person.  This world can be very mean at times but if we could all sympathize with each other and be kind to each other, then it could be a better place.  In my most recent school change, I started my seventh grade year at St. Paul.  Due to my other experiences, I was able to adapt well and make friends quickly by treating everyone with kindness and respect. In fact, by the end the of the school year, despite it being my first year there, I was awarded the Christian Leadership Award.  This award recognizes students that exhibit leadership by Christ-like behavior.

Compassion for others, no matter their condition, is something I take very seriously due to family experiences.  This trait of mine is the result of my relationship with my grandmother and my cousin.  My grandmother suffers from a rare form of dementia called FTD (Frontal Temporal Lobe Dementia).  Sadly, I never knew who my grandmother really was before she was affected by this disease.  She was only 66 years old when she got diagnosed, and I was only 7.  Although we don’t really know each other at heart, I still have come to love and accept her despite her condition.  Having a close relative with this condition has opened my eyes to people with relatives diagnosed with Dementia or Alzheimer’s.  Although she is unable to express the love and affection I know she would like to give, I still show her the respect she deserves and treat her with dignity and love because that is what everyone deserves.  When I go with my mom to visit her where she lives in a memory care unit, I often find myself enjoying the visit with her as well as the other residents that live there.  Even though I know they will not remember the interactions we share, it makes me feel good giving them attention and love and getting them to smile.  In addition to my grandmother’s condition, I also have a first cousin who was born with special needs.  He is six years older than me, though now I am mentally more mature than he is.  His love of life and passion to be with his family has taught me very valuable lessons.  Seeing him overcome the limitations he has by being involved in his high school through various activities and making friends, despite his condition, is inspiring to me.  This has taught me that all kids, even those with disabilities, deserve to be treated with the same kindness and respect as everyone else.

For my Confirmation, I have service hours that I am required to do which I have fulfilled and exceeded.  Through all the different activities I participated in, such as the Mary Rose Mission, Crayons to Computers, Go Pantry, and many more, I have learned that giving is better than receiving.  I discovered that I enjoyed these community service activities, and I enjoyed working with other people alongside me.  I look forward to doing more community service hours because just a little impact on others makes me feel good about myself.  My goal was to put a smile on everyone’s face and make them feel valued because they all matter.  When I volunteered at the Mary Rose Mission soup kitchen, some people were embarrassed by their current state.  I treated them all with respect and kindness and once they sat down at their table, they all felt welcome.  As a Catholic, it is important that we are always there for each other, especially in our darkest moments.  Heading into my freshman year, I look forward to performing community service as a student at Covington Catholic High School.  The motto at Covington Catholic is “With a Spirit That Will Not Die”.  I look forward to living this motto as a leader in school both socially and in the community.