TAMIU GEAR UP IV 2015 Essay Contest

I began to take small steps by starting to study. Before this, I had never taken the time to study. Shocking right? I began to see a big difference in the level of confidence I felt when taking tests. My grades were an immediate reflection of my newly found dedication. I was eager to learn and to prove to myself that I was better than I ever imagined. Attending several pep rallies throughout the year helped me to stay on the right track. Most of our motivational speakers had it about a thousand times harder than I did, and they achieved enormous success. I thought, "If they could, why can't I?" I began to take advantage of all GEAR UP's resources. I attended every workshop, meeting, field trip, and I used Qannection every time I had to write an essay. I even got lucky and won an iPad through Qannection! Before I knew it, it was finally summer. I wanted to continue pursuing my dream; therefore I attended GEAR UP's summer camp. It was chaotic managing summer band and GEAR UP's summer camp but it was totally worth it! I was ready for high school and no one was going to stop me from being my very best. My entrance to high school was extremely smooth due to the preparation I received during the summer. As freshman year progressed, I drew closer to GEAR UP coordinators. They soon became not only my mentors but my friends too. I began attending many, if not all, the field trips GEAR UP provided. This made me aware of different types of colleges. I started asking more questions about what I had to do in order to get into a prestigious college. One of the things my GEAR UP coordinators urged me to do in the future, was to take AP Exams. However, I wanted to challenge myself. I was willing to put in hard work, so, I decided to take the AP biology exam. After months of hard work, I am proud to say that, as a freshman, I passed the AP biology exam, all while maintaining high A's in all my classes and being fully involved in band. Freshman year soon came to an end, and I was proud of all that I had accomplished throughout the year. I had never felt so proud of myself. I had gone beyond all expectations I had of myself, but this was not the end. I wanted to continue learning and becoming a better student. I continued to attend activities GEAR UP provided as I wanted to make sure that I did not waste one single opportunity. GEAR UP made me realize that college doesn't have to be a dream, but a future event. I knew I would go to college; it was just a matter of where. Sophomore year soon approached, and I was ready for another year of improvement. Because of my continuous involvement with all of GEAR UP's resources, I was asked by Mr. Alvarado to become a Qannection ambassador for my school. This led to becoming an ambassador for my school's GEAR UP program. I was honored and proud that I was chosen for these positions, and of course I said yes to them both! I wanted to help students like me realize that GEAR UP is here for us. GEAR UP turned me from a shy little girl to an excelling, extroverted young woman. I went from being just a kid with untapped potential to being ranked third out of one thousand twenty-four students in my school. GEAR UP showed me that college is not just for the "rich genius" but for those who have the will power. GEAR UP has proved to me day in and day out that I do have potential to achieve what I set my mind to. GEAR UP pushes me to be the very best I can be for, "You can count the seeds in an orange, but not the oranges in a seed." GEAR UP has tapped the potential of this little orange. - Iliana Cantu