DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

 

                                                   The Path

 

 

I began my college career in the spring term of 2009 with the modest aspiration of obtaining an associates degree in Liberal Arts/Psychology from Bronx Community College. I chose this endeavor because I knew I needed a change from the path I was on in my life which was leading me nowhere fast. Since we are a product of our environments we tend to shape ourselves to adapt and function within that environment and sometimes we become something other than our true selves. We become lost in a world of survival and lose sight of our inner beauty that sets us apart from everyone else. somewhere along that road I figured out that to live life only with the mindset of survival is not really living life at all. And in doing so we are wasting time that can never be returned to us.

 

I decided from that point on that i would reinvent myself to become something more resemblant of my true nature. A form of myself that vividly details everything that makes me strong, pure, and beautiful. I use the word beautiful not to describe something physical but to describe an inner consciousness of self awareness that is empowering. A feeling of complete control and faith in ones own abilities. A washing away of self doubt complimented by movements that are purposeful and focus driven. I realized by taking a long look around with eyes wide open that most people in my environment were driven not by passion and a desire to reach their potential, but by fear, doubt, and paths that were designed by others and not by themselves.

 

I figured out a formula in the world of academia that has so far lead me to success. It's simple. so simple that it leads me to scratch my head and wonder why anybody that has taken that first step towards a higher education doesn't exploit it to the full capacity of their ability. why anyone would look at that situation with utter disdain and disrespect and proceed to only give this endeavor less than 50 percent of their ability.

 

Heres the trick, step 1. if you treat every assignment for every class like its a reflection of your inner self and give 100 percent of your abilities into its development, its creation, its manifestation, then what is produced is a work of art. A work of art demonstrating that all the information those professors are teaching you is being absorbed and recreated into functioning pieces of written mirrors. Reflecting back to them that you are intelligent, hardworking, creative, and passionate about being the best student that is in your capabilities to be. step 2. be completely interactive with your professor, asking questions, answering questions, and making statements that reflect you are gaining relevent knowledge and know how to utilize it. a strong and positive relationship with your professor will only create more oportunity for you to recieve a higher grade because remember life is all about relationships. step 3. which is the most important step that allows you to do all other steps. Simply put....read the material!!! if you read the books, chapters, handouts etc... you gain the knowledge that allows you to get the good grades, be able to answer the questions asked during class, to write the A+ papers, gives you the confidence to take a prominent and leading role in any class you step into. its all about being prepared and wanting it enough to take the time to learn.

 

Now I'll tell you why this is important by using my life as an example. I already told you where I started and why I chose to to take this path now let me tell you where it has gotten me. I proceeded to implement these steps and it allowed me to get straight A's in every class I took. From the spring semester of 09 to the spring semester of 2010 I progressively added as many classes as i could taking 6 courses per semester. My high GPA allowed me to take Honors courses which I saw as just one more way to reflect myself in my coursework. What i was doing was preparing myself, painting a picture of myself that represented what level I wanted to take my life to. I became aware of the CCTOP scholarship that was being offered by New York University.

 

I set my sights now on something that i never believed possible, something that was trully only visualized in passing thoughts, dreamed about  when i used to wonder how my life would of been if i were someone else. If i had the opportunities that well established families give to their children out of sheer want of seeing them succeed. Wanting the best because the best opens up doors to a life that is more meaningful and fullfilling. I figured out then that life is all about family, that as parents it is our duty to put selfish thoughts and wants aside and become a version of ourselves that promotes the establishment of our family. Through knowledge the world is lit up and the darkness of ignorance is washed away. The bigger picture is realized and just seeing it, realizing it, smelling it, and touching it makes you want to shed everything you once were and become something you never dreamed. The realization that you can become anything you want as long as you have the passion and the will to bring it into reality is now a driving force towards your success.

 

From Bronx Community College I'm now attending New York University on almost a full scholarship. I'm an Applied Psychology major with a minor in sociology. I have a whole new set of goals now because the further i go down this road the more i realize that my life is only limitted by my imagination.

 

I have three semesters left until I get my bachelors degree and i have positioned myself to go even further. Once i graduate with my bachelors from NYU that now qualifies me for a scholarship to take my masters degree from NYU. I'm going to get a maters degree in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellnees. and you know what i'm not stopping there, once thats completed its straight to a PhD in counseling psychology. Doing research and teaching psychology is a dream that will be realized and brought into reality. Why? because I found my path and it feels as natural as the very air I breathe. like it was meant to be and i was meant for greater things. I will make a difference in this world and show people that we all have greatness locked within us and if we can overcome our environments and the personalities we adapt to cope, then we can become a version of ourselves that is beyond recognition or imagination. So if you want to become a part of this society, i mean really a part of this society and not just a person who lives their life getting by, then take responsibility and take steps accordingly. The only thing that is trully holding us back........is ourselves!!

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

 

                                  The Path in Poem

 

 

 

            From the beginning of existence, my coming to be

 

            A life full of hope, joy, promise, and glee

 

            As the world turns consistent, unstoppably free

 

            So shall I be the one to embrace destiny

 

            Forged from the ash of trials so rare

 

            The dark sides of man, uncertainty, despair

 

            A new found light that shines and illuminates the soul

 

            a character that’s formed from mishap, accomplishment, and goal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Darius Muniz

Professor Vaso Thomas

Sociology 11  3286Q

September 25th 2009

 

 

 

 

                          In what ways are you a social being? (Response#2)

 

 

 

            The very definition of being human is social in nature, from the first moment we feel a touch or hear the warm voice of our mothers; we are now on the search for more. From the first time we see images, shadows, and shapes, it sparks our curiosity and wonder. The need to be social is experienced early and expands all through our existence until we exist no more. From the first playground experience in the sand box, or on the swings, or maybe the jungle gym, we search for potential playmates. The first cartoon we watched, we interacted with the fictional characters either mimicking behavior or singing along.

 

            As we mature and grow emotionally and physically our social relationships or roles become more complex and diverse. Through adolescence we tend to identify with people we are social with and take from our environments all the things that interest us. We develop likes, wants, dislikes and other preferences through being social and acquiring experiences of life for our learning purposes. In fact, the very way we learn derives from being social with our environments and without which the learning process would be greatly impeded.

 

            So in every aspect of my coming to be the person I am today, tomorrow and for the rest of my life, I am down to my soul a social being. For everything I will teach my children, it will be through the means of social interaction and communication. For the mark I will leave on this world and on history, for the accomplishments and failures I will experience, the triumphs and defeats endured, and for every action that will define my existence on this planet as a child, brother, son, father, husband and every other title that defines me and all the rest of us as social beings. We are all but pieces to the same puzzle called life and the sooner we realize that the sooner we can accomplish so much more in our lifetimes and for the benefit of our future generations.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.