<p>The question was basically to tell a story from your life or a character defining moment. However, it may seem like I'm showing a big interest in the school, but it's actually supposed to show that I am very passionate and will chase after what I'm passionate about! </p>
<pre><code>Im on a plane at 3 oclock in the morning thinking about the consequences of what may seem to some like an illogical action. I know Im not supposed to be on this plane, but here I am, fueled by my educational passion for the University of Washington. Cultural tradition, for today, must be overridden.
In my short teenage life, I have always been the stereotypical good-girl. I was raised in a strict, Afghan family and have been brought up to respect authority. Middle-eastern culture normally dictates that women be submissive, something that I often find myself falling into. Up until recently, I did not know if Id ever do anything risky in high school, like some of my peers. However, a few weeks ago, I was faced with the riskiest decision of my high school career.
The business and marketing organization, DECA, had given me the option to attend the Western Regional Leadership Conference in order to compete in a mock competition and to network with fellow members. It sounded great, but the real appeal struck me when I found out the location. It was to be held in none other than Seattle, Washington. Seattle has always held a special place in my heart. I had always thought of it as a picturesque place with interesting people, beautiful weather, greenery and opportunities for both success and happiness that Las Vegas cannot offer. My heart was longing to visit that gorgeous city, so I bound myself to the $700 contract to attend the conference. Little did I know that a grade check would be needed. While Ive always done well in subjects focused on reading and writing, math has proven to be more of a challenge. My current grade was a measly fifty-seven percent, meaning I needed just three more percentage points in order to be given the OK to attend the conference. Failing to meet the requirement at the current time in the quarter, I left the assistant principals office in tears, defeated. I would not receive a refund, but more importantly, that plane would leave without me. I lamented over my fate with coworkers and friends. As I had already been given my flight confirmation code, I decided to avoid telling my mother about the situation. In the early hours of the morning, with tired, tear-ridden eyes, I piled my professional and casual clothing into my luggage case. This was where I partook in the riskiest action of my life: I got on the plane. Throughout the whole ride, sheer terror and excitement pumped through my veins. However, all traces of negative emotion quickly left me when I looked down at the amazing greenery and beauty of Seattle. Sadly, the moment I stepped foot in Seattle, I was contacted by my not-so-ecstatic assistant principal, Mr. Butler, and told that I was to catch a flight back to the desert from the oasis I had finally reached. With the increasingly short amount of time I had left, the only thought that ran through my mind was: get to U-DUB.
Three subway rides to University District and several awkward conversations later, I reached my future Shangri-La. Standing in Red Square, looking off into the direction of Drumheller Fountain, I was awestruck. Any fear that I romanticized the vision of the campus was entirely unfounded. I was swept away by the sheer magnificence of the reality. I felt as though, in that moment, that my seemingly insubordinate actions had been validated.
In life, barriers that stand in the way of ones truest passions must be overridden sometimes through risk. Some will say that what I did was insubordination, but in my opinion, it was my passion to go to U-DUB, built up over years of dreaming, hoping, and doing, that has forced me to do the unthinkable - to jump on a plane and pursue what I always wanted - University of Washington.
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