<p>Any help here would be much appreciated, and let me know especially if i sound conceited at all please. </p>
<p>UC Personal Statement 2
Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment,
contribution or experience that is important to you.
What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud,
and how does it relate to the person you are?</p>
<pre><code>To persevere has always been the motto of my family. Though nothing can be viewed in absolutes, this motto has served well in many aspects of life for me, applicable to all problems in the spectrum of difficulty. One such situation where it was quite useful was when my dad and I hiked to the top of Half Dome. The hike was arduous and physically demanding, however I love tasks such as these, as I thoroughly enjoy a good challenge. After getting very little sleep the night before, We rose before sunrise and set out on the adventure. Being on top of the monolith has always been a dream of mine, and I respect anyone who has made the journey themselves. The ascension was very steep and grueling, but took on a sort of spiritual undertone in the tranquility of the morning air. Their was uncertainty, though, as their were storm clouds in the distance, which threatened our prospects of reaching the top. However with the belief they would clear we pressed on, sort of racing each other as we hiked.
As we reached the sub-dome, it began to dawn on us where exactly we were going. It was quite a rush, to say the least, as we saw the cable system, which went at a 70 degree incline straight up to the peak of the dome. I remember seeing the line of people clambering up the cables the last 500 feet to the top, and feeling my self confidence grow. I took hold of the cable, and slowly climbed, foot by foot to the summit. With trust in my abilities, I reached the top, and felt overcome by joy. I had accomplished one of my oldest dreams, one which I thought I would accomplish much later in my life. I felt gratitude for being able to come to Yosemite with my dad, and also felt how small people are, yet how large an impact we have had on the world. I thought how all the people up at the top with me had different experiences and different feeling from me, and the next person and so on. Looking out at the valley, I then thought of the billions of people on this planet, and how all of us have unique experiences on this same planet, and same locations as each other. I believe that this hike helped me find myself, and my most defining traits, which are curiosity, adaptability, and consideration of the feelings of others. These had always existed in me, but were finally cemented into my being, forever to define who I am and what I want to do. The hike also became an allegory for life, the road to a goal: difficult, yet rewarding. I came down from the Dome as myself, which had always existed, yet had simply been uncovered. With humble confidence I descended the cables, allowing others to pass, wondering what they would feel atop its crest.
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