College Essay Example: Personal Experience

Struggling against the rapids, I fretfully made my way over to my uncle, who was helplessly hanging onto his tube, gasping for breath. The more he tried to breathe, the more water he swallowed. I selflessly swam to him and attempted a rescue. I was able to lure him into the shallow water, which was around twenty feet away. Within a matter of ten minutes, I had felt the horror of the thought of losing a loved one and the accomplishment of being a hero.

Last summer, at a family reunion of thirty-seven people in upstate New York, we had decided to go white water tubing although only a few of us knew how to swim. What had started off as a fun filled activity soon turned into a tragedy. To our surprise, the current of the river was vicious and at many points, the intensity of the rapids threw us off of our tubes. Throughout the two hours we were in the water, many were left helpless, stranded in the middle of the torrents, clinging onto the tube with their lives. Being one of the only ones able to swim, I instinctively swam to help everyone I encountered along the way, with my heart pounding at the thought of what would happen if I was too late. My superpowers were tested as I was forced to help others onto their tubes while holding onto mine, all while battling the rapids and avoiding the slippery rocks that were surrounding us at all sides.

Fortunately, the five of us who could swim were able to save all of our family members who were repeatedly drowning. After we returned to the elders, they instantly broke into tears after hearing about what happened. They were scared of what their family had been through and were also happy that when in danger everyone came together to help each other.

The lessons I had learned that day are ones that I will never forget. That was the day I realized how much I loved and cared about each one of my family members. Every problem I may have had with anyone did not matter the moment I saw him or her in distress. This experience also made me realize my heroic qualities. The importance of family was always something we were taught, but it was that day where we realized what it truly meant. In the moment, I was capable of accomplishing things I never thought I could. It made us stronger as a family and stronger as a person.


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