Claudia...It's been almost two years since Ben passes, but he's still a big part of my life. And I just wanted to share my college admission essay with you, because it means alot to me and I hop you see that too.

I have spent a good deal of my time wondering what I was going to write about in my college essay, hoping that whatever it is appeals to a variety of colleges and their readers. I went over various topics such as my love for golf, the importance of schooling, or my future goals in life. However, it was not until I thought about my past did I realize, not what I should write about, but what I want to write about. Something that reached out to me and changed my life forever.
On December 2, 2008 at 3 pm, the students of Prairie School were filed into various rooms after our eighth hour class. Not knowing what to expect, we did not think it was much of anything. It was not until the school counselor walked into our room consisting of the entire sophomore class, did we realize this was going to be something serious to discuss. It was then that she told us; earlier that morning a dear friend to us, a member of our class, had passed away. An array of emotions hit us all, resulting in mixed feelings of wonder, sadness and disbelief. Many were schocked by what she had told us and could not grasp the idea of losing someone so close to our hearts. He was a student, destined to do great things in his life, testing out of various classes, and never having much of a challenge in any of the classes he took. So how did this happen?
The death of my classmate was the first time in my life, when I thought about my own life. Then it finally hit me, a quote that most everyone has heard, but never thought much about. "Live life for today, because tomorrow is not promised." I wish that day never happened; it's something we do not want to forget, though it is painful for us to remember. Almost two years after this tragic day happened, the pain is not much less and I still remember him as though he was here. December second might be a day people do not necessarily want to remember, but I promised myself, it is a day I will never forget. Not because it marks the day I lost a friend, but because it marks the day a friend changed my life.