During my freshman year of high school, I faced some unexpected challenges that impacted my life in more ways than I thought possible. It began on the third day of school when I broke my right ankle in gym class. The doctor notified me that surgery was necessary to heal the bone. I never thought I would have surgery at that age in my life. Surgery was something that only the elderly, sick, and those in extreme accidents had to...

I recommend working and/or volunteering as much as possible during the summer and...