2008 Woodie Awards
Loss of Life Causes New Look on Life
Father's death results in sophomore taking greater stock in the opportunities he has.
Mark Ayoub
Issue date: 9/16/05 Section: Opinion
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After closing out my freshmen year at Hendrix with a bang last May, I was pretty excited to come home for summer. I had just landed a top-notch internship with Senator Ted Kennedy in Boston, I had a lot of plans to go to concerts with my friends, and I was just overall excited about getting to see my high school friends.
Two weeks later, that all changed when my father was killed by a drunk driver. No, I'm not about to go off on a diatribe about the dangers of alcohol, I will just say now that when you get behind the wheel of a car with alcohol in your system, you risk tearing a family apart.
There are many stories about how amazing of a person my father was, but there is one in particular that has now become my new driving force in academics. When my father was completing his undergraduate work and preparing to take exams to get accepted into dental school, he made that the sole priority of his life at the time.
Now for those of us who are preparing for the GREs or MCATs, we would probably also say that we've made the test preparation a top priority. However, my father took that dedication to a new level. To avoid any distractions, he would chain himself to the desk to study and give the key to his sister, who would unchain him at a set time.
Naturally, he passed with flying colors and was accepted into the dental school of his choice, and went on to become one of the most well-liked dentists in the Boston area for 25 years.
When people would ask him why he took such extreme measures to study, he would reply, "It's not just about getting in, or getting to do what I want. I want to be able to provide for a family one day." And he was able to do that. I too, want to be able to be as successful as my dad one day in the career I choose. While I can't say that I have resorted to his strategy, I have kept what he said in mind every time I am studying this year, knowing that if I put in that extra effort, those As will be what enables me to get into the law school of my choice.
Two weeks later, that all changed when my father was killed by a drunk driver. No, I'm not about to go off on a diatribe about the dangers of alcohol, I will just say now that when you get behind the wheel of a car with alcohol in your system, you risk tearing a family apart.
There are many stories about how amazing of a person my father was, but there is one in particular that has now become my new driving force in academics. When my father was completing his undergraduate work and preparing to take exams to get accepted into dental school, he made that the sole priority of his life at the time.
Now for those of us who are preparing for the GREs or MCATs, we would probably also say that we've made the test preparation a top priority. However, my father took that dedication to a new level. To avoid any distractions, he would chain himself to the desk to study and give the key to his sister, who would unchain him at a set time.
Naturally, he passed with flying colors and was accepted into the dental school of his choice, and went on to become one of the most well-liked dentists in the Boston area for 25 years.
When people would ask him why he took such extreme measures to study, he would reply, "It's not just about getting in, or getting to do what I want. I want to be able to provide for a family one day." And he was able to do that. I too, want to be able to be as successful as my dad one day in the career I choose. While I can't say that I have resorted to his strategy, I have kept what he said in mind every time I am studying this year, knowing that if I put in that extra effort, those As will be what enables me to get into the law school of my choice.