My decision to study in the United States has been both my greatest challenge and my brightest opportunity. I had lived in Korea my whole life before I talked with my parents and, after many weeks of thought, decided to travel to the other side of the globe...

Every summer vacation was full of trite events, but last summer was completely different. I went to a navy Marine Corps camp in Korea for a week. Because the weather was hot and the training was hard, I struggled from the beginning. Although...I...wanted to give up, give in and go home, I could no..

296-word version: As an eager beaver volunteer and an amateur civil servant, I helped construct houses for the impoverished in Sri Lanka and Thailand.... 338-word version: Since my sophomore year, I have been engaged in many overseas community services. As an eager volunteer and an amateur civil..

691-word version: Recently, for the first time in three years, I checked my acoustic guitar to see if the neck was bent. As I examined from the bottom to top of the guitar's neck, I suddenly recognized the gleaming insights that were always there for me to realize for three years, but were lef..

506-word version: He stood there on the small stage of the church where the service was being held. He had his acoustic guitar strapped around his shoulder, and he sang beautifully with his eyes closed. There was no physical barrier between him and the congregation; he had no music sheet in front..

370-word version: I love playing musical instruments, especially the bass guitar. The loud and low sound of the bass shakes everything around it, including my heart. But with that same, friend-like guitar, I almost committed a very serious felony... 420-word version: I love playing musical instru..