Emma Houck

College Application Essay
One single quote by Leodardo DiCaprio is the inspiration to the way I live my life. He says, “successful people are not gifted. They just work hard and succeed on purpose.” I believe primarily, that the key to success in the world we live in today, is simply putting in hard work. When I participate in activities, whether it be academics or athletics, I give one hundred percent effort. Growing up in a family of six, I have learned to step up and help my mom keep things running around the house, even when my two brothers come through like trainwrecks. Along with that, I have played sports including basketball, track, cross country, and soccer. I will say that my main focus throughout school has always been my academics over athletics. Finally, the outcome of my hard work is to obtain a college education through my own means just as my mother did.
I have earned many accolades throughout my academic and athletic careers. From placing top ten at the conference and region cross country meets, to top 50 at the state meet, I had quite the year for cross country during the 2022 season. I showed up every day ready to work hard, even through the pain. This year, we have high expectations for every girl on our team. I have spent nearly ten hours a week running countless miles during workouts in hope of running a personal best this season and earning my way to the state championship.
All my life, I have had a passion for the sport of basketball. You not only have to put hard work in, but also have a desire for the things you do in life. I have played basketball my whole life from park and recreation to going to state during my eighth grade season in middle school. I spent my high school career playing basketball where I got playing time on varsity as a freshman and started for the varsity team as a sophomore. I had a setback last year within the basketball season as I transferred high schools and wasn’t eligible to compete at the varsity level all season. Although I wasn’t eligible for varsity, I was able to lead a group of junior varsity players to a conference championship. That specific experience taught me so much about leadership within a team. This year, I plan to be that same leader I was for those girls also for our varsity team, setting a goal to make it to the state tournament, just like I set for myself in middle school.
Throughout my life, simply doing work around my house and our family farm has sparked a flame in me to always work hard for everything I receive. Although many people have a unit that provides their heat, my family has always used a wood burning stove. With this stove, we have to cut firewood in order to keep our family warm during the cold months. I willingly go and help my dad and brothers with the firewood that will simply keep me warm also. Living with three males, I have also learned just how important organization is, which applies to schoolwork also.
During my academic career, I have set high expectations for myself. I have never received below an A and also have put in the work to earn a twenty seven ACT score to further help with my education and costs. I believe that academics will ultimately be the key for success, as a degree will set you up for a job in your future. My mom, a high school math teacher, has taught my three siblings and I to always prioritize our education over all other pursuits. Through it all, I have put in the hard work in order to achieve success.