This past winter break, Sonny from A Bronx Tale changed my life.
He said, "The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever."
I've heard this quote multiple times but not once has it affected me as much as it did last month. After the movie ended, my mind began to wander and dig deep into my childhood. As I sat there, I realized how much I've grown over the years.
As break was ending, I knew I would soon be packing my car for the last time and heading back to UB for my final semester.
Was this really happening? Is this all a dream? Nope, reality was finally sinking in. I wouldn't be going to UB at all, let alone finishing my final semester, if not for a life-changing decision I made when I was 13 years old.
I am the type of person who follows the crowd and will do anything to make people laugh.
This resulted in multiple suspensions during eighth grade and falling behind in school. When my final quarter of eighth grade was nearing its end, my overall grade was around a D.
I wanted a redo.
I knew that if I were given a second chance, I would change my life for the better and never look back. That's when I approached my parents. They said they would support me no matter what decision I made regarding my education.
The following year I repeated eighth grade, but the second time around, I wasn't a troublemaker. I was a student leader.
Although I changed my bad habits and took school more seriously, there was still a lot I had left to learn.
I started with my work ethic. By no means have I ever been a straight-A student, but I knew with my newly found work ethic, I could separate myself from the rest of my classmates.
Though I experienced some obstacles transitioning from middle school to high school, I became more involved in school activities and eventually even became class president.
I had to overcome giving in to peer pressure. That helped me get on track and reach goals much greater than anything I ever imagined.
But I still wasn't satisfied. I wanted to go to a four-year college. Because of my poor choices during the beginning of my academic career, I had found myself at Monroe Community College in Rochester.
After one year of tedious work, I had earned a 3.2 overall GPA and I was ready to apply to the school I had always wanted to attend: the University at Buffalo.
I was accepted. It was a moment I will never forget. I walked through the door and made a believer out of my mother and father.
See, the truth is everyone can be successful. There is no equation, formula or path you can take to earn success. We all make mistakes and sometimes fail miserably.
But the most exciting part about life is the unexpected situations that come about. How you react to that situation can define who you are.
An example: when I signed up for ENG 394 as fulfillment of a communication requirement. I found out the first day of class I was one of the students who registered for a class not to open to most students.
That class was The Spectrum. I had to prove to former Editor in Chief Matt Parrino I was able to handle producing stories for the school newspaper.
This one decision changed my life for the better. So I'm telling you to take a risk and find yourself in an unexpected situation because you never know what will happen.
I'm thankful I made the right decision.
Email: joeseph.konze@ubspectrum.com
