My Story

Question: Please tell us about the particular life experiences, talents, commitments and/or interests you will bring specifically to our campus that will enrich our community, and why you are interested in the University of Wisconsin….
The squeals and whimpers of my dog make me suddenly burst into tears. My first reaction is to go to my dog and comfort him. The last thing I remember was driving on the golf cart to meet my dad, when my dog, Buddy, came out of nowhere. The next thing I know is my face and eyes are blurred with blood.
I scream for someone to help me. Finally, my dad, grandmother, and brother emerge. My grandma runs over to comfort me while my dad and brother get Buddy in the car to take him to emergency vet. This was the last time I ever saw Buddy.
My grandma runs to call the emergency room.

I wait with my head hanging above the sink, watching the blood fall from my face. Only now, I realize how serious my injury is. I have open wounds on three places on my nose and my nose might be broken.
Once we get to emergency room, the nurse is waiting for me and immediately she checks me into a room. She calms me down. I am sure that my nose is broken but the doctor can’t tell because it is so swollen. They clean up my cuts and give me 20 stitches.
The doctor says, “You are very lucky that Buddy did not get any closer to your eye or he might have taken it. The bite marks will heal very well.“
Throughout my time with the doctor, my grandma is on the phone. But when I ask the doctors and nurses, no one will give me a straight answer on how my dog is doing—I try hard to have a positive attitude and keep my hopes up.
I get home hours later. My mom is there to greet me. She is the one to tell me that Buddy broke his back and the vet had to put him down.
My dad tells me they comforted Buddy and he was relaxed and peaceful. But I don’t know how I am going to explain this to everyone.
My parents encouraged me go to school right away and helped me to move on. At school, I had to explain what happened. But I didn’t expect people to make fun and mock me.
This memory of that Saturday haunts me almost every day. Although the doctors did a great job stitching me up, I still have scars. And worst of all, my nose is still broken. Whenever someone bumps into me, I feel the sharp pain of that Saturday in November.
Now I can drive, and I know I think how something terrible can happen so quickly. One minute everything is normal and seconds later, it can be a complete disaster.
Although my dog dying and my parents making me move on so quickly was devastating, I learned from this. I learned I can’t change what happened, but I can move on quickly, and with a positive attitude, things will get better. Bad things don’t last forever. Now, I’m especially careful of the dangers that can happen at any moment. Although this event still bothers me, I overcame the hardship and I was able to be the brave person I truly am.

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