Good Life Award - Winners
2008
Good Life Award Writing Contest
Award of Distinction Winner
Shannon Fillingim
7th Grade, Magsig Middle School
| On the soccer field, my teammates look to me for directions and encouragement. Between quarters, I translate the coach’s pep talks into plays and scoring opportunities. Together my teammates and I score goals and win games. However, OFF the field, I have to give myself pep talks, make my own plays and set my own goals. One such goal is to spend a year as a foreign exchange student in Spain. I love to learn about foreign cultures. I’m also interested in foreign affairs. I believe that if I were to travel to Spain or any other country, then I would have the opportunity to learn about other cultures’ viewpoints and other ways of living, different from our own. An understanding of cultural sensitivities will be useful in whatever career I choose to pursue. I believe that I can represent America well because I can respect different traditions and lifestyles. My game plan for attaining my goal of traveling to Spain is to continually enhance my Spanish-speaking skills. I will join the Spanish club at Centerville High School and investigate Spanish-language opportunities in the Dayton area, like the Hispanic Festival. I will explore foreign exchange opportunities in Spain through international organizations like AFS or Rotary International. I will also seek out both foreign as well as American exchange students to learn about their experiences, both positive and negative. Some obstacles I’d face would be not only the language barrier, but the fear of failing to communicate effectively. I’m a perfectionist, and the thought of speaking an unfamiliar language to native speakers really scares me. I will have to overcome my fear if I wanted to travel to Spain. Another roadblock I’d face is homesickness. I might also feel pressure to ‘see and do it all’ while in Spain but be limited by time or finances. Achieving my goal of traveling to Spain would take determination and courage. In order to succeed, I’d have to be able to step outside my comfort zone and reach out to foreign natives as well as the persistence to learn the language. Great athletes owe a lot to great coaches. My coaching staff would include my Spanish teacher because every day, every class, he gives me the key to my travels: language. I’d also enlist my cousin, Kelli, because she lived in Spain for two years and is fluent in the language. People like my cousin inspire me to reach for my dreams. I truly believe that when I travel to Spain, I’d be able to learn about other cultures and promote foreign awareness overseas as well as at home. At the end of my year in Spain, as I look back on my experiences, I will know that this goal was accomplished due to practice, coaching and an excellent game plan. |