I believe I am an excellent candidate for Notre Dame High School because of the many personal accomplishments, skills, and characteristics that have made me the person I am today. I believe that my cultural and spiritual family upbringing, combined with my life experiences, have shaped me into a person who will not only thrive and grow at Notre Dame, but also contribute to the success of my classmates and the school. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Both of my parents are first generation Italian-Americans who raised me to value and appreciate my cultural and Catholic heritage. This combination of a strong immigrant work ethic and deep roots in our Catholic faith meant that I grew up with a strong sense of who I am and where I come from. From the moment I was born, my mother and father spoke Italian to me, and to ensure my continued mastery of the language, my mother started an Italian language school where I still attend classes every Saturday. Furthermore, from the day I was born, my mother and grandmother, who have always been catechists, taught me all the rich traditions of our Catholic faith. This has given me a deep faith that I turn to when I'm stressed or feeling down. I have been active in my church since I was little, singing at Sunday mass, helping with children's dismissal, and assisting our Italian club with their events. My involvement in the choir led me to study piano, which I did with our music minister for three years. In addition to studying piano, I followed various art courses and participated in both artistic and photographic competitions. My mother took me to museums and theater productions since I was very little, so the arts are a very important part of our lives. I hope to put my cultural, religious, and artistic skills and sensibilities to good use at Notre Dame. When I was little I experienced several challenges that helped me grow tremendously. When I was younger I was bullied at school. At first it was just a joke, but then it became something bigger. I became deeply depressed and struggled to feel confident in myself. Luckily when I moved from public to Catholic school I had the chance to start over. Over the years I have become strong, resilient and very passionate about standing up for anyone who is being mistreated. When I was in third grade my grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer. My family spent a lot of time caring for him, preparing his meals, cleaning for him, taking care of the house, and making sure he was happy and comfortable until the day he died. He died at home when I was in fourth grade and I was very sad because he was the only grandfather I had ever met. From this I learned the harsh reality of death and began to become more grateful for my father and appreciate the gift of health and life. By overcoming these difficult experiences I learned to channel my energies in a positive direction. Now I am involved in the decathlon and it is very challenging and difficult sometimes, but instead of going crazy, I take a break and draw, play the piano or just listen to music. With hard work comes happiness; I know that I will be a Notre Dame student who is not afraid of challenges or hard work. I am currently in my second year of decathlon, third year of scholastic volleyball, and third year of being on the honor roll. In the last three years I have received an art award, a music award, a student of the month and………….In my free time I like to be with.