Rockridge High School
Taylor Ridge, Illinois
12th grade
Excellence is defined as “the state, quality, or condition of excelling; superiority.” Has our country achieved excellence? Have I as an individual achieved excellence?
In our world today there are always many things happening at the same time. The war in the Middle East is a big issue on everyone’s mind; while, in contrast, the United States has the best economic standing that it has been for several years. To decide whether the U.S. has achieved excellence depends on how one looks at our accomplishments as a whole.
Many achievements over the past years have proved the United States to be a leading country and major provider for our world. The United States supplies over half of the corn and soybeans for the entire world. This is a feat that was accomplished by the help of several important individuals and millions of farmers across the nation. John Deere had a major influence on the growth of agriculture in the United States. The advancements in technology and equipment that were invented by him permitted farmers to harvest a bigger crop and do less physical work. This is the main reason that agriculture grew in the United States. This is excellence.
The United States is also known as the “police force” for the world. There have been many instances over time, which have shown our country’s concern for the well being of the less fortunate people and for the safety of the entire world. In the Korean War, our troops were sent in with out any real ties to that nation. The Vietnam War was entered for many reasons that most people think were not right. Still our country prevailed.
If one tears apart every aspect of our country, there are going to be ups and downs, but for the overall outlook of our history, the United States has achieved excellence.
As an individual, I too have achieved excellence. Would all people say that I have achieved excellence? Maybe not. There are many reasons that I know that I have accomplished this feat. My achievements in school, community support and jobs are three reasons that I have achieved excellence.
There are numerous achievements in our school that I have been a part of or have achieved individually. The high school choir, my sophomore and junior year, placed second in state, in class B schools. There was much hard work and effort put into making this happen. After school practices were a big part of this. I, along with most of the choir, put out the extra effort and time to practice to make our solos, ensembles, and mass choir selections perfect.
Being an active member in many clubs at school I have acquired several qualities that reflect excellence. One of the main qualities that I show is leadership. I am a person who anyone can come and talk to, no matter who they are, friend or foe. I have also been entrusted with many positions that require leadership. I am the president of the choir, section leader in both band and choir, vice president of student council, and fundraiser chairman of crime stoppers. Many responsibilities are thrust upon me and people expect them to be done. Making this happen is what my leadership is about.
Community support is another area where I believe that I have achieved excellence. The people in my community make a big influence in my life. I am an active member in our church and church related activities. Also, I had the pleasure to be a motivational speaker at a Christian youth retreat, Chrysalis. I was assigned a presentation on “Addictions”. I was able to touch two kids’ lives, and by the end of the weekend two people told me that they were going to begin addiction counseling for their smoking habit. This is a big reason that I strongly believe that I have achieved excellence.
Finally, my involvement in work is a huge influence in my life. When I was thirteen, I started my own business. I took the initiative and the money to start Hofer’s Home Care and Lawn Services. After buying my own riding mower, trimmer, weed eater, and leaf blower, I bid several businesses and got three of them. I also mowed yards for many people. This was a great experience for me.
I also work at Hy-Vee in Muscatine, Iowa. I am a second assistant manager of the grocery department. I moved up to this position after two years of employment. I am the only high school manager at our store. This involves a lot of time, taking time away from other activities and my social life. I enjoy working there and committing my time, hard work, and effort to this job. This is a giant reason that I believe that I have achieved excellence.
War, police actions, money, jobs, community involvement, and school activities are all reasons that I believe that our country and I have both achieved excellence. In each person’s mind there may be a different definition of excellence. In my mind I, as well as the United States of America, have achieved excellence.
QUESTIONS
Q1- Am I really where I want to be?
Yes, I have reached a point to where I am satisfied with my accomplishments.
Q2- Am I moving in the direction that will enable me to make the greatest contribution?
Yes, I am. I believe that
my contribution of goals in life will be reached if I keep moving in the same
direction and at the same speed of acceleration that I am moving now.
Q3- If I could achieve my highest goals, what would my accomplishments look
like?
I will be a college
graduate and working at a hospital in the Quad City area, performing radiation
treatments on cancer patients.
Q4- Do I recognize excellence and search it out or do I find mediocre acceptable and am willing to settle with it.
You do not always need to
search out excellence. It is okay not to be excellent at everything.
Mediocrity is all right. But when you find that one aspect of life that you
are excellent at, then do it the best that you can.
Q5- Do I seek out people, books, movies etc. that encourage me to be the best?
No, I really do not. I know
that there are things out there to help me if I need help, but most of the
time I do not go out searching to make myself better if I am already
relatively good at something.
Q6- Do I recognize the best in others?
I believe that I do. When
someone’s strong characteristics are coming out, that they are doing the
best that they can or being all that they can be, I know that and
applaud them.
Q9- Do you agree with Morrow (paragraph seven) that: “Excellence demands standards. It does not usually flourish in the midst of rapid, hectic change. This century’s sheer velocity has subverted the principle of excellence; a culture must be able to catch its breath.”
Yes, excellence has standards, but not standards that one person sets. We cannot all be striving for the same excellence because it will never be reached. Sure, some people need to slow down, but for others a hectic pace helps make them excellent.
Q7- Interpret this quote from paragraph nine: “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion”
This means that those who
have reached that holy place, the afterlife, have achieved excellence. They
did all that they could and made it to the Promised Land.
Q8-Argue pro and con Morrow’s contention that “Americans not yet successful (the struggling, the underclass) are apt to aim at ease, not excellence”
Of course, if they are going to aim for ease, we all have to start somewhere. They are mostly unemployed and living off charity or on the street. How do you expect someone like that to go straight into a management position of a big company? They all have to start somewhere.
These people may very well
be striving for excellence. To them excellence may be to be able to send
their kids to school in new clothes or to pay all of the bills one month.
Their standard of excellence may be lower than someone else’s but nonetheless
just as important.
Q9-Explain what Morrow means when he says (A) “the confusion contaminates character and disables ambition.” Do you agree?
He means that an individual’s confusion as to what their goals are makes that person confused. Yes, I agree. When people see others doing great and they are just getting by, they question themselves as to whether they are even serving a purpose.
Q10- Argue pro and con the effect of over stimulation and under stimulation as discussed in paragraph 10.
Yes, over stimulation is something that happens in our society, but it is not exactly a bad thing. Can you imagine a world of just Thoreaus and Longfellows around? All the hype is good in our lives. It gives people something else to focus on.
Q11-Contrast practical excellence with metaphysical excellence as used in Morrow’s last paragraph.
The practical excellence of
the world is what everyday people achieve on a regular basis. It is a great
thing. The Metaphysical excellence is a Picasso painting or a drum solo by
Buddy Rich.
Q12-Copy and interpret you two favorite quotes. Explain why you chose them.
“I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.” – William Henley
If you set your mind to something, you can achieve it, no matter how many people say that it will never happen.
“Let him who would move the world, first move himself.” Socrates
To accomplish any great feat, you must first have the motivation and willingness to do so.