Notes

Hi, my name is Dakota Sullivan. Right now I've been given the highest honor of being able to attend such a prestigious university, like Ole Miss. It's the school that has everything I want and could ever ask for from a school of higher education. However, just like with any other student, you probably want to know a bit about me and what kind of student I am. Allow me to attempt to properly illustrate who I am.

To begin with, I'm a student that knows the value of hard work and determination. My journey through life has given me a profound experience of how far those two qualities can take a person. From elementary school to high school, I've never been one to give up too easy on what I want to achieve. This drive certainly will not disappear through college and my time there. My constant battles through the toughest academic challenges and shaped me into a student who’s determined to achieve whatever I put my mind to, as well as a confident student who can stand his ground and not falter when times seem tough. It's important that a student attending university has those qualities so that they can make a positive difference in the school and in their lives. I know I am able to do both of those.

Along with being a strong student, I'm also a very kind and compassionate person. Being a student may be one thing, but being human is what makes the student. I enjoy a vast variety of hobbies, such as sports, movies, and family time. Sports have always given me true entertainment. Sports like football, baseball, and hockey are the sports that truly excite me. My family and I will often go to New Orleans to see the Saints play. Being the competitive human being that I am, it often left room for some teasing, but in the end it's all in good fun. I also enjoy movies. I particularly enjoy Marvel movies and can always get excited over the opportunity to go see one. I guess that's my nerd side kicking in at that point. Action movies also are very exciting to me too, however I'm not a particular fan of romantic movies of any kind. That aside, family is what's really important in all this. Without family, what other purpose is there to life if you don't have family to show you through it and let you have those experiences? My family and I are very close and we always enjoy spending time together. They’ve given me the opportunities I have and have enabled me to experience some of the great things I have, such as being introduced to the amazing school that I'm so eager to attend and the city that it's home to.

Another great aspect about me is my leadership. All throughout my high school career, my peers, teachers, counselors, and principals have all taken note of my excellent leadership qualities and have encouraged me to harness them into constructive possibilities. It all started when I was in school in Canada. I had moved there from the Mississippi coast at the end of my seventh grade year and once I actually started high school, my leadership peaked. I began working throughout my community, I tried to get into student council (which unfortunately failed twice), and I became part of the religious celebrations there due to it being a catholic school. When I made my return to the coast, I carried on my tradition of doing whatever I could to make a difference and joined student council (third time was the charm). Since then, I've demonstrated high leadership and more self motivation. Because of that, I've been able to attend NASC in New Hampshire on behalf of my school and be a part of a workshop presentation. This was the first time my school had gone to an NASC event and I was so fortunate and blessed to be able to attend on behalf of my school. I've also gone to an MSASC event in Clinton and in the spring I will be going to Oxford to the spring MSASC. I was also elected to be a representative along with my other student council associates to attend a leadership conference held by congressman Steve Palazzo. I even got to shake his hand and had an autograph signed by him. It was a very memorable time. I look forward to potentially making a mark in the Ole Miss student council and hope that I will be as much a leader there as I am here.

I am also a bit of an athlete. Not in the traditional sense of football or basketball, but I'm actually an archery athlete. I've been a part of a truly exciting sport that I had no idea would be as fun as it has been. I've been able to meet new friends and have such a great season. As a rookie, my scores were significantly lower than those more experienced archers, however I was able to go to the state qualifiers match in Columbia and we also went to the state match in Jackson, where we set a new school score of 3,101 as a team. I'm also on the team again this year and we're hoping for as great a season as last year with the new faces that have come to the team, such as my little brother who was inspired to join because of me. I just hope he's able to enjoy it as much as I have.

My personal life experiences have truly reformed me into the person who writes to you today. It's something that I honestly can't say I wish hadn't happened because without, I'd be a completely different person to that you are hearing from now. I hope that my words have peaked your interest into what I can do at your university, and I hope I can do right by it. Ole Miss has exactly what I need from my time in higher education and I will do everything in my power to excel at what I do and hope to do. Thank you for taking the time to allow me to introduce myself. I hope to make an even better introduction in person.