Skylar Ewing College Prep English College Application Essay October 11, 2016 Turning Dreams into Goals Dave Ramsey once said, “A goal without a plan is nothing more than a dream.” Growing up, I had many goals. Some of my goals were more realistic than others. My goals all had one problem, which was, they were just dreams. I never made a plan on how I was going to achieve my goals. When setting goals I create small goals to accomplish in order to reach my bigger goals. Now when I am setting goals for myself, I focus on small steps to achieve the main goal. My goals for after graduating high school include: attending a four year university and finding a career in my field of studies. Upon graduating high school in May of 2017, I plan on attending a four year university. I have well prepared myself for college acceptance by maintaining good grades and being involved in extracurricular activities. Not only did I participate in extracurricular activities, but I also held leadership positions within the clubs. I have applied to two colleges where I will have automatic acceptances based on my grades and my ACT score. After picking an university my plan is to achieve more goals I have set for myself. These goals include: picking a major and receiving a bachelor’s degree. Once I receive my degree, I plan to find a job that utilizes my field of study. Although I have not picked a major, I see myself working with children one day. Currently, as a high school student I work part-time at a youth center called, North Missouri Center for Youth and Families. This work experience has helped me gain connections and skills to use later on in my career. Every job opportunity I have taken thus far has helped me discover my talents and strengths when working with children. Working at a non-profit youth center was only one experience that has helped me,and I also take a Child Care class as a high school student. All of these experiences have helped me complete steps on my way to achieving my goals. The steps I have completed thus far are just the start to achieving my goals. The closer I get to achieving my current goals makes me want to set more goals. I am going to graduate on time, then I will attend a four year university and find a job in that career field. Many opportunities I have taken prepared me to reach my goals, like taking a child care class in high school and working at North Missouri Center for Youth and Families. I will continue to set short term goals and learn from my experiences in order to reach my dreams.