Discus Award Winner
Kinsa Durst
12th Grade, CA
ATTRIBUTES
Community Service
I have been a Boy Scout for many years. The final rank of Boy Scout is Eagle Scout. In order to achieve this rank, one needs to create a project that benefits the society. I could have done something small such as building a fence or benches, but the shooting at Oikos University in Oakland change my mind. I lived in Korea for eight years. The Korean school in Oakland was known for bad reasons: a madman came and killed seven people. Therefore, I decided to build a peace garden there to honor the victims of the shooting, and also to leave a message of peace. I fund raised more than six thousand dollars, in money and materials. With more than fifty volunteers and three hundred hours, We built the peace garden.
Athletics
I have never participated in a team sport before high school. When I found out the variety of sports my high school offered, I was very excited. There were many sports teams to join, but in the end I decided to participate in Cross Country running and Lacrosse. I have spent two hours every day running all around the year to keep myself in shape. Sometimes it would get very challenging, but my dedication for the team and love for the sport kept me going. All my work payed off in the end, where my team won league championships last year for Cross Country. This was only possible because of my great teammates and helpful coaches. I am still running right now as I improve myself physically and also mentally.
Academics
My favorite English word is balance. I love the sound and the meaning of the word. However, it is very hard to balance one's life, between family, friends, and duties. I love to hang out with friends, read magazines and go indoor rock climbing. I had to learn to create a balance between having fun and academics to do well in school. My junior year, I played two sports, volunteered more than hundred hours at Boys and Girls Club, and also participated in Boy Scouts. With many activities in my life, it was very challenging to manage my school work, activities, and relationship with others. Sometimes I would just want to stop and rest, but I pushed myself throughout the year. At the end of the year, I had 4.0 weighted GPA and still managed to do well in my activities and take care of my family
