Common App Essay

Pushing this particular ignition button felt different than any other time I started a car. As I sat in the parking lot I thought to myself, “Wow, this 2008 set of wheels is mine. I really just bought a car.” A few days before, I walked into my bank and boldly withdrew a long and hard earned $9,000.00 out of my account. This was money that I had accumulated by working many hours and covering shifts as a Wegmans’ cashier. Those funds were the result of many a pleasantry exchanged with customers, regardless of my own fatigue, as I always made sure that their experience at the store was positive. When the bank teller learned of my plan for the money, she repeatedly congratulated me on the purchase of my first car. It started to dawn on me that a sense of independence would accompany ownership. Hearing my family members voice their pride in me, noting my newly exhibited sense of responsibility, made me realize the car purchase was a significant step toward personal growth. Frugality does not describe my buying history. I had a penchant for spending on things that I wanted but did not need. Typically I wasted money on clothes that I would never wear or on unnecessary school supplies. Once I began to save, I felt a sense of emerging maturity and a stronger ability to handle my finances. I now recognize there is more to purchasing a car than the initial sticker price.