1. The world is changing at a fast pace. It is this change what caught the Jewish
community from Panama off guard. The businesses our parents run are no longer in need
as technology has made them obsolete. This has created stress among my peers.
Uncertainty is scary, but to me is just another challenge. From a young age, I have
learned to deal with change by preparing myself, not being scared. Most importantly I
focus my strengths at understanding the situation well. I started to work this way when I
started studying for my AP Macroeconomics. Understanding the way governments
around my region ran their finances got me worried to the point that I started reading the
newspaper on a daily basis. From then, my research skills started to improve. I began to
surf the web for more information about the pertinent subject I was reading. Before
knowing it, my organizational skills and level of analysis made me eligible for a mid-year
vacation internship at the startup Zinkerz, Inc.
My first day of work at Zinkerz was filled with constant change, stress and
excitement, all at the same time. Apparently, the company just managed to take its first
application to the top of the list in the Apple Store. For this reason, not many people paid
attention to me. In order not to stay wasting my time, I had to figure out what to do. From
taping papers to the wall, to learning how to use GeoGebra to draw images, I was
basically the handyman of the office. The position seemed overwhelming to anyone in
the outside. But, I knew I had to keep on par. My peers were college students from the
best universities of the United States. I was a mere senior who got lucky. But, I was going
to squeeze the most I could out of my luck in order to make this experience a worthwhile
one, for me and for the company I worked for. I was not going to stay behind.
Time flew. In two weeks, I felt like a college student. I was able to level with my
peers, and I managed to earn their respect by doing what I was told and more. When
asked to learn to draw images, I not only did so, but I also typed all of the problems that
were given to me. When asked to organize the data I was given in Excel, I created a web
interface to be able to visualize the data better. This is how by the end of program, I
distinguished myself from my fellow workers. I was nicknamed "the doer". At the end, I
was offered an internship for 8 months once I graduate from high school.
Working at Zinkerz was more than a job; it was a life changing experience.
Mingling with people that have such high standards and that work to make sure that
society improves as a whole put the way I live my life in a different perspective. The
experience was not only humbling, but also a guide that got me to set my standards at an
even higher level. I had had a glimpse at what the top 1% of the world does. I want to
become part of that. I know my path is not yet complete, but I am ready to keep going,
understanding that unexpected roadblocks will appear. I feel better prepared to deal with
my future. Most importantly, I trust myself better and I am not afraid of making mistakes
because I know that I will correct them as soon as I find out about them. Leaving things
for later is the dead weight spiral towards procrastination. The key for success is to never
fall in that trap.