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Running Head: FINAL REFLECTION
Final Reflection
Reflective Paper Assignment
Darren Kelley
North Dakota State University
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Running Head: FINAL REFLECTION
Ever since I was a little boy I have always known that I would go to
college. Why? I wanted to be a collegiate athlete and one day be a pro, so everything I have done
thus far has been to solidify my childhood dream. I have always done well in school and I have
always liked to learn new things; my parents did not force me to want this for myself, but they
did encourage my higher education. my story is far from normal and my journey is quite
dramatic to say the least but overall, I am excited to share a little bit about myself and my
journey to higher education.
I was born in Baltimore city which is known for its scenery, seafood, crime, and violence.
Many of my family members fell subject to the negative consequences of what Baltimore city
has to offer, but my mother wanted different for me and my older brother. Around the age of four
my mother decided to move from Baltimore to a much smaller and safer town called
Cumberland Maryland. My family lived in Cumberland Maryland for about twelve years before
we moved again. Cumberland is where I grew up as we made frequent trips back to Baltimore in
summer to visit family. Cumberland is the place where I was first introduced to sports and where
I discovered that I was truly gifted athletically. For me to thoroughly reflect on my education I
must intertwine my passion for sports because I did not come from a family where both my
parents are educated, and the norm was for everyone to go to college. I will be the first male after
my father to go to college in my family, so I am leading the way. I discovered early that football
was my gift and that if I worked hard enough that one day I could make my dream come true. I
started to play football at the age of seven and my fist year I did not play, my mother encouraged
me to not quit and work harder so the next year I came back with a new work ethic and mindset.
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Running Head: FINAL REFLECTION
I played an age group higher and I started at running back and linebacker the next year. Soon the
potential that was naturally in me started to show. By the time I was nine years old I knew I
meant to play the game and I knew that it would provide me incredible opportunity. My mother
went through a tough divorce that eventually led to a 5 years span of moving around from state
to state trying to find a new home. During this period, I did not get to play football because of
my living circumstances and my grades drastically dropped because I did not have that
motivation, I first found out how much sports had an impact on my education. My family was
living in Birmingham Alabama at the time and I made a drastic decision to live my father in
Baltimore. My father is a more established professional and more educated than my mother so
when I moved with him regardless of sports my academic life would be challenged and that’s
