brother bear
so grant is applying for this scholarship and asked me to write a "character recommendation" essay for him. i have never written an easier essay. i have attached it below and, honestly, you might barf unless you actually know the amazingness that is my brother. and even then, avoid eating lost of creamy pasta before reading....
I was thrilled when Grant asked me to write a character recommendation for him as bragging about him is truly one of my favorite pastimes; just ask my friends and co-workers. I understand that sharing half of one’s DNA might lend one to being a bit bias at times but hopefully, as you read this essay, you will come to see that even the rose-tinted glasses of a proud big sister see accurately in this case. Grant is a truly exceptional human being, especially given the fact that he is a teenage boy.
From the time he was born, Grant has been easy-going, loving and jovial. As an infant I would prop him against pillows and trace letters and numbers on a chalkboard in front of him. On his first birthday I insisted on being the one to carry him around and show him off, and even graciously demonstrated how he should open his gifts. As you can imagine, starting life with such a “helpful” and ever present sister, he has developed acres of patience and compassion. He never cried, never complained, despite the hours of dictated and structured fun which would amount to slight torture for most children his age. As he has grown, Grant has only continued to grow in patience, love, honesty and openness. As a camp counselor, orientation leader, children’s crisis worker, resident advisor and school social worker, I have worked with infants all the way through young adults from all walks of life and, even comparing Grant to the best and brightest I have known, he shines like a supernova.
Grant recently confessed how “weird it is” that he seems to have become the “go to” guy at his school. His friends always go to him first when they need support, encouragement, advice or just someone in front of whom they can trust to unravel. I, on the other hand, was not in the least surprised by this information. Grant is the best listener I have ever known. He listens to more than just what is said and has such an open heart that no one spilling out their deepest confessions could ever suspect him of judging them. Grant has a generous and very kind manner and when mixed with his insightful honesty, he has always seemed like the wise man on top of the mountain. He is discrete and trusting and very loyal as well. And, his confusion over this abundance of trust on the part of all his friends, demonstrates his sincere modesty. He has always been respectful and refuses to participate in activities (or sing along to pop songs) that degrade others, especially girls. While modesty and supportive presence are never obvious to the naked eye, Grant’s classmates have come to the blindingly clear realization that he is the best kind of friend and now it seems impossible for them to go to anyone else.
As far as morale is concerned, Grant’s record is just as golden as it is for character. He is going to prom for the first time this year and taking a friend who is a year younger as his date. Post prom activities were cancelled due to the untimely closing of a local venue and as a result, every other senior in his class will be attending an unsupervised house party after the dance. Grant sighed as he openly relayed all this information to our mother and myself remarking “all my friends are going and want me to go but I refuse to have [my date] lie to her parents.” He then smiled and shrugged, adding that there would be nothing going on to interest him anyway. While some might point out that this is exactly the sort of thing every teenager would say to their parents, Grant means it with every fiber of his being and he has already planned a supervised alternative for himself and his date post-prom.
Earlier in the year, Grant faced a bit of criticism and teasing from his friends (when they were not running to him for advice and support). He is a fairly cool guy, if I do say so myself. He has a job, is a varsity soccer player, almost fluent in Spanish, the drummer in a local band, the lead in his school play, a member of his school’s sketch troupe and can do the second most pull-ups in his school! Almost universally, this sort of cool translates into a compromise of morals after school hours. However, as his prom plans rightly indicate, Grant has never lost sight of his personal morals and has never second-guessed himself, even when it meant risking friendships. As the year has progressed, peers and friends stopped teasing Grant, impressed by his unwavering dedication (and the fact that he is ridiculous amounts of fun when he is allowed to just be himself!). Grant is a strong individual; confident in what he believes is right and unwilling to compromise himself for anyone who would ask him to do so.
While I would love to take credit, what with my helpful instruction and guidance in his formative years, I have to confess that I learned, and continue to learn, just as much from Grant as he ever might have learned from me. He was born to be incredible and he is well on his way to being more. He is genuinely loving, wise beyond his years, has a brilliant sense of humor and is incredibly intelligent. I wish that every opportunity and door were flung open wide for him to go and explore this amazing life but that is just not the way this world works. Your scholarship, however, could help open more doors and allow him to take advantage of more opportunities than he might otherwise be able. All biases, pride and rose-tinted glasses set aside, if a kid ever deserved a scholarship based on character, morale and content, it is Grant.
OKAY. /END OF RIDICULOUS SISTERLY PRIDE.
I was thrilled when Grant asked me to write a character recommendation for him as bragging about him is truly one of my favorite pastimes; just ask my friends and co-workers. I understand that sharing half of one’s DNA might lend one to being a bit bias at times but hopefully, as you read this essay, you will come to see that even the rose-tinted glasses of a proud big sister see accurately in this case. Grant is a truly exceptional human being, especially given the fact that he is a teenage boy.
From the time he was born, Grant has been easy-going, loving and jovial. As an infant I would prop him against pillows and trace letters and numbers on a chalkboard in front of him. On his first birthday I insisted on being the one to carry him around and show him off, and even graciously demonstrated how he should open his gifts. As you can imagine, starting life with such a “helpful” and ever present sister, he has developed acres of patience and compassion. He never cried, never complained, despite the hours of dictated and structured fun which would amount to slight torture for most children his age. As he has grown, Grant has only continued to grow in patience, love, honesty and openness. As a camp counselor, orientation leader, children’s crisis worker, resident advisor and school social worker, I have worked with infants all the way through young adults from all walks of life and, even comparing Grant to the best and brightest I have known, he shines like a supernova.
Grant recently confessed how “weird it is” that he seems to have become the “go to” guy at his school. His friends always go to him first when they need support, encouragement, advice or just someone in front of whom they can trust to unravel. I, on the other hand, was not in the least surprised by this information. Grant is the best listener I have ever known. He listens to more than just what is said and has such an open heart that no one spilling out their deepest confessions could ever suspect him of judging them. Grant has a generous and very kind manner and when mixed with his insightful honesty, he has always seemed like the wise man on top of the mountain. He is discrete and trusting and very loyal as well. And, his confusion over this abundance of trust on the part of all his friends, demonstrates his sincere modesty. He has always been respectful and refuses to participate in activities (or sing along to pop songs) that degrade others, especially girls. While modesty and supportive presence are never obvious to the naked eye, Grant’s classmates have come to the blindingly clear realization that he is the best kind of friend and now it seems impossible for them to go to anyone else.
As far as morale is concerned, Grant’s record is just as golden as it is for character. He is going to prom for the first time this year and taking a friend who is a year younger as his date. Post prom activities were cancelled due to the untimely closing of a local venue and as a result, every other senior in his class will be attending an unsupervised house party after the dance. Grant sighed as he openly relayed all this information to our mother and myself remarking “all my friends are going and want me to go but I refuse to have [my date] lie to her parents.” He then smiled and shrugged, adding that there would be nothing going on to interest him anyway. While some might point out that this is exactly the sort of thing every teenager would say to their parents, Grant means it with every fiber of his being and he has already planned a supervised alternative for himself and his date post-prom.
Earlier in the year, Grant faced a bit of criticism and teasing from his friends (when they were not running to him for advice and support). He is a fairly cool guy, if I do say so myself. He has a job, is a varsity soccer player, almost fluent in Spanish, the drummer in a local band, the lead in his school play, a member of his school’s sketch troupe and can do the second most pull-ups in his school! Almost universally, this sort of cool translates into a compromise of morals after school hours. However, as his prom plans rightly indicate, Grant has never lost sight of his personal morals and has never second-guessed himself, even when it meant risking friendships. As the year has progressed, peers and friends stopped teasing Grant, impressed by his unwavering dedication (and the fact that he is ridiculous amounts of fun when he is allowed to just be himself!). Grant is a strong individual; confident in what he believes is right and unwilling to compromise himself for anyone who would ask him to do so.
While I would love to take credit, what with my helpful instruction and guidance in his formative years, I have to confess that I learned, and continue to learn, just as much from Grant as he ever might have learned from me. He was born to be incredible and he is well on his way to being more. He is genuinely loving, wise beyond his years, has a brilliant sense of humor and is incredibly intelligent. I wish that every opportunity and door were flung open wide for him to go and explore this amazing life but that is just not the way this world works. Your scholarship, however, could help open more doors and allow him to take advantage of more opportunities than he might otherwise be able. All biases, pride and rose-tinted glasses set aside, if a kid ever deserved a scholarship based on character, morale and content, it is Grant.
OKAY. /END OF RIDICULOUS SISTERLY PRIDE.