There is no greater joy in accomplishing goals that come with peserverance, hard work and devotion. I, Joel Polanco, feel passionately about the importance in striving to accomplish my goals. I have a motto that I live by, "Strive for Excellence," not only to motivate and inspire myself but also to do the same for others through quotes and lyrics written by myself. As the first born child in my family of six I view myself as the torch in a pitch black cave paving the way for my other three sibilings. Throughout my highschool years I played four years of varisty baseball which taught me the importance of responsibility, leadership and hard work. I grew up in Harlem, New York, where I didn't let where I come from dictate who I really was, but instead motivate me to be better and represent where I came from. I rose above people's expectations regarding to where I grew up and my background being Dominican. Through belief and knowing I was better I challenged society's way by the achievement of my goals through education and sports. I plan to continue to maintain the mentality of "Excellence" in life to achieve success in college and in my future career.