During my second and third years of undergraduate schooling， I decided to work about five hours per week in the campus admissions office answering phones. This provided a little spending money and kept me from draining my savings. The overall situation looked hopeful as I approached my senior year as long as I could make as much money as I had the previous summer. That is when I decided to go to Israel to study for 3 weeks. I hesitated in making this decision and had just about decided not to go because it would cost me $1，600 more to get the credits in Israel.
About two weeks later my Mom called to tell me that I had $1，600 in the bank that I had forgotten about！ One of my concerns about this trip was not only the cost， but the loss of time to make money； however， I made as much that summer in the ten weeks that I was home as I had made during the fourteen weeks that I was home the summer before. The way everything worked together to make this trip feasible was one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me.
Finally， my senior year of college was upon me and to keep things interesting， I decided to buy a car. I obviously did not have a lot of money to spend for a car. I searched many newspaper ads and I was ecstatic to find one for only $4， 200.
Then， I also attended an 8-week course on marriage and family in Colorado. This was an incredible experience that taught me a great deal about my worldview and how to develop a healthy family. This experience was also very costly， $4，000. I was surprised to find that I had graduated with no debt and so many remarkable journeys along the way.
This experience has shaped me in many important ways. The first thing that I learned was the importance of a strong work ethics. Working long hours did a lot to mold my character and helped me learn the value of a dollar. It also made me learn how to craft creative solutions to difficult dilemmas.
我永远也不会忘记高中一年级时发生的一件事。一天，我两手抱头坐在通往地下室的楼梯上，绝望地哭着对父母说，我永远也没有办法攒够读大学的费用了，我很想申请一所私立大学，学费是64268美元。父母试着安慰我，但是我似乎不可能攒够这笔钱。