Why Am I Here?

When I applied to Columbia, my grades were horrible. But my SAT scores were much better than my grades, and I wrote a well written and thoughtful essay. I also sent a portfolio with my very best work which I had spent a lot of time on. I think Columbia gave me a second chance because I showed that I was passionate about art, and my SATs and essay showed that I had the skill set and potential to succeed.
I always got bad grades growing up because I never tried hard enough and I didn't think I was capable of the work. Getting bad grades was upsetting, so by the time I got to highschool, I didn't give my schoolwork any attention because I thought it was useless. I would half ass my work and do it just so it was done. I would skip classes I didn't understand because they were too miserable to sit through. The only class I was good at was art, so I would go there and paint rather than sit through chemistry or geometry. By the time I convinced myself that I was capable of succeeding in school, it was too late, I was too behind. Homework and schoolwork became important and I wanted to succeed, but this didn't happen until my Junior year, and other circumstances which I couldn't control were preventing me from succeeding.
I never got along with my step dad because he sucked. In Highschool, I did everything I could to make him angry, and unfortunately I was succesful. He had so many rules and itwas so hard not to brake them, so I got fed up and started braking as many of them as I could. The summer going into my Junior year, he cut off my health insurance and stopped paying for anything else like school sports ($500 per year), clothes, and food. I started working at a restaraunt 30 hours a week and I was playing sports year round. This left very little time for homework, and made tedious writing prompts and math problems unbearable and seemingly irrelivant especially at 1 in the morning when I got out of work.
By my senior year, I was doing better in school because I was takingclasses I enjoyed and I was better at managing my time. I was living on friends couches and they would help me get my work done, and they encouraged me to go to college. It is a miracle that Columbia gave me a second chance, and I feel very fortunate that I have the opportunity to prove myself and I think I am capable of the work.
Being in a place where every one supports you and understands you is exactly what I needed. I feel like I am in the perfect enviroment to learn and succeed.