Farewell

Concluding Remarks: Thank You

Posted By:

Greg Solak

Published:

June 9, 2010

Today concludes my indepdent study work and consequently, the beta launch test. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students who helped me test the website and all the teachers who helped me through my indepdent study.

Next year, ProfileTwist not be the student homepage. When I graduate next week, I will take the website to Rutgers University and develop it into something great. In the meantime, I have began doing freelance webdesign work (the pay is great) and I have begun developing mini websites that will provide free online services to college students (yes, I'm moving up the ranks now). Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to conclude my independent study by publishing my college essay online. Theme: ProfileTwist. Enjoy!

"Burning the Midnight Oil"

The clock strikes midnight with a thunderous boom. Every bang rattles the windows and shatters the deafening silence like a volcanic explosion. The townspeople lay lifeless in bed, entrenched in deep sleep. Only one house emits a blazing beam of the light. Inside the house, a teenage boy sits in front of a laptop meticulously keying in lines of code into a text editor. He refreshes the browser to preview the recent change he made on his webpage. A smile ripples onto the teenager’s face as he notices an image, and a series of links pop up on the screen exactly as he planned. Suddenly, the door of the bedroom flings open and the teen’s mother storms in.

“What are you doing up so late? Go to bed! It’s already past twelve,” scolds the woman.

“Hold on Mom. I’m almost done…” protests the teenager.

“Every night is the same. You’re always working on that ‘revolutionary’ website of yours. Go to bed and grow. That’s what girls like. They like tall men. Not someone who can piece together a website.” With a swift finger motion, the mother flicks the light switch off and the last light in the town goes out. The teenager slams his laptop shut, dives into bed, and pretends to fall asleep. The mother walks up to her son and kisses him on the forehead. As she walks away and gently closes the door his eyes flash open as instinctively as those of a nocturnal animal waking up. –

I carefully take the covers off and tip toe to the kitchen to pour myself tea. Tonight was going to be another long night. I was already behind schedule. With a mean brow, I take a swig of tea, creep upstairs to my room and begin to peel off post-its that have formed a florid green mosaic around my desk. The computer monitor flickers on and I resume the never ending to-do-list I put together several years ago. For the past four years, I have been working on a school-networking website (profiletwist.com) that I hope will one day seamlessly enable students and teachers to communicate via an online portal. The website will enable poor schools to sign up for free and register all their students and teachers online. Under the supervision of their teachers, the students would be able to login and create extra-curricular pages, run a newspaper, post school events, and upload study guides.

Every keystroke, every mouse click edges me closer to my envisioned masterpiece. Ever since I embarked on my journey to create the next online phenomenon, I have been laboring on it every night. Two dark pouches have formed under my eyes from the lack of sleep, while calluses have sprouted at the tips of my fingers. The top 50 song countdown that I recently hosted on my website generated enormous support from the student body and has motivated me to continue laboring with unparalleled optimism. Nonetheless, tonight is a little different than usual; an unforeseen challenge. I look out into the night with indecision. I am uncertain of what to make of today’s earlier events. Two years ago, the school district in which I attend, pledged to help test my website in the high school and lauded my courage to undertake such a daunting task. Today, however, the school district chose to purchase an online service for thirteen thousand dollars and recanted its decision to assist me.

I swirl my tea cup with indecision. Should I pursue my dream or should I succumb to defeat? Should I keep toiling on this uncertain web project, or should I creep to bed and grow taller as my mother humorously suggested? I stand at a crossroads. The decision I make today could possibly prevent me from fulfilling my dream or it could simply elevate my determination to tread on. I gaze into my teacup and recall how I never really liked the taste of unsweetened tea. It was during the nights when I was exhausted that I forced myself to guzzle down several cups of tea to stay awake. I walk downstairs to the kitchen and sit down at the table.

My indecisive complexion turns into a lean gaze. In just four years, I have seen my masterpiece transform from a mere sketch to a functioning website. Every night, I inch closer to my dream. I remember how I won the vice-presidential election the year after losing the election. I hurl the tea out of the mug and pour myself a dose of fresh cold milk. I sprint up the stairs, slam down my mug, and go back to work. How could I have possibly considered surrendering? I am not ready to fall asleep and grow taller. I am ready to clear the hurdle flung at me today and continue to toil on my website with renewed determination.:ProfileTwist End