Corita Kent once wrote: "Success is a succession of moments / To live each one is to succeed." The older I get, the more this statement makes sense. Life's greatest achievements do not materialize, by chance, all of a sudden; rather, they are the culmination of many moments of perseverance. This became clear to me last month on December 15. This was the day I received an acceptance letter from New York University.

I applied to NYU in mid-September. To say it was challenging is an understatement: it was also emotionally and psychologically exhausting. I continually pondered how I could best convey four years of my life onto a little application. As I awaited anxiously the acceptance/non-acceptance letter, I became more nervous (if that is possible), second-guessing myself. Had I done everything I could to maximize my chances of acceptance? Did I meet NYU's selective criteria? Should I have altered that short answer, proofread my essay once more, or ranked my extracurricular activities differently?

Then the day arrived that I both hoped for and dreaded. I was taut with nerves. Opening the large white envelope with the NYU purple logo on the bottom was one of the most excruciating, most exhilarating moments of my life. My reaction upon reading: "Congratulations! … You have been accepted for admission," was a melee of emotions—relief, joy, hope, pride.

Starting this year with an acceptance letter in my possession is electrifying. I look ahead to 2006 as both a year of closure (graduation) and a year of beginnings (becoming a college freshman). Through the tears of joy when I opened my acceptance letter, I reminded myself of the long, challenging process that preceded acceptance. Setting high goals, being open to new opportunities, and persevering through tough times all helped me achieve success in high school; I hope that by implementing these same lessons in the future, I will succeed in college.

Success requires setting high goals, a critical part of achievement. The goals do not have to be large or extravagant; today I made a goal to finish the novel 1984. Other goals are larger, such as completing my AP Art History course before the May testing date. Setting goals has motivated and challenged me.

Success also requires embracing new opportunities. Writing this monthly column for lunch-money.com was such an opening for me. At first, I was intimidated; sharing my personal experiences with others seemed frightening. But I pushed myself to do this, and now I enjoy writing each column. New opportunities such as this have helped me grow stronger not just as a student, but also as a person.

Perhaps most of all, success requires hard work and perseverance. Many times, I don't feel like persisting (like in the middle of the SAT or in the middle of a research paper). I've learned, however, that these moments are okay. They are usually fleeting, and by reminding myself of my goals and the chance to embrace opportunity, I can become redirected and refocused. Certainly, times to unwind and recoup between big projects are helpful and necessary, but not to the detriment of the big picture and the larger dream.

Receiving my acceptance letter was a great moment in my life that I'll always remember. But I experience a greater feeling of pride from the four years of high school that came before applying to college. The slip of paper represents, in Coretta Kent's words, "a succession of moments." The greatest reward of high school is not necessarily learning facts and figures, but by developing as a person, moment-by-moment. This is the life lesson that will remain with me long after my high school history or math lesson.

If I had not received an acceptance letter, I would still have had those four years of high school to look back on with pride. I'm thrilled to be joining the ranks of future NYU students, yet I also want to remember that my self-worth is not established by what college I attend, but by how I live my life year-by-year, day-by-day, hour-by-hour, moment-by-moment.