Undergraduate / MSU personal statement "How has your environment influenced you?" [4]

I already have the grades and ACT scores to get in, so I'm just wondering if you guys think this could land me a scholarship or if it's just too immature or cliche.

I live in the essence of suburbia: family friendly subdivisions filled with cookie cutter Mcmansions stretched out over a flat expanse that is nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding sprawl. There are SUVs in every driveway, and generic strip malls at every intersection. My surroundings serve as a reminder that most people would describe Macomb Township as unassuming at best. Nevertheless, if someone was to take a closer look at my home environment, he or she would discover that being exposed to cultural diversity while living in the midst of conformity can result in an open-minded teenager whose teenage self-consciousness masks a deep rooted desire to stand out.

As a result of my mom's Filipino heritage, I've been exposed to many aspects of the Filipino way of life such as unique food, customs, and ideas. However, I'll admit that I was not always as tolerant as I am today. When I was younger, I would have liked nothing more than to be like everyone else. It was "weird" when my mom spoke Tagalog, and I wondered why no one else had to deal with this kind of embarrassment. Over time though, I realized that my background is something unique that I can call my own, and I began to see it as less of a burden and more of an identity. After all, it is nice to be able to have tortas with rice once in a while as an alternative to pizza. I began to like the idea of having a genuinely unique identity. My upbringing has turned me into a more understanding person, and it has allowed me to realize that there isn't only one correct way of life.

This open-mindedness in combination with a pretty cushy life in Metro Detroit motivates me to seek out knowledge of the unknown. I constantly try to expand my knowledge of worldly issues. I sometimes find myself reading National Geographic magazines or watching the travel channel because a culture that I lack any understanding of has captured my interest.

Due to my open-minded curiosity of what life is like outside the bubble of Macomb Township, my plans for the future are not limited to living life from a narrow perspective among SUVs and strip malls. Through knowledge and experience, I hope to expand my view of the world.

Undergraduate / Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22 - U of M favorite book [4]

Tell us about a book you read that you found challenging, stimulating, or provacative. Explain why it made an impact on you. (500 words)

Morale was deteriorating and it was all Yossarian's fault. The country was in peril; he was jeopardizing his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them" (415). Captain John Yossarian is the epitome of the modern anti-hero. He's cynical and rebellious. He's Holden Caulfield living in George Orwell's 1984, and his misery is oddly fun to relate to. More importantly though, he's a character from one of my favorite books: Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22. Over the course of a month, I read my way through the intricately woven chapters that provided a satirical illustration of World War II not because it was an assignment, but because I actually wanted to open my mind to what I had heard was a great literary work. As it turned out, I wasn't disappointed.

The novel has a broad spectrum of characters that represent almost every aspect of society in an exaggerated way. From the blind followers that hung at the finger tips of the ruthlessly opportunistic Colonel Cathcart and Milo Minderbinder to the naively optimistic recruits that served as foils for hardened realists like Yossarian, the novel is alive with highlights of humanity's quirks, which made it humorous, somber, and insightful sometimes all on the same page.

What made the novel stimulating and provocative was the fact that I was able to connect with many of the characters' seemingly absurd qualities. I mean honestly, as teenagers we all feel alienated sometimes, and sometimes we just want to be like Major Major and hide away until we become invisible. Other times, we adopt the insecurity of the Chaplain and question our ideas and opinions that we once thought were so clearly defined. While it sounds cliché, I thought that Yossarian's determination to persevere and stay committed to his beliefs when the world around him seemed to be completely against him was an uplifting example of how the motivation of an individual can prevail over what others accept as a no-win situation.

However, one's beliefs are not always clear, and the novel is full of naïve characters that allowed the commanding officers to have almost absolute power over their actions. By using the idea of patriotism to glamorize the soldier's duties as cogs in a war machine, the bureaucracy in the novel was able to make characters like Nately and Clevinger truly believe that giving up their lives and identities for the benefit of the country was the only noble choice when in reality they were treated as expendable resources by colonels who only had their best interests at heart. This idea of an all powerful and self-centered bureaucracy seems very applicable to modern life. In real life, powerful people can best be described as those who have influence over us, and people under the influence of the media or peer pressure often adopt the opinions of others and give up their individuality. People who are unable to form their own opinions seem to be very common nowadays. We all forget to think for ourselves sometimes, and often we just let the expectations of others determine our actions.

The novel made me realize that one doesn't have to conform to the fate or ideas with which he or she is presented; life is about finding one's own path.