Scormbl
Aug 29, 2025
Undergraduate / COMMON APP Personal Statement - Teachings From My Sister [2]
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
I sat beside the hospital bed under the blinding lights. There my sister lay following a surgery that removed a part of her frontal lobe to hopefully reduce her seizures from her condition: idiopathic epilepsy. At this moment I was scared, uncertain of what the future might hold. It felt that there was nothing else to hold onto.
Growing up in a household where my parents always argued over money and my sister experiencing seizures, naturally ingrained itself into my daily schedule, a perpetuating cycle. I was almost always home alone with my sister and it was during these times I learned the most: my sister became my greatest teacher. Through her I learned that all humans are not born equal, but we can bridge the chasms of inequality with empathy and collaboration. It seemed that each day was torturous, I saw the daily battles my sister had to endure as she struggled with simple tasks ranging from learning how to count to brushing her teeth. I felt powerless, unable to cure my sister. However, she taught me the importance of perseverance: I held out my hand to her, walking her through the basics of life to allow her to experience a "normal" life, even if it would only be for a split second. Rather than choosing to play with children that are my age, I chose to be with my sister. We would explore the woods playing out a fantasy that we formed. This simple protection taught me the importance of empathy. Although our world may be unfair, we can strive to hold each other's hands through our struggles to resist these inequalities.
I carried these lessons my sister taught me into high school by volunteering to become a part of my school's peer tutoring association. I took up the role of a tutor to guide my peers through any obstacles they may face in their studies. And it was because of my sister that I strove to be more than a tutor-I sought to be someone my peers could rely on if they needed help. Later, I expanded my reach by getting involved in events hosted by Epilepsy Toronto: Purple Walk, Buskerfest, and my own small-scale project. Initially motivated by the organization's recognition of epilepsy, I volunteered for the Purple Walk. At this event, I acted as an educator for my local community, raising awareness about epilepsy and expressing the importance of empathy and interdependence. Here, I no longer felt powerless. Speaking to community members, I realized that the sharing of stories not only raises awareness on hidden issues, but also fosters an interconnected relationship amongst a community. To me, the walk symbolizes the reliance on one another and the impact of small acts. It was this impact I saw that encouraged me to contact their Director of Children & Youth Services to allow me run free experimental one-to-one tutoring sessions with any children who were looking for help in their school work. There I met someone much like my sister, a thirteen-year-old boy with epilepsy in a grade 8 special education class. And over the course of 5 months we scheduled many productive meetings. He would ask me questions about a particular topic and I pointed him in the right direction. Through these meetings I witnessed his growth and eventual success, much like the experiences I had with my sister.
The initial lessons my sister taught me about life led me down a path which allowed me to not only help others living with a similar condition to my sister, but also individuals seeking help. These experiences have ultimately shaped my views on how life should be lived: while life may be unfair, one's growth is only limited by the effort we put forth. Thus we must strive to hold each other's hands through our struggles.
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
I sat beside the hospital bed under the blinding lights. There my sister lay following a surgery that removed a part of her frontal lobe to hopefully reduce her seizures from her condition: idiopathic epilepsy. At this moment I was scared, uncertain of what the future might hold. It felt that there was nothing else to hold onto.
Growing up in a household where my parents always argued over money and my sister experiencing seizures, naturally ingrained itself into my daily schedule, a perpetuating cycle. I was almost always home alone with my sister and it was during these times I learned the most: my sister became my greatest teacher. Through her I learned that all humans are not born equal, but we can bridge the chasms of inequality with empathy and collaboration. It seemed that each day was torturous, I saw the daily battles my sister had to endure as she struggled with simple tasks ranging from learning how to count to brushing her teeth. I felt powerless, unable to cure my sister. However, she taught me the importance of perseverance: I held out my hand to her, walking her through the basics of life to allow her to experience a "normal" life, even if it would only be for a split second. Rather than choosing to play with children that are my age, I chose to be with my sister. We would explore the woods playing out a fantasy that we formed. This simple protection taught me the importance of empathy. Although our world may be unfair, we can strive to hold each other's hands through our struggles to resist these inequalities.
I carried these lessons my sister taught me into high school by volunteering to become a part of my school's peer tutoring association. I took up the role of a tutor to guide my peers through any obstacles they may face in their studies. And it was because of my sister that I strove to be more than a tutor-I sought to be someone my peers could rely on if they needed help. Later, I expanded my reach by getting involved in events hosted by Epilepsy Toronto: Purple Walk, Buskerfest, and my own small-scale project. Initially motivated by the organization's recognition of epilepsy, I volunteered for the Purple Walk. At this event, I acted as an educator for my local community, raising awareness about epilepsy and expressing the importance of empathy and interdependence. Here, I no longer felt powerless. Speaking to community members, I realized that the sharing of stories not only raises awareness on hidden issues, but also fosters an interconnected relationship amongst a community. To me, the walk symbolizes the reliance on one another and the impact of small acts. It was this impact I saw that encouraged me to contact their Director of Children & Youth Services to allow me run free experimental one-to-one tutoring sessions with any children who were looking for help in their school work. There I met someone much like my sister, a thirteen-year-old boy with epilepsy in a grade 8 special education class. And over the course of 5 months we scheduled many productive meetings. He would ask me questions about a particular topic and I pointed him in the right direction. Through these meetings I witnessed his growth and eventual success, much like the experiences I had with my sister.
The initial lessons my sister taught me about life led me down a path which allowed me to not only help others living with a similar condition to my sister, but also individuals seeking help. These experiences have ultimately shaped my views on how life should be lived: while life may be unfair, one's growth is only limited by the effort we put forth. Thus we must strive to hold each other's hands through our struggles.
