Undergraduate / 'high-energy, loud, and crazy / ambicious person' - NCSSM Application [7]

Personality, what makes you unique:

I am very versatile and can be very adaptable to different situations, especially schools. I have been to three different elementary schools and three different middle schools. So I am very aware of the different ways schools operate like bell schedules or grading scales. I have become very aware of the different styles of teaching that teachers use like straightforward or constant thinking throughout class. I have also adjusted to different expectations of teachers in each school. Some you can get away with a lot, while others are extremely strict. Because of so many transfers, I have learned to become very friendly and acceptant of different people and their personalities. I have started three grades halfway into the school year at a new school. I have to be very sociable in order to be able to talk and communicate with people at a new school. When I first walk into a new classroom, everyone stares at me like they have never seen a human before; no one wants to talk to you either. It is hard at first, not knowing anyone, nobody wanting to be the first to break this barrier of foreignness, and then realizing that you will have to be the first to talk, and finally choosing who would be a good person to talk to without giving you a strange look and ignoring you. At first, I hated being introduced into a new environment, but now, after four different times, I believe that I have become quite immune to the awkward and uncomfortable silence, and am able to get into the follow of things quite easily. For example, I lived in Washington DC for only half a year, but when I left, I had actually grown quite attached to a few of them. I cried, and hugged all of my close friends, and promised then all that I would keep in touch with them. If I am placed in a new situation, I will grow very comfortable and use to it quickly.

I do believe that in general, I am a very generous person. If someone is in need or needs help, I will always be happy to help if it doesn't interfere with what I am doing. For example, I was at the Marbles Children's Museum's grand opening in downtown Raleigh. As a volunteer, I was assigned to watch a display; however, another person was there on my shift so I decided to find another job to do. I found a face painting station, and decided that it was new, and I had never done it before. I was provided with very small paintbrushes and small containers of paint. With no chairs, I was forced to kneel to stand on my knees, which after five hours of face painting, is quite painful. However, it was all worth it, as soon as I finished painting a child's face, they would look in the mirror, and their face would light up, before running to their parents and explain what I had painted on their faces. The face painting area was supposed to be a quick stop on touring the museum, no line was supposed to be created. So at first, I painted small things like flowers, ladybugs, and cars, but one boy asked me if I could paint his whole face, I was not sure if I was allowed to, but the boy looked so cute, and I just couldn't resist, so I ended up painting a Spiderman mask on the boy's face. The next four or five boys that were next all wanted me to do the same thing, and I could not say no, since that would be unfair. After that, every boy wanted me to paint their whole face. At first, there were only a few people in line, and I had to wait for people to come to out to my little table. However, painting a whole face with a small paintbrush is very time consuming, especially Spiderman masks. After an hour of painting just those, I look up and there are nearly sixty children all sitting down watching me with eager eyes, waiting for to be the next person in line. I wasn't even supposed to be at that station, and I just wanted to do some for fun, so I picked up a brush and did a few faces, but when so many people were lined up, I just couldn't walk away, and let the children leave disappointed. I was very surprised at how well my face painting "business" was running; it overwhelmed me how crucial I was to the happiness of each child that day. After I returned home, my arm was so sore from having to hold it up all day from the painting, my knees hurt from the kneeling, and my hands were covered with paint. I was exhausted, but I couldn't help but smile, it felt so good, just giving up something just as simple as time, but in return gaining so much more- happy smiles and laughter. I also swore that I could memorize Spiderman's face in my dreams.

At first, when I meet someone, I am very shy, and keep to myself. I will rarely communicate; sometimes even go as far as making no eye contact, although I know it is very rude. My emotions will be kept inside, and I will just be silent. It takes me time before I get comfortable with people, however. But as soon as I am, I let go of all my restraints. I become the happy exuberant person that I know myself to be. The more I familiar I am with a person, the more open I am. But when I am with my close friends, I am my pure self, high-energy, loud, and crazy. I do however, know how to restrain myself. I seem to have quite a number of personalities. With adults, I am very proper, and I will talk about education and serious topics, without thinking how boring it is. With some other friends, I am laid back and care free; with others I am studious and detailed. As I said before, I am very versatile, and will do everything to make sure the people I am with are comfortable around me.

What words best describe your character? Give specific examples of why each word is applicable to you:

Ambitious:
I am confident in myself and my skills, if not too much. I always think I will win, so I try my hardest in competitions and contests, although deep inside, I know there is a small chance that I will win any of them. I have entered so many contests and competitions; I can't even keep track of them. I have entered writing, art, piano, violin, swimming, track, science, and history competitions. I have also applied to many different clubs from Science Olympiad to National Honor Society. I can probably count the ones I have only won on one hand. However, when I do not win, I am not very upset; I understand that there are so many people better than me in anything that I enter. Although I am confident in my abilities, I accept it when I do not win. Actually, on the contrary, I am quite stunned when I win or am accepted into something, because of how much I am used to rejection. For example, I know that I am not a very strong writer, but I still entered to Kenyon Review writing contest and wrote a poem about life. Also, I have entered the PTSA Reflections art competition ever since elementary school. Although I have never won outside of my school, I enjoy painting and drawing immensely, and that's what brings me back to it every year. I always end up staying until two or three in the morning it is due to complete it. I always get too absorbed in the little details when I start working on it a long before it's due. Then when it is a few days before submission, it hits me and I realize that I have to speed up my pace. But I cannot speed up without ruining my quality, so I remain at my slow steady pace, which means I have to end up finishing it in the early morning, every year. If I see a contest that I am interested in, mostly art related, I will not hesitate to enter it, like design a cover for the school directory, for instance. I dream big and believe that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. In the future, I would like to attend Duke University and major in art, although it is not Duke's forte. Then I would like to attend Parsons School for Design in New York City for graduate school. After that, I would like to own a small boutique that sells my own clothing designs. If it runs well, I would like to open another store on the eastern border, and slowly spread stores from the east coast to the west coast. I would like my clothing line to become a classic, one that everyone knows, like Chanel or Ralph Lauren. When I reach the west, I plan to start a movie career. Hopefully, I will earn roles and if I am successful enough, I will become famous be recognized world-wide. Some time during my movie career, I would like to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The chances of this becoming a reality are slim, but I will do everything in my power to make it possible. I believe that once you put your mind into something, that anything can be accomplished, so that is why I enter so many contests. I believe if I try hard enough, I will eventually win.

Dedicated:
Ever since I was little, I have always been aware of my surrounding peers' situations. If my friend carelessly mentions she will go to a competition over the weekend, I will naturally ask her on Monday how she fared. For example my friend and I were working on a brochure for a project for three days. We collaborated over the internet and decided that she would write half of the paragraphs and I would complete the other half. Once I was finished, I would email her my paragraphs and she would compile them into a brochure. We stayed up until twelve the first night and one the second night, to try to finish it ask quickly as possible. On the third day, at around twelve at night, I finally emailed her my completed paragraphs and messaged her about my completion. I waited for her to message me back about her completion of the brochure. At one, I called and asked her how it was going since she hadn't replied in over an hour. She answered that there were issues with the printer, and that she would have to re-format the brochure. She told me that I could go sleep if I wanted to, since I was no longer needed for that portion of the project. But I remained at the computer and waited for her call about finishing the brochure. At two, I called her again, and she told me that the printer could not print on the edges and that she would have to cut off some off the paper she was printing on. She urged me to go sleep-she could tell I needed it from my sleepy voice. I ignored her however, and remained at the computer, waiting for her notification. At three, she messaged me and told her she was almost finished with the brochure. Finally, at fifteen minutes until four she called me and shouted that the brochure was at last a success, the printer finally printed. I finally retired to my bed, satisfied that our project was complete.

Independent:
In the Spring Break of seventh grade, I traveled with my fellow seventh graders to Rome, Athens, Pompeii, and Vatican City as a class field trip. My social studies teacher and my science teacher along with a few parental chaperones were the only ones there; my parents were not accompanying me. They kept track of about fifty of us. In Rome, I visited the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish steps. In Athens, we were awed by the magnificence of the Parthenon and the original Olympic grounds at Olympia. At Pompeii, we walked through the remains of the village destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius. In Vatican City, we were given a tour of St. Peter's Basilica. Without my parents present, I learned to not rely on them. For example, we visited Pompeii, but my batteries in my camera ran out, so could not take pictures of the spectacular ruins, which I regretted immensely. Since that time, everywhere I went on the trip, I remembered to pack an extra set of batteries, since I did not want to miss anything. Other than responsibility, I also learned self-control. No one was there to encourage or discourage me to spend my money. It was all based on my decisions. My parents were not there to limit what I could purchase; they gave me a fixed amount of money and trusted that I would handle it maturely. Even if wanted to purchase something I really wanted, but I knew was a bad deal, I trained myself so stay away from it. For example, in a gift shop in Vatican City, I saw an exquisite bracelet, I immediately fell in love with it, and I purchased it for twelve euros. As we exited Vatican City and entered Rome, I saw the same bracelet in a store window for only three euros. I was immediately taken back at how rash I had been in purchasing it. Ever since, I learned to not buy everything I like, but to consider its price, and decide if it is really worth it. To try to cope with overspending, I placed a certain amount of money in my wallet each day. Another part of self-control I learned was to be able to go to bed at a certain time. I was rooming with two other girls, and once we started watching television, there was no stop to us. I had to learn how to force myself to stop and preparing myself for bed. I also had set my own alarm clock, and actually get up when the alarm went off. No one was going to come wake me up if I overslept. Organization was something else I learned. No one cared about how your suitcase or room looked. So I had to tidy up a little bit everyday to ensure that once it is time to leave the hotel, it doesn't take my roommates and me an extra hour to clean up, something I learned the hard way. Responsibility was the most important lesson I learned on this trip. I had to learn to be able to keep track of my tickets, boarding passes, keys, cards, money, luggage and passports. If I had lost any of it, I would have been in big trouble. I learned how to keep things secure, since there were many pickpockets where we toured. Before I left the hotel each day, I created a mental checklist and checked to make sure I had everything. My parents and teachers had put a lot of trust in me and my fellow peers, and I wasn't going to let them down buy losing something. Although the trip overall was quite expensive, the lessons I learned made it all worth it.

What else do you want to make sure the NCSSM selection committee knows about you? Be specific:

My parents have owned a restaurant ever since I was born, so I grew up around its conditions. As I grew older, I gradually took on jobs at the restaurant. In 8th grade, they allowed me to answer some phones and take orders in our restaurant. As I progressed through high school, I took on more jobs, like cooking, assuming the job of a fry cook, waitress, and cashier, and sometimes directing the restaurant on my own. I have learned to be patient, precise, efficient, and a leader.

Out of many invaluable lessons, I have learned patience. Many times, when I am taking an order, the customer will be undecided on what they want. In the background, I can hear phones ringing and the kitchen in complete chaos, but I put on a smile and continue to wait for the customer. Sometimes, a customer comes back to argue about the quality of their food. Most of the time, there is a reasonable explanation why the dish tastes unusual that time. However, as I worker in the restaurant, the customer is always right. You must replace their order or refund them if they are not satisfied at all. For example, one lady ordered a dish consisting of chicken, vegetables, and tofu. After preparing it, I served her the food and promptly returned to the kitchen. Not five minutes into her meal, she brought the food up to our counter and told me that the chicken was raw. I was very surprised at the comment, and requested her to elaborate on her assertion. She poked the tofu with her fork and exclaimed that the chicken was not cooked. I explained to her that the raw chicken was actually tofu, and that that was the way tofu was supposed to be. She seemed unconvinced and stood firmly with her complaint. I asked her if there was anything else I could do for her, and she replied that she wanted another dish, one without tofu. I calmly agreed and with a fake smile, I took her plate and returned to the kitchen. As soon as I entered through its doors, my face fell, and inside, I was filled with rage. I couldn't understand why she didn't believe what I was saying. I told my parents and they took it in without any comment, used to it from years of experience. Once the new dish was prepared, I served it with a big smile, offered my deepest apologies, and told her to enjoy her food. I learned that patience with a customer resulted in the happiness. No matter how angry they make you, you must remain calm and steady.

I also learned to be accurate and precise when taking and packing orders. When the restaurant is very busy, boxes look all the same when it is busying and I am panicking. I still need to package all the orders correctly, because I, just like my parents, hate a customer calling us to complain about how they are missing something, so something is incorrect. When this happens, and my parents are forced to remake the order, I feel very embarrassed that I let my parents down. So in order to avoid that, I strive to be precise.

Efficiency is a very important part of the restaurant. If there is something you can do fast, you have to try to make it even faster. If I am not efficient, the restaurant will be out of sync and things will start slowing down. In order to keep the customers happy, every worker needs to work efficiently, so all the things are prepared and on time. There is a lot of teamwork involved too. If one person forgets to do their part, he slows down the whole chain. Along with efficiency, came prioritization. If one food cooks faster than the other, I will have to make sure that the slower food starts cooking first before I cook the other one, so both foods will be done at the same time. Without efficiency, the workers will be unhappy since they have to wait, the customers will be unhappy, and most of all you feel embarrassed that everyone is waiting on you, since you were not paying attention to the orders.

This has also taught me leadership. Sometimes when both my parents are delivering orders, I will be the only one at the restaurant, other than the two chefs. I need to call out the correct order for each chef, and to each in a different language, one in Mandarin and one in Spanish. This makes it crucial that each chef gets the correct order. Sometimes, I will have to tell them in what order to cook things. It is actually very intimidating, ordering them around. I am telling people twice my age what to do. When they actually do it, I feel so proud of myself. I also feel very accomplished when I complete the order from taking it, announcing it, packaging it, and delivering it to the customer.

Without working in the restaurant, I would not have been able to learn these lessons. These lessons are something that parents would not have been able to teach me. Although I don't get paid, these skills I have acquired are worth more than any amount of money.

Undergraduate / 'Proving to my parents / excitement to the campus' - NCSSM Essays [5]

Have you had any adversity in life that you may want to explain?:

Ever since middle school, my mother had been unsatisfied with the education standards in my hometown, Winston-Salem. In the second half of seventh grade, my mother researched schools outside of the city and realized that schools in the Washington DC area were much better. So in the second half of seventh grade, my mother decided to transfer us to that area. My mother, along with my brother and I moved and rented a house there. Since we still owned a restaurant in Winston-Salem, my father stayed there, and we drove back every weekend to Winston-Salem, to visit him. We continued this twelve hour roundtrip commute for nearly half a year, before my mother decided that although the schools there were excellent, they worth the commute, and the money strain was too great. She remained determined not to return to Winston-Salem's schools, so she decided to move to Raleigh, also because of the schools. In 8th grade, I went to Carnage Middle School in Raleigh, the city which I have lived in ever since. However, our mother still commutes back and forth every weekend. Every Friday, right she picks us up from school, my mom rushes home, where we pack our materials for the upcoming weekend we are going to spend in Winston-Salem. As soon as we reach Winston-Salem, we go to piano lessons. Right after that, my mom drives my brother and I to the restaurant where we help out until it closes at eleven. Fridays are the busiest days for the restaurant, so we must go there to help. On the weekends, we stay home and work on our schoolwork. On Sunday night, we pack our things once again and prepare to load the car to drive back to Raleigh, in order to be able to get to school on time. It may seem like a good idea though, we get to help out in the restaurant, see our father, and get a good education, but there are many disadvantages of this. It is very hard for us to meet up on weekends to work on projects. Sometimes, my mom will drive back on Sunday morning so we can get there on Sunday afternoon, so we can work on a possible project. It has put a lot of strain on our school work. Once school is out on Friday, we don't have anytime to work on it until Saturday. On Sunday, we are only allowed until seven, before we have to leave for the two hour drive to Raleigh. When we commuted to Washington DC, we had to leave at around three everyday for the six hour commute. Another fault is that I never have any time to spend with my friends. My friends in Raleigh know I will not be able to be there on the weekend, so they don't even bother inviting me to parties or movies. My friends in Winston-Salem think I have I completely moved to Raleigh, so they never ask me to meet up with them anytime. Also, it has taken a toll on both my parents. My father always complains about how lonely he is returning to a house by himself, and how scared he is of returning home everyday, a large, dark, empty house waiting for him every night. Sometimes, I hear my dad discussing with my mother, how he doesn't want to do this anymore, and how pointless he thinks his life is. He just lives to wake up, go to work, and return everyday, by himself. He complains that the loneliness is killing him. My mother seems to be more tired, especially from driving back and forth every weekend. She no longer has that excitement and youth I grew up knowing. Everyday, when she comes back from her part time job in Raleigh, she always collapses on the couch and takes a short nap. Despite all this, there are some good things from this however. Aside from the great education, I have learned how to pack quickly and efficiently. I have learned how to sort through things and decide exactly what I need in a short amount of time, rather than wondering if I should bring something or not. This commuting has made me more aware of how much my parents love my brother and me. I appreciate my parents' efforts more than ever. They are risking the life and energy for my brother and me to gain a better education. This has also made my family more closer. Every time I leave my father, I always have tears in my eyes. I think that it's silly, that I'll see him in five more days. But I have repeated this routine for the past three years, yet I can never leave my father with a dry eye. When we leave, I always have to have some kind of contact with him, as if a connection of some sort, like some part of him I can take with me back to Raleigh. This has also make me work harder, like I want to prove to my parents that what they're doing is right, that all that they're risking will be worth it and pay off at the end. I want to make them proud.

How will you contribute outside of the classroom to the NCSSM community?

I will bring energy and excitement to the campus. When a room is quite and still, it gets me nervous and antsy, like something dangerous and unexpected will happen. So I like loud and exciting places, where every one is talking and everything is moving. If somewhere I am at is not high energy, I will make it so. I am generally a happy and outgoing person, so I love to talk and spend time with people. When I am hanging out with my friends, I like to play games, watch movies, do interesting things, and just have fun. I love to design and decorate, so if I am with my friends for the holidays during school, I might take the initiative decorate our hallway, or even our dorm. I will contribute my knowledge and experience, since I have lived, traveled and moved to so many places. I will share my experiences with others. From living in Washington DC, I can bring knowledge of the capital area. From Winston-Salem, I can bring knowledge about the Moravians that first settled there. When I lived in New Jersey and New York, I will bring information about the city that never sleeps. I can bring experience from projects and information, from the many different school curriculums I have been in. Also, from my commutes, I have learned and seen so many different things, I will be happy to share. I will also bring change. If there is something that I am not satisfied with, or have trouble with, I will not hesitate to ask for change or assistance.

Writing Feedback / Comparing slavery in the American and Russian serfdom [2]

Discuss the major similarities and differences between slavery in the americas and russian serfdom

During Mongol rule, Russian peasants were free farmers with a legal position superior to serfs of the Medieval era. However, after the fall of the Tatars, more peasants fell into debt and were forced to accept servile status in order to clear themselves of debt. More and more peasants fell into debt and eventually created the serfdom class. During the early 16th century, the Spanish and Portuguese started to import African slaves to help meet the labor needs of the newly conquered Caribbean islands, since all the natives were wiped out from disease. Although Russian serfdom and the American slave trade where not geographically connected, there were many similarities between the two, while several crucial differences remained.

Although Russian serfs were still allowed some freedoms, their lifestyle was very similar to those of the African slaves. Both were could be sold, bought, or gambles. If they did not obey, slaves and serfs alike were punished. In 1785, a law was created that allowed landlords to severely punish serfs that rebelled or committed any sort of crime. Both of these laborers were also placed at the very bottom of the social ladder. In the New World, class was based on sociedad de castas, which was based on racial origins, with whites at the top, black slaves and Native Americans at the bottom, and mixes filling in the middle. In Russia, serfs were located at the bottom, with landlords next, and then the nobility.

However, there were still some differences. Although serfs were sometimes treated like slaves, they used the village government to regulate their lives and relied on community ties. Whereas, the slaves had no voice or choice to what they wanted to do. Also, serfs were generally local Russians, known as insiders to their country. The landlords were enslaving their own people. African slaves however, were not from the Americas, so they were considered outsiders to the country. These slaves were not from the soil they were working on. Russian serfs were also able to retain access to their land, although not gain primary ownership. They were also forced to pay taxes. Slaves however, owned no property, as they were property themselves, and had no taxes to pay.

Even though differences remain, one thing is certain. Slavery and serfdom forced people into hard and intense labor. The differences between these two labor systems may reflect the isolation between these two cultures.

Writing Feedback / Essay: Religion based discrimination [NEW]

Prompt: Write an essay identifying one community of people whom you consider to be victims of human rights violations. In the letter format, this will be mailed to an opposing side's organization to see if it is possible for one person to make a positive difference.

2014 Mirror Drive
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February 26, 2008

Gary Musselman
Executive Director
Kansas State High School Activities Association
PO Box 495
Topeka, KS 66601-0495

Dear Mr. Musselman:
Recently, I viewed a video clip on Yahoo! featuring Michelle Campbell; a referee discriminated against due to her sex. This report surprised me at first, since I have always believed that this kind of inequality was nearly extinct here in America. However, what struck me as even more odd was the cause of this injustice: not favoritism, but religion. This story sparked an interest in me, since situations like these are not heard about very often, but are occur nearly everyday. Rather than allowing people to discriminate others due to beliefs of their religion, everyone should be treated equally regardless. Relevant to this association, schools should not be allowed to limit the freedoms and rights of females due solely to the Bible.

Many institutions have a religious foundation like schools and workplaces. Some of these establishments enforce old Christian laws and strictly follow the Bible. These followers may mimic the prejudice depicted in the Bible. There are many example of this discussed in various books of the Bible. In Genesis, women are viewed as property of either her husband or father. They are creatures who are useless until they can bare children; if a woman's spouse dies while the she is still childless, her reproductive rights go to her dead husband's brother. In the Old Testament, they are shown as seducers. If a man suspects his wife of infidelity, he will seek a priest, who will decide whether she truly faithful; his decision must be accepted. Those who follow these laws prevent women from fully expressing and representing themselves.

In schools that follow Christian laws, females are likely to be suppressed and denied of the rights guaranteed in the US Constitution. For instance, at St. Mary's Academy, a school near Topeka, Kansas, is owned and operated by the Society of St. Pius X, which follows old Roman Catholic laws. These laws state that developing young men should be influenced by men rather than woman. Therefore, Michelle Campbell was not allowed to officiate a boys' basketball game was not allowed because the academy did not want her influence over the boys. After much criticism, the academy responded by stating their belief in forming and educating boys and girls separately during the adolescent years. "This formation of boys is best accomplished by male role models, as the formation of girls is best accomplished by women. Hence, in boys' athletic competitions, it is important that the various role models, [even] coaches and referees be men (Griego)". They feared that a woman referee would be a bad influence over the basketball players.

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However, this discrimination is uncalled for. After all, what is a referee for? A referee is an official who "maintains the flow and integrity of the game (Google Dictionary)". The official is makes fair and equal calls. A good referee is unbiased and will spots violations instantly. Any good referee, regardless of sex will make impartial calls in the game, and that is the only point of an official in a game. The sex of a person does not determine what calls one will make. He or she is not there to be a role model or an influence, but to make correct judgments. Once he or she wears the black and white striped shirt, they are a referee, only hired to make unbiased calls.

I do understand that St. Mary's Academy is a traditional Catholic school, following old Christian laws, one which promotes same-sex influence rather than integration. If it is their policy to follow the directives of the Catholic Church regarding co-education, I respect that entirely. However, I still believe that it was unfair for Michelle Campbell to be discriminated against, just because she was a woman.

As executive director, you should help eliminate this injustice. Referees are supposed to regulate the integrity of the game. It does not matter what sex they are. They can be anything, but just as along as they are fair and a good referee, that is all that matter right? That is all St. Mary's hired this official to do. I am asking you to please be intolerant of this kind of discrimination, and take action to eliminate it where ever apparent. Think about how many voices and ideas are smothered each day because of religion-based discrimination.

Sincerely,

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