Undergraduate / Common App Essay -- In the Arms of the Angel! [3]

This is for the Common App Essay, minimum 250 words.
I chose this prompt: Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

What do you think of my essay? Does it answer what is asked? Any critiques? I really appreciate it!

P.S. I'm applying to Pepperdine University :)

In the Arms of the Angel

I found him in the strangest of places. His aura was white, almost blinding; yet, his presence seemed to draw you in like a light at the end of the tunnel. I could have sworn I saw wings at the tail of his coat, but the eerie calmness of the room could have made any person delirious. A part of me wanted to turn and run, but I could not help but feel entranced by the genial smile and the horn of trumpets.

"Angel," he spoke to me, firmly gripping my hand into his.

Yes, indeed.

"You're right on time," he said, glancing at his watch as if it actually mattered. The patients just got out of surgery." At the snap of his fingers, the serenity of the room was transformed into a roaring din by the rolling of wheels, incessant chatter, and irritating beeps.

Although I enjoyed the convivial presence of the medical staff made eight-hour volunteer days bearable, the county hospital was not exactly my summer destination. That is, until Angel me the freedom to fly.

It was a Thursday, informally named "The Do-Nothing" day, since the least amount of operations were made. Angel was in the break room, charming the new interns; I was outside - alone - filing patient information on the same blue computer chair I had been sitting in since I arrived that morning. Angel must have sensed my desperation so he said his goodbyes and walked over to me.

"Wanna come with me? Errands aren't that fun, but with you, I'm sure something exciting will happen," he teased.

I agreed skeptically and took his lead as we walked into the surgery center together. Every so often a doctor would look up and salute us from the viewing windows, solidifying my growing nervousness, but giving me a sense of importance. After what seemed like an endless walk, we entered the door at the end of the corridor.

A group of the brightest angels, all in their purest coats, were surrounding their subject. They all looked up and motioned me over to grab a mask and coat. After piecing myself together, I looked into the reflection of the metallic tool tray and stopped in surprise. I was becoming an angel, too.

The lab coated men proceeded in their daily duty. A rush of excitement surged through my body as the doctors opened the patient gently, as if the procedure was painless. Every so often, Angel would glance back at me, laugh at my astonished expression and continue on. I closed my eyes; although my eyes were amazed by the blood-stained tools shining inside the patient's body, my stomach was not. The next I knew, gasping voices.

I woke up, lightheaded, in the same room I had been watching over that morning. Apparently I had fainted watching the operation. Still groggy, I looked up and discovered the bright familiar figure.

"See, I told you it'd be exciting," he said. The head nurse, Jodie, rushed into the room, beckoning Angel to her. I overheard her reprimanding him for allowing someone as "delicate" as me to observe an operation. Despite the harsh criticism, Angel still grinned as he walked back towards my make-shift bed to "examine" some notes.

"Hey, kid, let me tell you something," he spoke to me softly, still pretending to leaf through the papers. "Don't ever, ever let anyone make you feel intimidated. Everything happens for a reason."

Those words were glued to my mind for the rest of the day, and today they continue to be etched in my brain. Angel was right. Volunteering for a hospital was not only a charitable cause, nor another achievement to write on college applications, it was the chance of a lifetime, a life lesson. Fate brought me to the post-operation room, and to the rightly named Angel. Blacking out in the operation room taught me not only that blood makes me squeamish; it showed me just how everything fell into place. Without fainting, Angel would have never freed me from my inhibitions.

I had dreamed of the perfect summer, splashing at the beach and roasting into a golden brown; the county hospital was not my idea of Saint Tropez. Instead of playing volleyball, I received vials of blood; a relaxing lawn chair exchanged with a rotating computer seat; a Brad Pitt look-a-like replaced with post-operation nurses. Yet, despite the loss of cute boys and a nice tan, I gained the confidence to take on life and more importantly, an eternal mentor. His coffee-stained lab coat was like a robe of ivory, his crooked smile a masterpiece. Everyone who crossed his path was a new person, like an angel who had finally received his wings. When I had awoken from a state of shock, I was not only clothed in the same ivory white, but I felt as if I were flying. If I weren't so delirious, I would have sworn I felt wings beneath me.

I walked into the hospital shy, anxious, and insecure. Now I walk with a humble pride, head high, confident that my decisions will bring me to my ultimate success. Every challenge is taken on with a smile, every hesitancy replaced with excitement. And Angel? His spirit walks within me.

Undergraduate / The Pepperdine essay is a bit of a toughie! Did I answer the prompt well? [7]

Thank you so much for giving me feedback, I truly appreciate it! :)

Here is the prompt:Pepperdine's scholarly community equips students with a liberal arts education anchored in Christian values. Our commitment to integrating faith and learning challenges our students to understand that the gift of knowledge ultimately calls for a life of service. With this commitment in mind, please respond: Tell us how the integration of faith and learning can prepare you for a life of service, and discuss the impact service-learning can have on the renewing of your mind, spirit, and community. (500 words or less)

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
Next to John 3:16, Philippians 4:13 may just be the most universally recognized Bible verse. Nevertheless, it remains to be my favorite among the myriad of God's glorious Scripture.

Philippians 4:13 can be applied to every aspect of my life: I whispered Christ's adage as I stood nervously at the starting line of my first half-marathon; I calmed my nerves with the verse as I presided over a crowd of 110 at my first National Honor Society meeting. And eight years before, I joyfully recited Philippians 4:13 for the first time in my fourth grade class.

Although the coupling of faith and knowledge was instilled in me at a young age, my eyes did not truly appreciate their beauty until Philippians 4:13. Those ten simple words, strung together so effortlessly, ignited a passion for language and a new-found relationship with Christ. Writing became an outlet for expression, adjectives vivified my life, and knowledge excited me. But as my wisdom began to amass, I came to the realization that this God-given blessing would be purposeless if not put to proper use.

"What is my purpose?"
For a moment, these four, daunting words seemed to cloud the awe-inspiring ten engraved in my heart. I voraciously threw myself into my research on careers, lifestyles, cultures - and yet, my question was left unanswered. Did I want to be a doctor? A lawyer? A journalist?

In this time of trial and tribulation, I grew up. I closed my books and entered a classroom called "Life." There, my lessons consisted of learning to love, learning to live, learning to accept mistakes, and learning to have faith. My intelligence was challenged, my leadership abilities were doubted, but my strength never faltered; after all, I had Christ's power within me.

With my education and life lessons, I matured from a curious child into an ambitious adult. As I experienced the world through volunteer work, travel, and everyday life, I began to see that a single set purpose did not exist, but rather an ongoing, life-long aspiration. It was not my purpose to selfishly succeed, but our purpose as humanity to thrive together in love.

The teachings I learned in the classroom and beyond its walls do not rival to that of my Lord's. But, the beneficial integration of education with my faith will ultimately bring me to a life of purpose - a life of service - for Christ, for others, for myself, and for my community. I understand that without God's favor, pursuing any dream would be futile and hopeless; I also realize that without an enthusiasm for learning, a substantial future could not exist.

Seven years ago, I fell in love with learning - and with Christ. Today, I confidently go in the direction of the Lord's will. Equipped with the His armor, the knowledge within me, and Philippians 14:3, my purpose to serve will be met with the highest honor. My words, words, words are all for Him.

Undergraduate / Communications major - UCLA Transfer Prompt #1 [5]

During the first two years of life, our brains frenetically scramble to piece together the framework of communication. As muffled sounds become spoken word and kinesthetic gestures become body language, we begin to realize that communication dictates the world, transcending race, social class, and nationality. This simple, yet incredibly complex construction of sounds, words, and expressions is understood by all, yet mastered by few. In order to acquire the expertise on a subject that truly defines the human experience, one must major in Communications -- and that is my intention.

I was fifteen when the jumbled little pieces in my head fell into place. My brain was struggling to assemble a particular fragment of communication -- language -- and it had finally completed the puzzle. Out came my first words: "Je m'appelle Madeline."

As I began to grasp the beginnings of a foreign language, I simultaneously began to comprehend the tenets of communication in which my own language is based upon. French-only lectures allowed me to focus on the systematic symbols of non-verbal communication; classmate-to-classmate dialogues taught me to appreciate the simplicity of interpersonal conversation; and foreign news clips showed me the influence of the media on a global scale. My introductory French class had garnered in me not only a fascination for all things Francophone, but for communication as a whole.

I soon came to the realization that if communication could surpass the language barrier, then surely it could transcend any other facet of society. I immediately began to delve into the other realms of Communications, exploring every crevice of the boundless subject.

I discovered one of Communication's jewels, leadership, when I was elected my high school's National Honor Society president senior year. During my term, I orchestrated a one-day clothes drive that relied on an effective correspondence between my group, a local charity, and the community. My first attempts at organizational communication, which aimed to incite action by methods of local advertising, media support, and volunteerism resulted in a clothing donation of 1,500 pounds. As a result of the event's rousing success, I was given the opportunity to try my hand at journalism, contributing an article about the drive which was ultimately published by the local city newspaper.

A 24-inch spread on the front page of The Signal was all it took to awaken the media mogul within me. I had found Communication's crown jewel, and it was journalism. The following summer, I took an internship with the political campaign of California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, where I fostered my ability to create press releases, persuade voters, and of course, rub elbows with notable political figures. After spending time in the political sphere, I returned to the newspaper that initially sparked my interest in media and began my unofficial journalistic career as the web news intern.