katiecahoon
Jan 15, 2010
Undergraduate / I want to be a Biologist and Spanish student - CU Boulder Essay [2]
Essay B (maximum 250 words)
Who are the influential people in your life? How have they contributed to your development as a person?
When you grow up with two older brothers, there is a constant struggle for power. My two older brothers Teddy, who is 7 years older than I and Thomas, 4 years older have both shaped my dreams and aspirations since I could first remember. I watched them drift through life without hesitation or regret and I desperately wanted them to teach me how I could achieve that kind of self-reliance and confidence. I know I have that confidence now and it began with my relationships with my brothers.
Every young child wants to hang out with his her older siblings, but who wants to spend time with their kid sister anyway? One of my earliest memories is from when I was about 4 years old and my brothers were playing in the back yard with wooden rubber band guns. I wanted nothing more than to join their fun that day, but they would not let me. They even locked me out of our clubhouse stating it was for "boys only". I remember going inside and crying, but my brothers hugged me later and all was forgiven. This is where I learned compassion.
It was not until I grew older that my brothers imparted their wisdom to me. As I watched them doing all the things that girls simply could not do like playing with BB guns outside with their friends and working on cars, I wondered where I could find this kind of happiness, peace, and personal achievement. As I entered junior high, they shared with me the fact that my life would only get more difficult and that this was a part of life. They both said that they did not really think that I needed them until junior high and I did. They taught me loyalty.
Teddy told me that things are hard for boys in the beginning and made easier for girls, but this all changes in middle school and then for the rest of a young woman's life. Both he and Thomas took metal and wood shop, so they were looked at as "one of the guys". However, I loved photography, horseback riding, and learning new languages. I was also developing an academic interest in biology and loved to ride my horses to a quiet place to sit and read the books I loved. My school experience was not necessarily conducive to the girl, who had her head in the books and her self in the saddle. No one understood why I spent so much time studying rather than "hanging out with the girls". Nevertheless, my brothers both encouraged me to follow my dreams and my heart and assured me that I would discover this was all worth it when I entered college and would find a better gender balance. Teddy warned that the world of work had a glass ceiling, though he did not use those words exactly. I heeded everything he and Thomas told me and realized that I was fortunate to have brothers who allowed me to see how things are on the other side. They taught me balance.
I want to be a Biologist and continue my Spanish studies to prepare me for a career that allows me to use both these academic tracks. I aspire to study in Argentina for a year and seeing my brothers' confidence, but more importantly their wisdom and support has allowed me to look at the limitless possibilities in the world. However, I always keep in the back of my mind the fact that I am a woman and there may be people who doubt me, but my brothers taught me perseverance.
I do not believe in stereotypes nor do I aspire to do anything academically or career-wise that would simply serve to prove something to someone else. I want the freedom to be who I am and from the lessons of my brothers, I am confident and unapologetic. I am compassionate and loyal, full of the need to search out the people, places, and things that teach me more about life. I want to do what I love and what I am good at. This is what we all want. My brothers served as my first teachers in life and thanks to them, I am ready to ride into the sunset of my future.
Essay B (maximum 250 words)
Who are the influential people in your life? How have they contributed to your development as a person?
When you grow up with two older brothers, there is a constant struggle for power. My two older brothers Teddy, who is 7 years older than I and Thomas, 4 years older have both shaped my dreams and aspirations since I could first remember. I watched them drift through life without hesitation or regret and I desperately wanted them to teach me how I could achieve that kind of self-reliance and confidence. I know I have that confidence now and it began with my relationships with my brothers.
Every young child wants to hang out with his her older siblings, but who wants to spend time with their kid sister anyway? One of my earliest memories is from when I was about 4 years old and my brothers were playing in the back yard with wooden rubber band guns. I wanted nothing more than to join their fun that day, but they would not let me. They even locked me out of our clubhouse stating it was for "boys only". I remember going inside and crying, but my brothers hugged me later and all was forgiven. This is where I learned compassion.
It was not until I grew older that my brothers imparted their wisdom to me. As I watched them doing all the things that girls simply could not do like playing with BB guns outside with their friends and working on cars, I wondered where I could find this kind of happiness, peace, and personal achievement. As I entered junior high, they shared with me the fact that my life would only get more difficult and that this was a part of life. They both said that they did not really think that I needed them until junior high and I did. They taught me loyalty.
Teddy told me that things are hard for boys in the beginning and made easier for girls, but this all changes in middle school and then for the rest of a young woman's life. Both he and Thomas took metal and wood shop, so they were looked at as "one of the guys". However, I loved photography, horseback riding, and learning new languages. I was also developing an academic interest in biology and loved to ride my horses to a quiet place to sit and read the books I loved. My school experience was not necessarily conducive to the girl, who had her head in the books and her self in the saddle. No one understood why I spent so much time studying rather than "hanging out with the girls". Nevertheless, my brothers both encouraged me to follow my dreams and my heart and assured me that I would discover this was all worth it when I entered college and would find a better gender balance. Teddy warned that the world of work had a glass ceiling, though he did not use those words exactly. I heeded everything he and Thomas told me and realized that I was fortunate to have brothers who allowed me to see how things are on the other side. They taught me balance.
I want to be a Biologist and continue my Spanish studies to prepare me for a career that allows me to use both these academic tracks. I aspire to study in Argentina for a year and seeing my brothers' confidence, but more importantly their wisdom and support has allowed me to look at the limitless possibilities in the world. However, I always keep in the back of my mind the fact that I am a woman and there may be people who doubt me, but my brothers taught me perseverance.
I do not believe in stereotypes nor do I aspire to do anything academically or career-wise that would simply serve to prove something to someone else. I want the freedom to be who I am and from the lessons of my brothers, I am confident and unapologetic. I am compassionate and loyal, full of the need to search out the people, places, and things that teach me more about life. I want to do what I love and what I am good at. This is what we all want. My brothers served as my first teachers in life and thanks to them, I am ready to ride into the sunset of my future.