Scholarship / About "Parents" - Biographical Scholarship Essay (life challenges) [9]

Hi this is a true and personal biographical essay, the directions are below, it is due at the end of the month so if anyone can PLEASEE!! give any criticism GOOD OR BAD OR BOTH! and it has not really been proof read, so any comments will help! thank you!

ASSIGNMENT: Please describe the factors and challenges that have most shaped your personal life and aspirations. How have these factors caused you to grow? (800 word limit)

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word 'parent' in two meanings,''one that begets or brings forth offspring" and "a person who brings up and cares for another"

Although, I have not brought forth any offspring, I think I can define myself as a parent. My life has been filled with a balance of almost everything. One thing I would like to take account for, is the fact that my lifestyle forced me to be a parent by the age of ten.

I was born into the midst of a divorce. From the earliest I can remember, there was always a fight. The reason I know, is not because I remember the yelling, the arguing or the doors slamming, because honestly I don't; but I do remember the after shock. The aftershock consisted of my mother becoming upset, gently crying in a room by herself, quietly. At the age of five, I would sneak in, and begin hugging her extra tight so she would stop crying. I cradled her in my tiny arms, and consoled her as if she were one of plastic baby dolls, that would sob from a battery powered speaker box embedded into her back. I owe my mother my entire life; I will forever be in debt to her, for every little thing she has done. I can't help but to view her as a priceless possession, one of which I am highly protective. As a disclaimer, in no way do I take full credit for my own life, because in reality, no matter how mature I can act, I am still a child. However, I feel like I have a natural instinct that she is forever my responsibility, because in actuality she is.

I grew up thinking that your 'parents' were supposed to live separately, that the 'normal' lifestyle was to spend weekends bouncing between the two houses. My father had the type of mindset, that to be successful one should be self sufficient. If I needed help brushing my hair or tying my shoes, he would make me learn on my own. Eventually, I learned if I wanted to do something, I would have to learn how to do it myself. These were qualities my father had in himself, that he disseminated through out my childhood. It wasn't until I was eight when I saw a change in his demeanor. He stopped my sister and me in the kitchen one day, and told us he was 'sick'. He handed over a paper to my sister, she held it close to her face and high above my head. I wasn't concerned with the information on the paper, optimistically I disregarded it and considered his 'sickness' equivalent to having 'the common cold'. Unfortunately, the paper described his diagnosis of lung cancer. How many eight year olds understand the concept of lung cancer? All I knew was that he said "I'll be okay, I'll fight it" with a relaxed smile and a glare that forced me to trust him. That was all I needed, six words reassured me that, I had nothing to worry about. There was nothing to be skeptical about, when my father had said something he always meant it.

The weekends we spent with him the following year involved me learning how to do things for myself, while learning how to do things for him. I was his 'little helper,' I learned how to cook and clean. I learned how to cater to his every need. I knew how to play quietly when he needed rest, and how to stay awake when he needed help. I watched my father who had disciplined me my whole life to be independent, slowly dissolve into someone who was dependent on me.Eventually, I was dismissed from my 'little helper' job. My father had not meant what he said, he couldn't keep fighting, and that winter he was gone.

Life is filled with things you can't control. If someone is arrogant enough to think they can control life, they have not been a parent. It is like an extra gene encoded in my DNA. Sometimes I feel it has been a weakness it has repressed me from living carelessly. I guide my mother when she confides in me. I try to look out for her when I can. I financially compensate her, with whatever money I have. It has made me self reliant. I have never been enforced by others to keep my grades up, or work harder, because I push myself far enough. I take accountability for all my success, and all of my mistakes. I have involuntarily learned some vital lessons. I honor growing up quickly, as the outcome of my experiences. I may still be a child, but I have been a parent.

Scholarship / A topic that intellectually excites you about 'speciesism' - Scholarship essay [10]

Hi- I need this edited and revised and done by TOMORROW! if anyone CAN PLEASE HELP! any feedback, thoughts, comments, edits or help at all would be greatly appreciated! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Describe an experience that you have had or a concept you have learned about that intellectually excites you. When answering this question, you may want to consider some of the following questions: Why does this topic excite you? How does it impact the way you or others experience the world? What questions do you continue to ponder about it? (500 word limit)

Sometime in February of 2008, I received an email, from an animal rights foundation. The words 'WATCH THIS REMARKABLE VIDEO' appeared in big bold font on the screen. Intrigued, I clicked the link and a video popped up onto my computer screen. The link was entitled 'Earthlings' and the video was comprised of a seven minute opening to a documentary film. With a 'viewer discretion is advised' warning, I scrolled my mouse down and pressed the small horizontal triangle. For exactly six minutes and fity-seven minutes my eyes were fixated on the screen.

Watching the film has drastically changed my life and the way I perceive things. While vegetarianism has become a popular trend in today's generation, the profound exposition of necessary animal rights converted me to not only stop eating meat, but to perceive human behavior in an entirely different way.

I commemorate the film for introducing me to a new philosophy, one that I had never even heard of before, speciesism.
It is more than just a theory for animal rights activist. The philosophy of speciesism is similar to racism and sexism. In which racist or sexist, feel people of a different race or gender are inferior to them. Speciesism is the theory of a humans natural superiority complex by treating other species as inferior objects. Extreme racist and sexist are not commonly accepted, but humans across the world take part in speciesism, because society allows it. The human abuse of animals through slaughterhouses, medical research, fashion apparel, and recreational entertainment is something I am strongly against.

The universal problems of speciesism, racism and sexism trigger a huge quandary in my mind. The term earthlings, is shared by all ethnicities,religions,genders,species, and organisms that inhabit the earth. I question what forms humans to feel dominant? What is the terminology behind prejudice? What triggers one being to inflict suffering amongst another being? A clash of interest trigger an ongoing violation of equality. Stated in the documentary,

"No matter what the nature of the being, the principle of equality requires that one suffering should be counted equally with the like suffering of any other being."

These moral values, developed centuries ago have become implanted in our everyday lives like a set of rules; but are not acknowledged in situations we as humans take part in, such as speciesism. The development of human behavior and study of humanity triggers an abundance of quandaries in my mind. I strive to learn more about philosophy, applied ethics, sociology and anthropology. Being introduced to the topic of speciesism has intellectually excited me, and has led to the desire to grasp other concepts similar to speciesism. I strive for the skill to have some ability in specifically understanding human behavior.

Undergraduate / "illustration of a utopia with diversity" - how you first became interested in BU [4]

I know my answer is kind of long. BUT ANY CRITICISM, OR HELP AT ALL WOULD BE GREAT! THANKS!

In five or six sentences, tell us how you first became interested in BU and what steps you have taken to learn more about us.

Working at my summer job, I met a co-worker who was a senior at BU, intrigued about the school I asked him how he liked it, on the bus. For the next five minutes he illustrated a university utopia with diversity disseminated from the people to the professors. Later that day, I looked into the schools website, since then I spent countless hours watching as many videos, reading tons of excerpts and clicking as many links as possible. I also made sure to diligently stop at the BU table, during the three college fairs I attended outside of school. Unable to finance a trip to visit Boston, I frugally used Google maps 'street view' application, to "visit" BU's campus.

Making the most genuine connection through a two dimensional computer screen,making me realize Boston University was ideally where I belong

Undergraduate / BU Supplement- "Things I want to accomplish as an undergradute" [NEW]

Boston University PLEASE ANY HELP AT ALL!!!!!!!!!! EDITING, COMMENTS, FEEDBACK THANK YOU!

Essay #1: Given what you know about Boston University, what do you hope to accomplish as an undergraduate here? Please respond in an essay of no more than 500 words

There are so many things I would like to accomplish and contribute to in my short time as an undergraduate student. Although it is trite, "the world is your oyster" is a generic but sentimental term that I secretly use as a template when looking toward my future. With so many expectations, I know I will make the best of my time, without letting anything stop or overwhelm me. In the words of Zora Neale Hurston, as an undergraduate I will only be "sharpening my oyster knife."

Aside from learning from my different peers, I hope to become a part of one of BU's many organizations. I find BU's immense variety of organizations are both incredible and inviting. Organizations that allow you to be apart of real life experiences, while keeping a close bond with group members who share the same passions. I am definitely attracted to the fact that BU has over four hundred student organizations on campus. Special interest groups such as 'The Film Lovers and Philosophers' Society' is something I would love to be apart of as a Film major in high school and a life long interest with cinema. 'FLAPS' seems like a unique and specific club, where great discussions take place. I would love to be even a minor part of that.

Being President of my high school's National Honor Society is something I am extremely passionate about. I have spent so much time working on making NHS a prominent club in its first few years at my school. Boston University offers a National Society of Collegiate Scholars, which can closely be associated with National Honor Society. Although the two may differ, both organizations honor the academic success of students including community service events, and leadership activities. Honor society chapters are great organizations that hold an importance to the members and do a great job giving back to the community.

One element that essentially attracts me to Boston University is the basis of mass assortment. With students from across the world, diversity is everywhere. In an environment of over eighteen thousand undergraduate students, I want to blend myself into a group of peers who are extremely different. I want to share a diverse way of thinking. Being in a new atmosphere, is one of the greatest ways to learn. An assimilation of distinctly different perspectives and experiences allow great individual growth in a person's character.

BU is a renowned and amazing school. I feel undergraduate students have so many oppourtunites. Everything I want to accomplish as an undergraduate would only be excelled at BU. I feel as if it is a school that has been tailored perfectly for me. That any student can become the next Pulitzer prize winner , CEO, senator or famous actor. At Boston University, I know I cannot accomplish everything, but I will have the ability to accomplish anything.

Undergraduate / "My hands show me" - PERSONAL STATEMENT [3]

THIS IS DUE VERY SOON! I NEED AS MUCH REVISION AND COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK AS POSSIBLE PLEASE & THANK YOU! let me know if you get the message, if the anecdote works or not

I stare down from my carpals to my phalanges and question how they can describe me. Plain and inelegant, hidden underneath my sleeves my hands openly reveal to the world my imperfections. "Why are you chipping of your nail polish, you just painted them?" nagged my mother, I jolted and a freshly chipped coat rocketed quickly off of my nail. The piece fell next to a small collection of recently peeled nail polish flakes. Left on my corroded fingernails were borders of polish.The alarming view of a pile of nail scraps coiled through my mind, as my mother called out my relapse. Spreading my ten fingers out, like a cat stretches out his paw, I noted that my hands as a symbol of my life, The nails with chipped off polish flakes, a ring I had stuck on my middle finger since august, what a mess my hands appeared to be.

The meaning behind a persons hands, portrays the story of their life. Your hands define your accomplishments. Biologically designed to control both of your gross and fine motor skills, with the ability to touch, hands are capable of much more than that. Any job, dream, passion, miniscule effort is somewhat associated with ones hands. A musician plays an instrument, an artist creates a painting, an author writes a story and a doctor preforms surgeries. In every form these admirable people adequately utilize their hands, to create the world they live in. There hands surpass motor skilled organs, and become specified instruments. Staring at my hands I look for the instruments my hands can become, yet all I notice are my deficiencies. Past all of my faults, I do see one thing, an undeniable potential.

I live in a family of artists, my mother and sister master the talent of using their swift hands to glide a paintbrush, to create magic. Maneuvering a thick oily substance to grasp our eyes towards an instant masterpiece previously known as a blank white canvas. Our one bedroom Manhattan apartment is covered from wall to wall in portraits, landscapes and abstracts all original pieces. When it comes down to me, I always felt like this talent skipped a generation. Lacking the ability to draw or paint, my hands strived to work hard in my high school career, from an aspect that I know al humans have the talent to do, that is to help. I realized my hands were instruments in my own life. Just because they couldn't paint or create a work of art worthy enough to be on my walls, does not mean they could not construct something even greater. I began working closely with community service organizations. I honestly spent my time working with the homeless, the elderly, shelter cats and low income children an entire society who are often overlooked. Still unsure of my chosen career path, I know I want to be associated with aiding communities, people, and animals. I bare the hands of humanitarian. I want to utilize my hands to demonstrate the art of helping, in that I am an artist. By the end of the day, I realized my hands created the experience. The days event couldn't be hung up on a wall or portrayed in a gallery or museum. Staring down at my hands nervous, broken, ripped up and continuously in progress. They somehow represented my life, they were on the right track to finding out what I want to accomplish. I am constantly pushing myself to do better, whether that be from chipping off the last coat of nail polish to redo it, or to travel from organizations to lend my rugged hands. My hands represent me, how I am completely determined, to push myself to do better, while helping as many people on the way. No one has ever needed to reprimand me to do my homework or go to bed. I am self reliant I have never been mandated by others to keep my grades up, or work harder, because I was forced to force myself. I take accountability for all my success, and all of my mistakes. If you were too look at my hands you'd probably think I was a nervous reck, chipping off nail polish a but I know its just my way of pushing myself to do better; So maybe one day my hands and my life will look exactly how I want them to. My hands represent a famous quotation written by Marianne William son, "Our biggest fear is not that we are inadequate our biggest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." My hands show me that I am not inadequate, but I have the ability to change these instruments and surpass their potential. After all, they aren't just hands, they are an apparatus to my future, whatever it may be.