Scholarship / 'get people back into the kitchen' QuestBridge Topic that Intellectually Excites you [3]

The topic is: 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?

Please help with positive or negative criticism, anything will help :)!! Don't sugarcoat anything please!!

Every day at lunch, while my friends eat greasy pizza or mystery meat, I devour Quinoa with cage-free grass-fed chicken and alfalfa sprouts; lentils with spinach, tomatoes and goat cheese; or vegetable soup with a cactus pear for dessert. The latter always arouses the most comments from my friends, who are left aghast at how I could savor every bite of a soup that resembles green vomit. What my friends don't seem to comprehend is that I eat foods like quinoa, lentils, and "Shrek-soup" for a reason. Even though Quinoa might resemble the porridge Goldilocks stole from the three little bears, it was actually considered the sacred "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains" to my ancestors- the Incas. It was Incan tradition for the emperor to sow the first seeds of the season with a golden shovel every year to signify their importance. After all, these tiny seeds were solely responsible for sustaining the empire's entire army. Now I'm no Incan warrior, but I don't mind the fact that Quinoa's high quantity of trace minerals likes magnesium and copper prevent cancer and that its 9 essential amino acids help my muscles form. And don't even let me get started on the benefits of lentils. So why do most Americans still prefer Big Macs to spinach? Because most haven't had the privilege to watch firsthand the power of nature's own medicine cabinet.

For years my mom used to battle with intense stomach problems, fighting back with side-effect-loaded Nexium. Every day I had to helplessly watch her stomach health decline until I found myself in the emergency room two weekends in a row, holding open the door to the bathroom as she vomited, wishing we could be crocheting red and green doilies while watching Christmas movies on Hallmark together instead. That night I went home and researched stomach pain cures, determined to find something. I found it-Aloe Vera juice. It helps control stomach acidity, the root of my mom's problems. Not surprisingly, my mom was skeptical. After all, she wondered, how could the juice of a random plant banish the problem that so many pills had tried to cure? Yet amazingly, a five dollar month's supply bottle was able to combat what a prescription that costs up to four dollars per pill couldn't. Now her once life-consuming pains are a thing of the past. Since then, I've learned that stomach problems aren't the only thing nature can cure; there are thousands of foods and natural supplements that can hinder the most troublesome conditions. So, like Andrew Weil, the pioneer of alternative medicine, said, we must "get people back into the kitchen and combat the trend toward processed food and fast food." How could this concept not intellectually excite me? Thomas Edison once said "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." I want to be that doctor.

Scholarship / "Ordering Dessert" - Questbridge Biographical Essay [3]

The Essay subject is: We are interested in learning more about you and the context in which you have grown up, formed your aspirations and accomplished your academic successes. 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).

Please help with any criticism, positive or negative! This scholasrship is really important to me so I really need the best essay possible. Dont sugarcoat comments please! Thank you so much!

Smiling, I felt the last bite of the juicy sirloin making its way down my throat. Ahh, culinary perfection. "What do you want for dessert?" My mom asked, interrupting my blissful meditation. "Umm... excuse me?" I stuttered, not believing my ears. I was in awe- not only had we ordered our own plates of food, but we were ordering dessert too! Had we just won the lottery? The only time my mom and I ordered dessert was on birthdays and holidays. Today was neither. I looked up into my mom's weary light-brown eyes; I watched her bittersweet smile. "Just in case I die on Friday" she said, chuckling, trying to play off her comment as a joke. But I knew there was some truth behind it. I laughed nervously, feeling my excitement for dessert deflate. "Mom" I said, avoiding eye contact, "Don't be silly!" Hopefully she couldn't detect the terror in my eyes.

Turns out, my mom's boss had given us a $50 Restaurant gift card to celebrate the fact that we were finally permanent residents. No longer did my mom and I have to sit in the scorching Florida heat waiting for the city bus; my mom could finally get her license again! No longer did I have to live with the fact that someone had gotten murdered in our apartment complex; we could finally live in a safer place! Best of all, no longer did I have to wonder how my family had changed since I last saw them seven years ago; I could finally visit Peru- and actually come back. Life was great...until my mom's doctor told her she had a tumor on her left kidney that was probably cancer.

The night before her kidney surgery, I prepared like I prepare for big tests, except instead of studying a text book all night, I studied a bible. I finally understood what C.S. Lewis meant by "Pain is God's megaphone". Even though I was extremely worried, I felt a strange sense of serenity as I felt myself getting closer to God. The day of the surgery, as I sat in the waiting room by myself, I couldn't help thinking of the delicious strawberry cheesecake my mom and I had shared two days ago. I could still taste the succulent custard. Was that the last dessert I'd ever be able to share with her? I thought about all the wonderful "culinary" experiences we had shared in the past. I smiled, remembering our old Friday night traditions of my childhood, back when we lived in the first apartment we rented in the U.S. While many people would probably think of a one-bedroom apartment as a sign of poverty, I didn't mind- in fact I found it cozy and comforting. Plus, it was an improvement from the tiny room we used to rent from my aunt. Every Friday, we'd walk one block from the apartment to eat at the "four-chicken corner", where we chose from Boston Market, McDonalds, Church's Chicken, or Taco Bell. We were the epitome of the saying "Ignorance is bliss" as we devoured greasy chicken, french fries, and soda; happily unaware of the consequences of our fatty meals. However, we never ordered dessert. Afterward, we'd walk to the K-Mart across the street. If my mom was feeling generous, she'd let me pick out a book. If not, she'd browse the store, making herself believe that rapidly walking around a few isles would somehow erase the calories she'd just consumed. Meanwhile, I sat in the book section, devouring as much knowledge as I could. Thanks to K-Mart I learned how tornadoes form, the role of enzymes in our digestive system, who the Virginia Dynasty presidents were, and a myriad other things. Of course, it has been years since we've done this, we stopped eating junk food after, not surprisingly, my mom's cholesterol levels skyrocketed.

As I relived some more wonderful memories, I heard someone clearing his throat. I looked up to see my mom being wheeled out of the O.R., unconscious, her lips unnaturally white. I tensed up. "Is she okay? What's wrong with her?" I demanded. The Doctor chuckled. He actually chuckled. "She's fine; she's just lost a lot of blood. The good news is, it's not cancer!" Little did the doctor know the last sentence he had just uttered would forever be embedded in my head as the best moment of my life. The joy I felt was inexplicable, overpowering. A month later, I saved up money by making and selling jewelry, and I treated my mom to dinner. At the end of the meal, we ordered a decadent Key-lime pie. Now every time we eat out and we're not too full, we order dessert. Not because it's a special occasion, but because we just want to.

Undergraduate / "Don't worry trooper!" - Quesbridge Essay #2 [2]

Please read, any criticism, whether positive or negative, will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much! No sugar-coating please!

The topic is: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. (500 word limit)

I stared at the strange contraption and blinked. Nope, it still resembled an electric chair. "Don't worry trooper! This will straighten you up in no time!" Dr. Jackie's enthusiasm was contagious; I smiled at her suspiciously. "Of Course! But what if there's a fire...or an earthquake? How will I escape?" I asked, staring at all the straps, feeling a mixture of amusement and terror. "There's no earthquakes in Florida!" "Oh... great," I muttered sarcastically. Back at home, we installed my scoliosis chair in front of my TV. I followed Dr. Jackie's instructions religiously. Every morning and afternoon, I strapped myself to the chair begrudgingly, reminding myself that if I didn't do this I'd have to return to Dr. Castelvi, who found it imperative that I received an operation that would not only make me lose flexibility in my spine, but would also have to be repeated every ten years and could potentially leave me disabled. Some days, however, I thought that maybe losing flexibility wasn't that bad...I had never been much of a gymnast anyways. The reactions I received from my friends regarding the chair were a mixture of pity and curiosity."Aww, you spend an average of three hours a day doing scoliosis exercises? That sucks. Can I try to go on the chair?" or "Maybe, we can drag your electric chair outside during Halloween and frighten Trick-Or-Treaters!" Not surprisingly, I ended up placing the chair in my closet so no one could see it. There was an unexpected consequence to moving the chair there- I couldn't watch TV from it anymore. That's when my relationship with my chair changed. I discovered that studying actually distracted me more from the sometimes suffocating chair straps than watching TV ever did. In fact, I realized I actually enjoyed studying, and I enjoyed my rising grades even more. The little nerdy elementary-schooler inside of me revived, and I was shocked to see that she had grown up to be an intelligent young woman. I stopped watching TV altogether, preferring instead to return to my old ways of feasting on novels and research studies. Whereas I spent most of 8th and 9th grade repressing the gifted girl I had once been and instead favoring a "cool-girl" facade, I now happily shouted to the world: "I've memorized the pi number to the 15th digit...and what?!?" I felt liberated; the pursuit of knowledge had set me free. I am still required to utilize my scoliosis chair every day, but it has completely halted my spinal deformation. I no longer lie in bed, munching on pain relievers while watching Friends, convincing myself that the reason I am slacking in school is not because I want to fit in, but because my scoliosis won't let me. My biggest achievement will come when I no longer need my scoliosis chair. Until then, It'll serve as a bittersweet reminder of how important it is to never lose sight of my true potential just to fulfill other people's definition of "cool".

Scholarship / Quest For Excellence Awards Scholarship- Young Physician's Award [2]

Why do you want to pursue a career in medicine? How do you hope your choice of study and work will make a difference in your own life and others? (300 word limit)

Trying to obtain a quest for excellence award through Questbridge, any criticism, whether good or bad, will help. No sugarcoating please! Thanks for all your help!!!

When Deepak Chopra said "bodies aren't nouns, they are verbs," my point-of-view towards the human body instantly changed. I realized I had been overlooking one of the body's most vital aspects: its ability to regenerate. Human bodies are like cars. The body I have this year is a 2011 model; last year I was riding an older version. The bones I walked with three weeks ago are completely different than the bones I jogged with today. With every breath I take, I exhale 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules of myself into the surrounding environment; additional molecules constantly enter my body to counteract this loss.

So, how can I recall joyous moments in my childhood, if the cells retaining these memories have died and been replaced myriad times? Why should my body be predisposed to obtaining the diseases my parent's genes have cursed me with if the single cell I've developed from has been replaced with trillions of other cells-cells that weren't derived from my parents? Why do doctors prescribe the same medicine to an 80 year-old man and a 15 year-old child if they have two completely different, constantly changing bodily processes? If the healing of the human body and soul was done as a combined process; if patients were viewed as people, not diseases-then we'd not only have a much healthier America, but a much more content one as well. The body is just a multitude of "actions" the soul is constantly performing. If we nourish our soul with what it most ardently desires: colorful fresh foods, meditation, exercises, and kindness towards others; virtually all diseases can be prevented. This strategy, in combination with the various technological advances that can lead to infinitesimal medical discoveries, will help me reach my dreams of changing the way the world views healthcare.

Scholarship / 'offspring of working professionals' - First Generation Award Essay for Questbridge [2]

First Generation Award:
Question: Please discuss what it means to you to be among the first generation in your family to attend college. How might your perspective and experience differ from those of other college students? (300 word limit)

Please be honest with your opinions about this essay, dont sugarcoat anything! Thanks for your help!

As I've matured, I have come to realize that even though my mother never attended college, she still has much to offer intellectually. My mom is linguistically gifted; she knows Spanish, English (even though she still has minor pronunciation problems and needs to learn a little more vocabulary), Italian, and French. She also understands Portuguese. How many of my friend's parents can equate to that? If my mother was able to accomplish so much without a college education, I can't even begin to fathom what I can accomplish with one. I have seen what the lack of a proper education can do; I have listened to my mom complain about back-pains while plopping into bed after an exhausting day of scrubbing toilets. I am no longer ashamed of this because it has led me to where I am today, but I thank God for the college education I'll receive; it'll impede my children from ever having to see their mother suffer this way.

As a first-generation college student, I'll show my eternal gratefulness towards the college that gave me a chance to make my mom proud by taking advantage of all the opportunities that I am provided with. I may not be the daughter of a Movie star, but God willing, I can guarantee that whatever college I attend will someday proudly say " Did you know Arianna Ulloa studied here?!" Everyone has different motives for looking forward to their college experience; I'm looking forward to a time in my life where I'll be able to receive the same education that offspring of working professionals are receiving, a time where I won't have to comfort myself by saying that I've made the best of what I was given because I'll know that from then on, I will be receiving the best.

Scholarship / 'Penn will help me thrive' - Supplement to QuestBridge Essay [2]

All constructive criticism, whether good or bad, is welcome! thanks :D!

Considering both the specific undergraduate school or program to which you are applying and the broader University of Pennsylvania community, what academic, research, and/or extracurricular paths do you see yourself exploring at Penn? (Please answer in one typed page, approximately 500 words.)

"I have no idea what I'll do with my life; I'll just apply to the College of Arts and Sciences." To many, this college is synonymous to indecisiveness. Not to me. I'm not indecisive-I'm unwilling; unwilling to be predisposed to a single career, unwilling to follow the exact path someone else has previously followed, unwilling to sit through a class that does not leave me restless and desperate for more. I am inclined to explore a possible major in Health and Society, specifically Disease and Society. However, I'm definitely minoring in Nutrition; as the Penn Nutrition website states, my deepest desire is to "cross academic disciplines and break traditional academic boundaries." To me, the academic possibilities at Penn are endless, and I intend to use each day there as an opportunity to explore them.

Even though having a "typical" day at Penn is an oxymoron, this is what one would consist of: I'd wake up in Stouffer/Mayer Hall; if I'm not in the mood to eat breakfast at the Dining Hall, I'd just grab an Amaranth bar. No one in my dorm would judge my "strange" eating habits because they'd all be just as fascinated by the concept of healthy living as I am. Then, I'd stroll through Locust Walk on my way to one of the myriad of classes I intend to take; maybe it'll be Complementary/Alternative Medicine, Nutritional Anthropology, or Law and Medicine.

In my Complementary/Alternative Medicine class, I'll bug my professor to review Volume 10 #4 issue of Penn's "Issue Brief", highlighting where it states that "The safety and efficacy of most CAM (Complementary Alternative Medicine) therapies remains unknown". I'd try ardently to convince my professor that more research is imperative to prove the effectiveness of Alternative Medicine and to remove its fallacious methods that are loitering among its effective methods. This would halt people from thinking CAM practitioners are synonymous to charlatans; it'll make CAM more than a last resort for low-income households (which according to the research presented in the article, is how it's currently viewed). I'd continue my point in my Law and Medicine class, where I'd rally classmates to help me brainstorm different methods of making it lawful for "tried & proved" CAMs to be able to claim that they can cure diseases, just as conventional medicines can. Then supplements like Red Yeast Rice, which lowers LDL-Cholesterol, could gain their deserved credibility.

After this, I'd help the "UNI". In high school, I've taught my community about the benefits of organic food while offering samples of my homemade organic goodies and food an organic restaurant donated. I'd continue this trend in college by petitioning to add UPenn-sponsored informational organic food stands to local festivals and fairs; I'd attend to the stands myself. After my active day, I'd head to the Class of 1920 dining commons, where I'd hope that Chef Donald properly duplicated my mom's mouthwatering garlic-butter pasta.

A day like this would be the norm for me at Penn. I am simmering with ideas and dehydrating from the thirst for knowledge; Penn will help me thrive.

Undergraduate / "Ruin is a gift" / "see my family in the summer" - Princeton CommonApps [2]

Please help, any positive or negative feedback will be greatly appreciated :)

Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world. Please write the quotation at the beginning of your essay.

"Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation." "Eat, Pray, Love", the book the quote derives from, may not match the literary complexity of Finnegans Wake or The Sound and the Fury. However, its quotes are

In fifth grade, I was a stereotypical nerd- chubby, awkward, frizzy curls in a ponytail every day. My classmate Amy was the opposite: slim, graceful, beautiful wavy hair. We danced ballet together; I yearned to be just like her, especially when our ballet instructor showered her with compliments and then proceeded to tell me I need to eat more yogurt and fruit if I want a dancer's body. So when Amy suggested we do a ballet duo for our elementary school's talent show, I agreed, subconsciously hoping some of her perfect traits would rub off on me. When I took out my dance bag on the day of the show, I realized I had brought only one ballet slipper. Unfortunately, it was too late to back out. I had to dance next to the prettiest girl in school in one shoe. I was ruined. My nerves led me to forget the choreography; I watched Amy's every move in a desperate attempt to do the pirouettes at the correct time. I can still feel my face flush at the thought of this moment; I can still see the gawking faces of cruel elementary-schoolers. This traumatizing experience caused me to dedicate myself to performances affiliated solely with dance studios; I vowed to never perform in school again.

Fast forward to last week. The National Technical Honors Society announced their $500 pageant; I decided to terminate my vow and join- it was time for me to break the boundaries I'd set. At the pageant's "group dance" practice, I was the klutz who repeatedly got pulled aside for lack of coordination. As humiliating as this was, I didn't give up; I was determined to face my fears. Today was the pageant. After days of practicing, all the contestants nailed the group dance. This success gave me the adrenaline rush I hadn't experienced since my life-altering trauma in fifth grade. So when Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake came on, signifying my solo, I confidently ran onto the stage in my pointe shoes. I was no longer an awkward nerd- I'd morphed into a graceful ballerina. Then tragedy struck. I looked down to see the string of my shoe hanging loose, threatening to trip me at every plié . The audience laughed; suddenly, I was back in fifth grade. My insecurities came flooding back; I wanted to run off the stage and never return. Instead, I persisted. I dance with an untied shoe, ignoring the snickers, concentrating solely on the music. In the end, I didn't win the pageant. I won something far more important: self-respect. I refused to escape a ruined performance. Instead, I continued to hold my head high, transforming myself into a more confident person. For there is valuable lesson hidden inside every ruined moment.

Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or vacations between school years), including any jobs you have held, if not already detailed on the Common Application.

While most people attempt summer college programs; I attempt to see my family in the summer. The summer of 2010, I visited my relatives that I had only seen once in the past nine years. Moments spent with them are gold; they treat me like an "American" princess, failing to realize that I'm still the same simple bug-eyed girl that left them years ago. On my visit, I ate exquisite homemade food like ceviche (raw lemon-marinated fish), quail eggs with "huancaina"(a spicy cheese sauce) and a myriad of other delights unique to Peru. My family often lacks money to feed themselves, yet they never hesitate to throw feasts in honor of our visit. In addition to staying with family in Lima, I also visited the Chavín de Huántar archeological site in Huascar, Peru. The ancient Chavin culture, also known as the "mother culture" of the Andes, existed from 900 BC to 200 BC. Visiting the ruins was an inexplicable, unforgettable experience. I could feel the connections to my majestic ancestors heightening with every breath I took. I could taste the almost painful purity of the untainted air; the same air they'd once breathed. I could see the gargantuan snow-peaked Andes Mountains and beautiful azure rivers crawling around the ancient civilization. That visit changed my aspect of Peru. It's a third-world country not because it is underdeveloped, but because it's completely out of this world.

My visit to Peru in 2011 was more stationary; I stayed in Lima to work a full time internship. Without this internship, I wouldn't have been able to afford my "vacation". It was a humbling experience; some days I was privileged enough to work in the office, other days I worked in the factory. In the factory, I was given mundane tasks like picking loose threads off vests. In order to entertain myself, I rapidly made friends with my surrounding coworkers. One of them, Jose, was twenty and had started college when he was only fifteen! When I was fifteen, I was only a high-school freshman! He is graduating with a masters degree in microbiology at approximately the same time I will be obtaining my high school diploma.

Most people misinterpret impoverished countries as countries with no opportunities. My 2011 trip demonstrated you can be successful anywhere, even if you begin as a thread-picker. One day,Jose will be wealthy enough to own that factory. If Jose can succeed with such limited opportunities, then just imagine what we are capable of in America-the land of unlimited resources!

Undergraduate / Roomate + 'Opportunity cost' - Stanford essays from CAS [3]

Please help, any positive or negative criticism will be greatly appreciated. I know its a lot of essays so thanks for your time :)!
Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate - and us - know you better.

Dear roommate,
There are a myriad of quirky facets to my personality that I should probably warn you about. For example, I listen to Christmas music all year long, so don't be surprised if you hear Tchaikovsky's Sugar Plum Fairy blasting loudly in our dorm as I study for finals; it helps me concentrate. In fact, I should mention that I adore the Holiday season; I hope this provides an insight into the type of person that I am. To me, the Holiday season represents everything that makes me joyous. I'm not easily tempted to spend money on myself; however, Christmas gives me an opportunity to shower others with gifts and exquisite home-made treats. Not that I wait until Christmas to bake; in fact, I plan to obtain a toaster-over for our dorm so that I can bake goodies all year round. In addition to the materialistic aspects of Christmas that I enjoy, I also enjoy the loving vibe radiated by others during this magical season. I'm an only child; I was raised by a single mother. To me,Christmas has always served as a time where I get to experience having a large, loving family-something I've lacked since moving here from Peru. But Christmas isn't only a childish holiday, it's also a source of inspiration and strength. A few years Christmases back, as my mom and I were in the car, my mom attempted to change the radio station to Non-Christmas music. She hates most American Christmas carols; she finds them depressing. In a desperate attempt to stop her, I promised that the next song would be her favorite, Feliz Navidad. I quickly prayed to God that out of the thousands of Christmas songs, the radio host would play that one. I had blindly taken a leap of faith, and it proved effective. Shivers ran through my spine as I heard the voice of J. Feliciano through the speakers. This mini miracle helped me realize that we should stop over-analyzing our goals and desires and the various ways they can go wrong. Instead, we should utter a powerful prayer, and just reach for the stars.

What matters to you, and why?
In economics, the term "opportunity cost" is what's given up in order to acquire something else. I've given up lax pre-bedtime moments spent mocking "telenovelas" in favor of isolating myself in my room to study. I've forsaken sleep; my average bedtime is 2:00a.m. Why? To equate myself to the "privileged" Stanford applicants. The most heart-wrenching opportunity cost of my desire to better myself has been my mom's declined happiness level. My mom constantly refuses to let me work. She'd rather struggle financially so that we can spend the minute amount of free time we have together. However, as free time has ceased to exist for me, so has my mom's felicity. But I've shoved guilt into the back of my head, refusing to focus on all of life's little pleasures I've renounced in hope of someday "making my mother proud". Last week, I needed to run to Wal-Mart at midnight to make a school-related purchase. She refused to let me. "Too dangerous," she explained. I didn't budge, and we argued ferociously. With tears in her eyes, she told me "Someday, you'll be successful, but at what price? You're trying to make me proud, yet at this rate, I won't even be there to see you succeed." Her statement gave me chills. I'd lost track of what's important. If I'm not accepted into Stanford, I'll be melancholy, but the world won't end. So why strive for a prestigious education when I can just enjoy the present? I'll never be able to equate my ACT scores to those from people who've had private tutors; I'll never be able to list elite summer programs on my transcript because I've spent most of my summers either helping at my mom's job or visiting my beloved family in Peru. But what can I do? Re-establish the spark in my mom's eyes. What matters to me? Opportunity costs. The opportunity cost of obtaining my dream education has outweighed its benefits. I've done everything humanly possible to attain my dreams, but I refuse to cross the line from dedication to obsession.

Scholarship / Human rights (Freedom Riders: Then & Now) scholarship [NEW]

This is a rough draft so please be harsh:
2011 Human Rights Theme - Freedom Riders: Then & Now
The purpose of the Tampa/Hillsborough County High School Essay Contest is to challenge area youth/students to consider the importance of Human Rights and how they influence our community. The content of the essay should reflect the Theme for this year's event. Essay must be 600 words or less (need to cut out 11 words).

It was May 4th, 1961. James Farmer and thirteen others boarded Greyhound and Trailway buses headed towards the capital, somewhat aware of the upcoming inferno they would soon face. These brave revolutionaries were the first of various people to become "Freedom Riders." Their mission? To test the 1960 Supreme Court ruling banning racial segregation without utilizing violence.

For centuries, a plethora of people had been deprived of their basic human rights solely due to their skin pigmentation. Infamous "Jim Crow" laws had transformed ideas previously deemed horrific into every-day happenings; it wasn't even uncommon for states to outlaw intermarriage between races. Therefore, when the Freedom Riders protested against the outrageous laws, the waves of retaliation they received weren't unexpected. Most of them were violently assaulted and incarcerated by white extremists that trembled at the thought of a united nation. Since officers couldn't charge the riders of breaking segregation laws, they charged them with "breach of peace". Fortunately, news of this unfair treatment spread like wildfire, inspiring protests throughout the nation. The heroic actions of the riders led to the Interstate Commerce Commission issuing stringent laws prohibiting segregated transportation facilities.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Schools are packed with children of every color and ethnicity; interracial couples take walks in public parks, and African-American business-owners employ Caucasians. On the surface, it seems like discrimination is extinct. However, it is still lurking among its new victims -undocumented immigrants. These humble, hardworking people have suffered through unfathomable trials not because they're criminals, but because they were born in the "incorrect" country. They often go by unnoticed in our community out of fear of being discovered and deported from this "Land of the Free". For example, just as a friend of mine was graduating from high school, his mother was deported, leaving him behind to raise his pre-teen sister and his disabled brother. The burden of maintaining an entire household on a minimum-wage salary was suddenly on his teenage shoulders. But like his mother, he was undocumented too. Not surprisingly, he now resides in Orient Road Jail. Who knows what became of his siblings! Unfortunately, there are countless people under similar situations as his-people whose basic rights have been abolished similarly to how the rights of African Americans were abolished centuries ago. Immigrants in jail considered "civil" detainees have fewer rights than criminal detainees. They're exempt from the law that dictates that everyone that can't afford a lawyer will be appointed one free of charge; they're even exempt from the Prison Rape Elimination Act.

Fortunately, for every unjust law, there'll always be "Freedom Riders" to protest it. In this case, literally. Inspired by the freedom rides of the 1960's, activists organized the "Immigrant Worker's Freedom Ride" in 200, traveling through nine cities before reaching their final stop: D.C. While the new "Freedom Riders" weren't treated as harshly as their predecessors, two of their buses were detained by the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas. Despite this; they didn't quit, eventually inspiring people with government positions to radically change their previously negative opinions of immigrants.

No matter what century we're in, valiant people will always exist in our community -people wise enough to act against the infringement of human rights without utilizing violence. Our community can become an epitome of peace and ethnic equality, as long as we follow the path carved out by our Freedom Riders- old and new. As Congressman John Lewis - the first original Freedom Rider to be assaulted - stated, "Martin Luther King would be very proud. We are white, Black, Hispanic, Native American - we are one family, in one house, and we are not going to let anybody turn us around."

Scholarship / 'Hispanic heritage' - Hispanic Scholarship Fund Essay [2]

Tell us about your academic/career short-term and long-term goals.
How has your Hispanic heritage influenced these goals?
Every day at lunch, while my friends eat greasy pizza or mystery meat, I devour Quinoa with cage-free grass-fed chicken and alfalfa sprouts; lentils with spinach, tomatoes and goat cheese; or vegetable soup with a cactus pear for dessert. The latter always arouses the most comments from my friends, who are left aghast at how I could savor every bite of a soup that resembles green vomit. What my friends don't seem to comprehend is that I eat foods like quinoa, lentils, and "Shrek-soup" for a reason. Even though Quinoa might resemble the porridge Goldilocks stole from the three little bears, it was actually considered the sacred "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains" to my ancestors- the Incas. It was Incan tradition for the emperor to sow the first seeds of the season with a golden shovel every year to signify their importance. After all, these tiny seeds were solely responsible for sustaining the empire's entire army. Now I'm no Incan warrior, but I don't mind the fact that Quinoa's high quantity of trace minerals likes magnesium and copper prevent cancer and that its 9 essential amino acids help my muscles form. And don't even let me get started on the benefits of lentils. So why do most Americans still prefer Big Macs to spinach? Because most haven't had the privilege to grow up in a country overflowing with healthy superfoods.

For years my mother and I would feast on every unique type of plant and grain available in Peru; as a result we'd enjoy radiant health. Quinoa is only one of the myriads of superfoods unique to Peru; there's also Sacha-Inchi, Noni, Acai, and Maca. While those foods sound like gibberish to the average American, Peruvians devour them like cops devour donuts. So after a lifetime of consuming foods even NASA has incorporated into all astronauts' diets, it's not surprising that our transition into America's "land of the grease and the brave" caused my mother's health to plummet. In America, she began to battle with intense stomach problems, fighting back with side-effect-loaded Nexium. Every day I had to helplessly watch her stomach health decline until I found myself in the emergency room two weekends in a row, holding open the door to the bathroom as she vomited, wishing we could be crocheting red and green doilies while watching Christmas movies on Hallmark together instead. That night I went home and researched stomach pain cures, determined to find something. I found it-Aloe Vera juice. It helps control stomach acidity, the root of my mom's problems. Not surprisingly, my mom was skeptical. However, when we read that Aloe is commonly utilized in Peru to heal stomach problems, we decided to give it a shot. Amazingly, a five dollar month's supply bottle was able to combat what a prescription that costs up to four dollars per pill couldn't. Now her once life-consuming pains are a thing of the past. Since then, I've learned that stomach problems aren't the only thing nature can cure; there are thousands of foods and natural supplements that can hinder the most troublesome conditions. So, like Andrew Weil, the pioneer of alternative medicine, said, we must "get people back into the kitchen and combat the trend toward processed food and fast food." My Peruvian heritage has influenced me to make a career of studying alternative medicine methods. Thomas Edison once said "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." I will be that doctor.

Scholarship / Hispanic Scholarship Fund- Recent Academic Challenge: "Success" [2]

The prompt is: Please answer this essay question (400 to 600 words).
Overcoming an Academic Challenge: Describe a recent academic challenge you have faced.Explain how you overcame it.
This is the rough draft so any positive or negative criticism will be greatly appreciated :)!!

I patiently waited for my AP Biology teacher to congratulate me on a test score worthy of being hanged up on my refrigerator. When he finally approached me, I smiled confidently while glancing at my Scantron. My smile rapidly deflated as I saw the unfathomable: an intimidating red 65% scrawled as MY grade. "Driftwood!" he yelled, his disappointment evident on his bearded face. "You're all driftwood!" All students who had obtained horrid test grades, me included, sank back into our seats. Mr.MacGlashan accusing someone of being driftwood was like the US president accusing someone of being unpatriotic-it was the epitome of an insult. I wasn't accustomed to being reprimanded for obtaining unacceptable grades; I was accustomed to being on the other side of the spectrum, pitying those who hadn't achieved the "magnificence" I'd achieved. Of course, I was never openly smug about it, but my subconscious inevitably was. After all, I'm only human. After this test, however, I was forced to humbly come to terms with my failure. As I analyzed the possible motives for my low grade, one motive begin to blatantly stick out. I realized that in a desperate effort to keep up with the college application frenzy, I had unintentionally disregarded my school work. In fact, the 30 minutes I'd spent browsing my biology book the night before the test was the only time I'd studied at all! I vowed with utter conviction to never permit my grades to slip in favor of less immediate motives; I would have to find a way to manage school and college applications simultaneously.

Later, Mr. MacGlashan announced that our "plasma membranes" test would be in a mere two days. After school, I briskly walked to his classroom to review the upcoming test material. In the classroom, a student began raving about her biology study guide embedded with useful facts from each chapter of our textbook, claiming it was the sole reason she had obtained a 92% on the test. The guide was a prize from Mr. MacGlashan for correctly answering one of his random trivia questions. Mr. MacGlashan, listening to the student, suddenly jumped in to the conversation. He looked me in the eye. "I have one more guide; if you obtain the best test grade in the class it's all yours." I swallowed. Academics were my forte, but it's common knowledge that men excel in science more than women. Unfortunately, I had two scientifically gifted male classmates that could potentially hinder my chances of obtaining what I most fervently desired: the guide. "That's not fair, you should exclude Max and David from the competition, it's impossible to beat them!" the student protested. Her unwillingness to trust in my intellectual capabilities caused my competitive streak to revive. "I accept the challenge." I stated.

I spent the following nights absorbing as much information about phospholipid bilayers and ion pumps as my brain would permit. I sacrificed sleep in favor of coffee and textbooks. My dreams consisted of integral membrane proteins interacting with lipids. When the test day finally arrived, pre-testing jitters threatened to "sicken" me and retain me from school. However, I disregarded my brewing "sickness" and instead uttered a powerful prayer before commencing on my fate-deciding test. It was a difficult exam; I had to scrupulously ponder every question. I could almost feel the beads of sweat gathering on my forehead. When I finally finished, I had to suffer through the torment of watching Mr.MacGlashan grade the exams. After an eternity, he looked up, straight at me. The guide was in his hands. "Take it Arianna. You deserve it." Success.

Undergraduate / Brown RD Essay- Wisdom through Humility [3]

This is a complete rough draft, so please be harsh!!! thanks, anything will be appreciated :)
Brown: We all exist within communities or groups of various sizes, origins, and purposes; pick one and tell us why it is important to you, and how it has shaped you. (1000 characters)

I'm a member of an organization that has pledged abstinence until marriage. To me it isn't a matter of sexual immorality or religious fanaticism, though I'm an avid Christian. It's a matter of following rules, and God commands abstinence until marriage. The 21st century society is characterized and often revered for rejecting rules deemed ludicrous and unnecessary. However, I wear my purity ring to state my opposing view. It's facile to detect why one must abide certain rules; a.e. speed limits, parents curfews. But what about mandates that don't seem to have the common good in mind, like tax laws? Many people find loopholes around them, self-excusing their actions because "the law was unjust". Jesus himself once said "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's," referring to the unfair Roman tax law. My abstinence pledge represents the importance of abiding the mandates imposed by those one is inferior to; it builds wisdom through humility.

Undergraduate / 'health questions' - Rice Supplement Essay [3]

Rough Draft of Rough draft- any criticism, whether positive or negative, will help :)

What motivated you to apply to Rice University? Please be specific and limit your response to 200 words.

I have myriads of health questions bubbling within me that I desire to answer with medical research. However, like Rice Scholar Allison Pye, I'm also interested in the cultural and social aspects of healthcare. Rice is unique in that while it's a research university, it also offers Liberal-Arts-like Health Science courses in the College of Humanities. At Rice, I could propose research on the effects of turkey-derived trytophan on the body (it increases levels of serotonin and melatonin, which function together as a sleep inducer) in my Nutrition course, while simultaneously pestering Dr. Hicks, director of "Beyond Traditional Borders" to allow me to travel to Peru, like Owl Danielle Axelson. In Peru, I'd document the Peruvian habit of consuming a main course at lunch as opposed to dinner, and the effects this has on Peruvian's digestive and overall health. Is it a benefit or a downfall to the Peruvian diet; if it's beneficial, how could we apply this to the American Diet? With Rice's endless academic resources, I'd be able to answer these questions and more. I'd even be able to pursue research or volunteer opportunities at the Texas Medical Center. Rice: my epitome of academic perfection.