Undergraduate / Moving to Jamaica --- Common application essay [3]

'Moving to Jamaica' - Hofstra Autobiographical Essay

Although things in my life have not always gone how I have planned, I believe I have led a meaningful life so far. I was born on August 2, 1994 to Anne Campbell and Fitzroy Whyte in Kingston, Jamaica. I resided in Jamaica until I was four years old. In 1998 I moved to live with my mom in the USA. While in the US I attended Rosedale kindergarten and Northern Parkway elementary school. At the start of my freshman year of Lawrence Road middle school my mother announced to me that I would be moving back to Jamaica to complete my Secondary education. I was distraught as I could not imagine leaving my entire life behind in New York to live with my grandparents who I barely remembered. The move to Jamaica was something that I never saw coming and I honestly believed it would stop me from achieving my dreams.

Shortly after arriving in Jamaica I was enrolled in Quest preparatory school where I spent one year before moving on to St. Andrew High School for girls. After being accepted into St. Andrew High I wasn't as enthusiastic as my grandparents were. I saw the acceptance as a sign that I would be staying in Jamaica longer than I had expected. The first day at school was the worst as I couldn't fit in anywhere I went and the students made fun of my accent. Despite my numerous efforts one week later I was still the new kid who had no friends and had to sit by herself at lunch.

After a month of miserably counting down my time at St. Andrew I decided to audition for the cheer squad at school and to my shock I made the team. This gave me the first spark of hope that life wouldn't be as bad as I thought it would be as cheerleading reminded me of life in New York. It was while I was on the cheerleading team I met my two best friends Kelsey and Bria. The more involved I got in cheerleading the less I thought about life in New York. After realizing how much better life at school could be if I got involved in school activities I joined Key Club, Modern languages club and UNESCO.

As I became happier the relationship I had with my grandparents improved tremendously as I was no longer just living there, I was becoming a part of the family. They told me stories about our family history and culture while I introduced to them some aspects of my culture like movie theaters, game nights, Burgers etc. Around this time my relationship with my mother started improving as I was now able to try and understand her point of view.

Although things had gotten somewhat better at school I was still kind of an outcast as I often had strange Ideas or different beliefs than the other students. I would constantly have to be defending my ideas to them. It was at this point my mother reminded me that I should always try to see things from the other person's point of view as to them I was the one with weird views. After I began to be empathetic towards other students life got easier for me as I wasn't always on the defensive anymore I could state my opinion without outwardly saying I disagreed with their opinions which made a world of difference to them. To show me that I had finally found my place in the school a group of students wrote my name on posters saying "Go Renee the Jamerican" and raised it high after we won the all girls national cheerleading regionals.

I hope that in the future I will be able to achieve my goal of being a world renowned psychologist. I also hope that I can one day open a scholarship program for students who have big dreams and excel academically but are being hindered by their financial situation. I hope that I will always be there to offer advice or simply listen to those who need it. I hope to one day be a worldwide motivational speaker to show others that no matter the obstacle you may face you should not let it stop you from achieving your goals. Most importantly I hope that in the future I will have an impact on at least one individual's life.

From the experience of moving to Jamaica I learned a lot about who I am. I learned that I am strong and resilient. I learned that in the future I want to be someone who can be proud of all I believe in. Moving to Jamaica has been beneficial to me as not only will it not stop me from reaching my goals but now I know exactly what I want to be with my life. Moving to Jamaica shaped me into the person I am today. My life so far has been filled with good moments, bad moments and in between moments, but I have no regrets.

Undergraduate / 'grew up in a small Conservative community in Kingston, Jamaica' - UC 1 [2]

Describe the world you come from - for example your family, community or school community an tell how this world has shaped your dream and aspiration.

I grew up in a small Conservative community in Kingston, Jamaica with less than 500 people residing. In my community life to me is very mundane but I have always dreamed there was more to life. I dreamed of a place where I could be who I was without fear of alienation or not being accepted by those around me. Inspired by Gandhi's famous quote "You must be the change you want to see in the world" I decided that I would be that change. I realized then that I had to be the example for others to follow.

From then on I became the odd girl in my community as the older I grew the more I began to stray from their beliefs. I began to see that the world wasn't as black and white as I thought instead it was rather multicolored. After having this epiphany I could no longer hide who I really was no matter the consequences.

My family has always been a source of strength to me. Despite them not always agreeing with my beliefs and lifestyle they have always been supportive of me. So it is no surprise that they have a huge influence on my life. Their support has always given me the motivation I need to be successful. Just knowing that no matter what I decide to do with my life or who I turn out to be they will always have my back encourages me to be the best person I can be. Knowing that they believe in me keeps me going, even when I feel like giving up. Knowing that all their hopes and dreams rest on me pushes me harder than anything else to achieve my dream.

I want to be not only the first person in my family but the first person in my community to go to college. I want to show them that being different is not an obstacle, it won't prevent you from achieving your goals. I want to show every person who has ever been bullied for who they are that it's okay to be yourself But most of all I want my family to know just how much their support has meant to me over the years by showing them the rewards of their efforts.

Undergraduate / UC prompt #2 my empathetic nature [4]

PROMPT: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you.
If I had to choose the quality I value the most it would be my empathetic nature. From a small age my mother would always say to me "try to put yourself in the other person's shoe" So I always tried my best to do so. So much so that it became an involuntary action. This quality has been to me both a blessing and a curse. The negative side being people often take advantage of my kind nature. However the reason I think this is my best quality is because it bring me joy when it is helpful to all around. My ability to put myself in others shoes draws others to my company. I am often described as having the ability to make people comfortably at home as I seem to understand what they are going through.

The reason I value this quality the most is because I know form personal experience how badly a person can sometime wish someone would try to understand their point of view. I often wished others would stop judging and put themselves in my shoes instead of instantly labeling me the "weird girl" just because I disagree with their opinions. So from my own personal experience I know how much it matters when someone is empathetic towards you. Therefore I always try to do to others what few have done to me.

I believe that if everyone took a moment to put themselves in another persons shoe it would stop numerous world problems such as war, hunger, violence etc. So I plan to lead by example as I believe if everyone possessed the quality I have the world would be a much better place.

Undergraduate / 'Each country should be held accountable for others' - Adelphi essay [2]

In order for poverty to be solved each individual must play their part by first getting rid of the "Every man for himself mentality" and help their fellow citizens. I propose that each individual give at least 2.5% of their salary to assist those around them experiencing absolute poverty. Each individual in a community should be held accountable for the welfare of other citizens living in the same community who are unable to support themselves. Each community should come up with an action plan that best targets poverty in that community.

Similarly to the individual the government must also play their part in solving poverty by taking responsibility of all of their citizens. The government should establish a department whose sole purpose is to assist with poverty in the country. By doing this the government will then be able to see directly who in the country is unable to provide for themselves the bare necessities of life and by default need the most help. The government should also establish a law limiting the amount of children an individual can have based on their ability to sufficiently support these children as this too will greatly affect the level of poverty worldwide. The government should also set aside a minimum of 4% of total tax collected to assist those people experiencing poverty based on level of poverty being experienced by an individual and to develop emergency housing for persons experiencing extreme poverty. The government should also broadcast programmes about poverty making all individuals aware about the issue of poverty that is being experienced by all countries.

On a global level each country should be held accountable for the individuals living in their country. I also believe that each country should help others by ensuring that no countries poverty level exceeds a certain point. Each country should be held accountable for others and intervene when they see another country falling prey to poverty so as to contain the spread of poverty. If countries experiencing extreme poverty were recognized and assisted this would also help the problem of poverty. The United Nations should also establish a policy that in every country individuals should have access to clean water, education and land suitable for cultivation so that they can provide for themselves. Every nation should take responsibility for other countries as the welfare of one affects all the others.

Undergraduate / 'Service - characteristic that appeals to me the most' - FSU [3]

Prompt: FSU is more than just a world class academic institution preparing you for a future career. It embraces leadership, learning, service and global awareness which characteristic appeals to you.

The one characteristic that appeals the most to me is service. Community service has always been important to me as it gave my life purpose. Nothing is more important than giving back to your community, which is why I always try to involve myself in community service in any way I can. Doing community service has often helped me to step outside my comfort zone and take initiative. It has been a way of gaining both a greater understanding of humanity and a greater appreciation of the life I have.

The first time I heard about FSU was in an article about their work with habitat for humanity. After finding out more information about the school such as its reputation for academic excellence and its numerous volunteer projects I knew immediately that FSU was the perfect fit for me. Going to FSU will not only offer me the chance to receive an excellent education but also provide me with the skills and experience for a career in service. While attending FSU I plan to volunteer with habitat for humanity, Hands of Hope and H.E.L.P to name a few organizations. Working with these organizations will hopefully provide me with the skills to work with the International Volunteer Programme Association and pursue a career in psychology in the future.

Florida State University is a school that I believe will provide me with the opportunity to excel both academically and socially. Academically speaking they are known for their outstanding psychology department with world renowned professors. While socially they are known for having a well rounded student body that I hope to one day be a part of. Volunteering has and always will be an important part of my life and I know at Florida State University I will have the opportunity to work alongside people who share the same passion.