Undergraduate / 'Mr. Villegas' - Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you... [4]

Maria de Lourdes Martinez Benavides
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
Feedback, please?

Mr. Villegas
When I was about eleven years old, Don Manuel Villegas, a thick mustached man, told me as he bandaged a horse's leg in blue cloth from the ankle to the knee: "When you grow up, you should go to the United States and study to become a veterinarian, because there aren't any good horse

veterinarians in town." I'd never had such a far reaching goal before, but I immediately set down to chase it. The choices I made while trying to step closer to my new found objective greatly impacted the course my life has taken, positively influencing my academic achievement, growth, and self-worth.

Even though I'd declared I wanted to become a veterinarian when I was younger, the goal never seemed so real as in that moment when an adult I trusted and respected told me he truly believed that I could make it, and encouraged me to think realistically about how to get there. Although my parents have always supported me in the choices I've made, such as when I decided to join horseback riding classes, they had never encouraged me seriously toward such an important objective. Suddenly I knew where I had to go after I graduated from the sixth grade; I would get into the American School of Torreon and work hard to learn good English so that someday I could apply to a nice university in the U.S.A. and become a horse veterinarian.

The choice to enter the American School of Torreon opened so many doors for me that I feel truly grateful toward Mr. Villegas because if he hadn't pushed me toward the serious thought of pursuing a veterinarian career in the U.S., I might have never worked hard enough to pass the hardest admission exam for middle school in Torreon. Somewhat indirectly he taught me that hard work pays off. He taught me this same lesson many times directly as well.

Undoubtedly, horseback riding with Mr. Villegas made me grow up as a person. Taking care of a horse is a huge responsibility because your actions can determine the health of a living being. After a few years of practicing the discipline I grew calmer and controlled, I seemed quite mature for my age. Though Mr. Villegas's methods of teaching might not have been the sweetest, since he was a tough man, he helped me become the best rider I could be. Looking back I realize how fortunate I was to have him as my teacher; whenever I ride people compliment me on how well I do so, which has helped my self-esteem grow and encouraged me to keep practicing the sport I love.

Even though right now I'm not as sure as I was that I want to become a horse veterinarian, it is only because learning English and working hard during High School have opened more doors I wish I could also go through. I'm satisfied to say that although Mr. Villegas played a very important role in shaping my future, if I do choose to become a horse veterinarian, it won't be only to fulfill Mr. Villegas's request, it will be to fulfill a personal goal and to work on something I love.

Undergraduate / Short Answer: "Tell us what you found meaningful about [The Jungle Book]" [7]

Hello, all. I'd like some help with my short answer responses for the Columbia University supplements.
Don't feel obliged to read all of them, review one at a time if you'd prefer.
Thanks for your help.

Please tell us what you found meaningful about one of the above mentioned books, publications or cultural events. (I chose The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling)

The skies change with the seasons, and the scents call the songs of summer. A little naked boy turns into man amidst the deep, wild bowels of the Jungle. That is the story of Mowgli from Kipling's masterpiece, The Jungle Book; my favorite book out of all my favorites. It is common to pinpoint adolescence as the time when people turn into an undistinguishable mesh of uncertainty, risk, and emotion. That is, perhaps, a bit of an overstatement. Adolescence is all about learning. And that ugly mess people keep talking about? That is just what learning looks like sometimes; like a mess that needs to be sorted out. Which brings me back to The Jungle Book, a book about growing up. I found it so meaningful because, even though I don't live in the Jungle or speak in the snakes' tongue, I'm growing up too. I find parallels between Mowgli's journeys and my own; we strive to understand a world that is not entirely logical, and we struggle with feelings we wish we could forget. In the end, I can also identify with the solutions Mowgli applied to his sorrows; confronting one's fears, turning around to fight, stepping into the lead, and holding one's head up.

Please tell us what academic class has been your favorite and why.
"Remember, everybody knows something! Life is not about what you know, it's about how you apply it." These were the words of Ms. Alana Woodin, my AP World History teacher, after one of the students insisted he didn't know a thing about the essay topic we were assigned. World History may not be my favorite subject, but it's my favorite class. Why? Because every time I step into that classroom I can't help smiling. Yes, it is a lot of work. But Ms. Alana has her own little way of adapting everything into some sort of activity. I can sing the whole overview of the Classical period to Kesha's "Tik Tok," I can review the Byzantine Empire by reading a children's book, and whenever I eat dark chocolate I remember the African Kingdoms along the sahel. Along with hearing historical references an being able, not only to recognize them, but to understand and explain them, comes a rather nice sense of satisfaction. Ms. Alana's class has taught me things beyond textbook History; it has taught me to make connections, analyze sources and texts, read in between the lines, and think beyond what is written to draw my own conclusions and observations. More than a History class, it has also been a life lesson.

Please tell us what you find most appealing about Columbia and why.
On my desk, a pile of lazy papers falls asleep every night with me. When I turn my fan on, they flutter and, in my mind, I see one of them fly across the room and into my hands. Unfortunately, when choosing the place you plan to spend the next four years of your life in, and that will probably give some sort of shape to your future, the answer won't levitate neatly into your hand. You must mull it over in your mind, turn it all into a pulp, and somehow straighten it out to make a decision. After looking over the pile of papers a few times, some names start to stand out. "In the heart of New York City." I google it up and when I find the Columbia University website there is one thing on my mind: blue. When I looked up the programs I am interested in and ran through the departments of the majors I'd like to choose I found so many things that stood out. When I finished looking though the Columbia University website there was one thing on my mind: I should apply. I had no doubt after looking through the research opportunities for Biology undergraduates, like the SURF, AMGEN, and NYSTEM, finding out its Anthropology department is not only the oldest in the country, but was also founded by Franz Boas, and realizing I'd be right in the middle of the Arts capital of the United States. Surely, I had to give it a try.

For applicants to Columbia College, please tell us what attracts you specifically to the field or fields of study that you noted in the Application Data section. (I chose Biology, Anthropology, and Visual Arts.)

When a storm gathers in my chest I can empty it over a canvass. Art is the window out of which I let myself out, with my dreams and feelings flung over my back. I'm a rather shy person, but art helps me lose inhibitions and allows me to connect to people. I might not have the guts to talk to the stranger sitting next to me, but when she comments on how pretty I draw, I'll ask her what her favorite animal is and I'll make a sketch of it for her. As for anthropology, my curiosity stems off the forensic show "Bones." However, I had not considered a major on it until I took my cultural anthropology course in Stanford last summer. The insight provided by the readings, the combination of history and field studies, the detailed observation that I found myself to be so good at... suddenly I wanted to borrow a bird's wings to fly off and see the whole world; I wanted to be able to understand the people in it. Finally, biology has been in my mind since I can remember. I've enjoyed learning all about it, from the tiniest molecule to the largest biome. Biology always triggered a deep sense curiosity in me; when I found dead birds I would make their wings fold and unfold until I was sure I had it memorized the mechanism. From childish games I moved into serious research. The truth is I can never get enough of it, there are so many interesting things left to learn. All in all, these choices are subjects I am sure I'd enjoy learning more about, and I'd love spending my day working on any of them.

Undergraduate / 'two weeks going around Europe' - how you have spent the last two summers. [4]

Anything you think I could improve?
Thanks for all your help, guys.

Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers.

Here, it gets up to 40şC in summer. So we usually run. Not really because of the heat, it's more or less the same all the while from March to October anyway, but simply because my mom loves running. Or traveling. Sometimes they mean the same thing.

Two summers ago I spent two weeks going around Europe with my family. We ate fish and chips in England, visited a castle in Scotland, drove twice across the Rhine in Germany, biked across Bruges in Belgium, and had crepes for breakfast for a whole week in Paris.

One summer ago my family went on a trip to Disney Land. I went to Stanford Summer College instead. There was a time when I didn't understand how anyone could put anyplace over Disney. I didn't notice exactly when this changed, but last summer I packed my bags, flew to California, signed up for summer classes, and saw Disney only through pictures of my siblings smiling next to Captain Hook. I regret none of it.

Summer college has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I took Painting and Drawing, which I absolutely adored, and Cultural Anthropology, whose reading assignments I've gone over again and again when I'm bored. I also audited Biochemistry and showed off around my former AP Biology classmates. I made many good friends and I opened up to people like I never had before. I used to be so shy and reserved, and while I didn't become a complete extrovert either, I found it easy to strike up conversation and hang around completely new people. I learned about independence and sometimes I wouldn't make my bed. I traveled to San Francisco with a couple of friends, and around campus close to midnight. I spent hours in the painting studio, enjoying the quiet, the brushes, and the colors. My roommate, my friends, and all the people who hung out at the dorm lounge were my family for the whole summer. I even cried when everyone said goodbye, and I don't cry easily. I met people from all over the world, I almost lost my accent, and I came back a polished person; organized, grown-up, and ready to take on life.