Undergraduate / Loving museums. I want to pursue a career in Museum Studies - Common App Personal Essay [9]

Common App Personal Essay Prompt: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

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The first time I fell in love with a museum, I was in fifth grade. It was a traveling exhibit of Monet's best works at The Cincinnati Art Museum. Standing in front of Monet's water lilies as a wonderstruck fifth grader, my love of learning was born. Over the years, museums have allowed my curiosity and sense of wonder to develop outside of the classroom. The idea of a place dedicated to exploration and celebration of art and history has always been magical to me. It seemed that museums captured this idealistic world of learning and beauty. Museums gave me the opportunity to discover what I love. Museums showed me how captivating history can be and soon all I wanted was to become familiar with every little mystery and story. It was like history was the greatest book I'd ever read and museums were a grand extension of the story. I grew up holding on to this notion and it wasn't until I volunteered at a museum that this idea shifted and I saw museums from a different perspective.

The summer between my sophomore year and junior year of high school, I wrote an email to the volunteer coordinator at the Walt Disney Family Museum in hopes of securing a spot as a volunteer while I was in San Francisco for five weeks. It had been my dream to live in a big city and work at a world class museum and I saw this as the perfect opportunity to get a glimpse into what that might be like. It was a big step forward in my love affair with museums.

The first few volunteer shifts, I was stuck in a state of awe. Even though I spent the majority of the time pointing guests in the direction of the bathroom, I fell in love with it. It was only when I was assigned to lead a group of middle schoolers through the exhibits that I began to doubt the magic of museums. It wasn't the fact that their group was late. Nor was it the flippant comments they directed at me. I was mad because I watched these kids skip through the entire museum like it wasn't the treasure trove of art that I knew it was. I saw these kids as deviants and ungrateful as if they were somehow lower than me because they couldn't appreciate the art in front of them. The reality of the situation was that they actually couldn't appreciate it. Many of the children, I realized, had never been to a museum before. They had come from an inner city school and it was likely that their parents didn't put much emphasis on school to the extent that mine did. The opportunities that I have had - to visit world class museums and explore cities across the country - wasn't something that everybody had.

Since then, I have looked into various museum access programs for kids who would not otherwise get the opportunity to visit a museum. After my time volunteering, museums became more than the image of a grecian bust against a white wall. Museums became a symbol of opportunity for children to further their curiosity and education just like I had. After many hours of volunteer work at the Walt Disney Family Museum and the Fairhope Museum of History, I have decided to chase my dream of working in museums. I want to pursue a career in Museum Studies because I want to be able to give other kids the almost-magical feeling of discovering something you're passionate about. By volunteering at these museums, I was able to give others the experience that I had as a kid. And by pursing a career in museum studies, the opportunities to share this special experience will only grow.

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Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance :)

Undergraduate / The Bryn Mawr Honor Code and Self-Government Association affirm the importance of our academic ... [4]

The Bryn Mawr Honor Code and Self-Government Association affirm the importance of our academic and social communities. In what ways do you see yourself contributing to the Bryn Mawr community and how will these experiences shape your time at the College?

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Throughout high school, I have been shaped by communities of all-women. A leader in one and forever changed by another, I recognize the impact that a strong community, especially of only women, can have on an individual. I know that while at Bryn Mawr, I will receive the benefits of such a community while also doing my best to strengthen it.

As a leader in Girls Service Club, I have carefully cultivated a community of acceptance and support. Having young women to look up to was important to me as I was entering high school. I have become a role model to the girls in the club while also helping to build the community. I want to be given the opportunity to do the same at Bryn Mawr. During the freshman New Member's Luncheon for Girls Service Club, I met a girl who would become a role model to me. It was striking to me how welcoming and genuine she was. She was an officer at the time and my sophomore year when she passed the title of Historian to me, I was honored to fill her shoes. I vowed to create that same feeling of non-judgement and welcoming, carrying on her legacy after she graduated. Now, as the president, I took special care when planning my last New Members Luncheon. It was important to me that our members felt involved, important, and welcomed into the club not only at that event but year round. Girls Service Club, unlike any other service club on campus, has always had a special element to it. It is more than attending meetings and getting service hours. I have formed friendships, mentored, and share many inside jokes with girls across grade levels, diploma programs, and family backgrounds. I have tried to leave a legacy during my time in GSC and set an example for the girls who will hold my title in the future. I want everyone to feel valued and there have been several issues that we have addressed as a club. I listen to the ideas of all members and want them to feel like they can talk to me or any of the other officers. A community is not run by six officers but instead it is run by each and every member. As president, I try to uphold this ideal. I work hard toward improvement for our community and I will always try to learn from other people. In my eyes, that is what makes a good leader. I want to do the same as a Bryn Mawr student, making sure that I am being my best self by leading by example and dedicating my time to serving the community. During my first visit to Bryn Mawr, my tour guide left a lasting impression on me. I felt the same way I did my freshman at the Girls Service Club New Members Luncheon. She was enthusiastic and sincere about how much she loved Bryn Mawr and I still think about her and look up to her as an example of what it means to be a Bryn Mawr student. I want to be that girl to someone else. Even as a first year, I plan to create a place where everyone feels like their voice is valid and heard. The impact that I've left on Girls Service Club, I want make on the Bryn Mawr community and I know I can achieve this during my time at Bryn Mawr.

Surrounding myself with strong women whose basis for their community is one of respect and tolerance will undoubtedly shape not only my time at the college but my outlook on other women and who I am as a young woman. As a pageant veteran, I can speak to the importance of an all-female support system. The stigma surrounding "pageant girls" is unfortunate and not true to my experience. Walking into the first rehearsal of the Dogwood Trail Pageant, I cannot lie and say that I did not have certain expectations for the other girls; in reality, it was a competition. Holding the title of Dogwood Trail Maid and being a part of the sisterhood that the court shares is something so many girls dream about. I expected to have to

fight for this. I expected the other girls to be cold and unwelcoming. But in the three months between the first rehearsal and the night of the program, I was forced to abandon my preconceived notions of the other girls. We established a unique bond- a sisterhood of our own. When my name was not called for the top twelve and I knew that I would not be on the court, I broke down into tears on stage. Along with the sixteen other girls who were told "try again next year," I was herded to a separate dressing room where almost every girl was crying. And as I made my rounds, hugging everyone and tripping over layers of tulle, I realized that I was not crying just because I would never be a Dogwood Trail Maid. No one in that room was. We were crying also in honor of the girls who were chosen. We all collectively agreed that whichever six girls made the court, they deserved it. To me, that moment epitomized what it means to be a part of an all-female community. The overwhelming feeling of gratitude I experienced in that dressing room will never leave me. Being in such a community is inspiring, enlightening, and encouraging. It taught me to be more mindful of how I view other young women and how I view myself. Even in the midst of a literal competition, there was never animosity among the girls. Without a sense of competition, I was able to grow into a better version of myself. I know that I thrive in communities like this and I know that Bryn Mawr will provide me with a similar experience. Discouraging competition is very important to me and I know that this way, I'll be able to focus on becoming the best version of myself I can be. Women's colleges build self- esteem and a respect for other women that is invaluable in today's society. This is how I expect my experiences at Bryn Mawr to shape me.

I know how much the women at Bryn Mawr value the sisterhood they have worked for years to create and I will further strengthen the community and carry the values of respect with me from the day I walk onto campus as a Mawrter until long after I graduate.

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Thank you for any feedback! Positive feedback is appreciated.