Undergraduate / From Black and White to San Francisco [3]

Hey Guys,
I was wondering if you could take a look at my UC essay.

Thanks !!

Describe the world you come from (family, school, community) and how it has shaped your dreams and aspirations etc...

"As in the Johnny Cash song?" is the popular reply when I tell people where I'm from. Folsom, CA isn't known for much else than its federal prison and the formerly mentioned song "Folsom Prison Blues" by popular music artist, Johnny Cash. Up until my sophomore year in high school, Folsom, CA was where I called home. The small town of 50,000 people sheltered my blissfully ignorant and conservative nature for fifteen years. Sure, I had heard of gay people, racial prejudice and world issues, but politics never seemed relevant to my life. For fifteen years my life was black and white, every question had an answer, and my world was the size of a cantaloupe. I hate cantaloupe. At the close of my freshman year in high school, I was given an opportunity to change everything. The Jewish Community High School of the Bay sits in the new western addition of San Francisco, CA. Attending this school would mean moving in with my grandparents and commuting to school via the train. So I decided to trade in my cheerleading uniform, pool parties, football games and straight A's for the unknown abyss of urban private school life. Suddenly I had teachers that were gay, others that were radical activists, and every single one inspirational. It was kind of a mind-blowing change from the child-hating teachers I was used to back home. They taught me that not only do I need to think to succeed, but I also need to question, and if I can't find answers, to push through and find them on my own. After two weeks in this new jungle, I quickly figured out I was no longer the smartest and easily the least worldly student. Catching up with my peers who had been dealing with college prep level work since pre-school wasn't my only challenge. I was not only taking core classes such as math, history, English and science, but I also was diving into the world of Judaism. Dealing with a dual curriculum proved to be harder than it sounded. Now, whenever my friends back home complain about learning Spanish,I laugh because obviously they have never tried to understand Hebrew. Junior year is over now, and I think I have immersed myself successfully into this environment just in time to leave for college. The Jewish Community High School of the Bay flipped my world upside down. In the two short years I have been here my world grown astronomically; I have flown to Washington D.C to lobby Speaker Pelosi, traveled to the south to experience the culture that brewed our civil rights movement and have opened my eyes to a world I never knew. Words can't even describe how thankful I am for JCHS. My relationships now, with my friends, teachers and even family, have more colors than the rainbow, my old universe of answerable questions now seems boring and limited, and my world no longer has a size, only potential. The seemingly simple change of schools broadened my world more than words can capture, and it made me crave intellectual growth and knowledge more than ever.

Undergraduate / Shocked into rethinking taking things for granted- UC Prompt [4]

Hey Guys,
I am new to this website, I was hoping you could read and comment on my essay. This is a slightly old version, so the grammer issues have been dealt with for the most part.

The Prompt is "talk about an event or time that has changed your life and your perspective"

Thanks!

Recently, I went on a club trip to a local middle school to give anti-drug/alcohol presentations. At the very end, we hand out paper so the kids can ask us questions or give comment about our presentations. Knowing that the papers would be read aloud, one little boy decided to approach us after class with his question. "My dad drives when he's drunk, even though he had his license taken away, what should I do?" We asked him if he could talk to his dad, maybe sit down with his parents and have a little intervention. After inquiring a little more, we found there was a background story. His father's license was revoked because he was caught under the influence and caught with possession of marijuana. This wasn't the first time and probably wouldn't be the last time. Also, when we asked him if he could speak to his mother or family member and try and get him help he got nervous. "Please, you guys can't tell him I told you, he gets really angry when I mention it." Overcome with shock of how serious the situation actually was, we brought him to our advisor. She took him aside and talked with him. After a while, she sent us home. At our next meeting, about a week later, she informed us that she had gotten him help. To honor the family, she didn't give us details, but promised the little boy was safe. That afternoon, my friend was complaining about how stupid her parents were; they had grounded her because her grades were, lets just say not great. I felt like yelling at her. "Did you know some kids don't even have parents who care if they go to school? Did you know some kids find school the best part of their day because your teachers and most of your peers care about you? Did you know that we are lucky to have parents who will teach us good lessons how to be a good person? Did you know that I didn't even realize that until now, that the little sixth grader who came up to me, is stronger then most adults including his parents?" I didn't yell at her because she didn't know any better. She didn't witness that little boy mustering all his courage to turn somebody who was suppose to love and take care of him, in to the police. Most people look up to actors, athletes, socialites and their parents; although there is nothing wrong with that, I prefer to look up to this boy who puts up with so much punishment for no crime. When I got home that day after school, I hugged my mom and my dad. Never again will the grass be greener on the other side.