Undergraduate / Overcoming Illness - I am proud of what I have learned from it; UC Prompt 2 [3]

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?

I remember being thirteen years old and walking out of a Long Beach hospital towards my father's car after spending the previous ten days of my life in a hospital bed. I was wheeled to the front door, where they let me get up and walk to the car. After being locked away for that amount of time, everything felt different; the air seemed fresher, the sun seemed brighter. Walking around out doors was on its own something to appreciate.

Only two weeks earlier I was at summer camp with friends in upstate New York. I had just gotten over a sinus infection that had kept me locked up in the camp's infirmary and away from the crystal clear lake and green mountainous forests that surrounded us. The morning before I was leaving this magnificent setting for home I woke up with a migraine headache - light, sound, movement; nothing was tolerated.

My condition had changed by the time I woke up when we were just minutes away from Los Angeles Airport. I was glad to find that the migraine had gone away, but confused when I realized my entire face had become swollen. After days of pain and hours of travel, we felt simple rest and a hearty bowl of chicken soup would ease my symptoms. As the next day came and the swelling remained, it was now apparent that a trip to the emergency room was needed. Stunned by my condition, the doctors informed us that I could have easily gone blind in my left eye and could have died had we arrived only a few hours later. After countless needle-pricks and a last-resort surgery, I was finally able to go home, still alive and able to see.

All that time spent in a plain room, surrounded by nothing but four white walls, two beds, and an old television, made me realize how life can change at the drop of a hat and that every day should be lived to the fullest. Getting through this experience and remaining completely healthy is something I am very grateful for because it has helped me through other difficult situations throughout my life, whether those difficulties have been social, or academic. For example, Model United Nations, an international debate program, can be a very stressful and nerve-racking experience for a student. While standing in front of up to one hundred people with my legs shaking and heart racing, I know in the back of my mind that I will persevere. The lessons learned from facing such a dire circumstance have transcended over all my endeavors.

This is where the sense of pride comes in. While I am not proud of being ill, I am proud of what I have learned from it; I know that I have the will power to get through challenging situations and that no matter what happens, I will endure.

Any and all feedback is appreciated! Thanks!

Undergraduate / "mouth-watering contributions " - UC Essay Prompt 1 - Community [3]

Prompt: Describe the world you come from and how it has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

The aromas of another community thanksgiving dinner began to fill my home. The scents of a perfectly cooked turkey, carefully prepared stuffing, and tasty, delicious sweet potato coaxed me upstairs. I saw many of our family's friends and neighbors, and everyone has brought mouth-watering contributions to tonight's feast. For as long as I can remember, this has been our tradition; my family has brought together more than thirty of our closest friends to our home for this annual celebration of thanks.

I have grown up surrounded by a community of neighbors that I have known in every aspect of life. I see kids that once babysat me and are now in college or beyond, as well as parents of kids who I now babysit. I see people who my parents knew from their days in New York, as well as new friends they've met through our temple, Congregation Tikvat Jacob. These relationships have existed for my entire life, and all have positively influenced me in one way or another.

Whether it has been at home on 33rd Street, on vacation with old family friends, or at temple, I've always had a supportive community around me. I grew up attending Hebrew School at my temple Congregation Tikvat Jacob twice a week, and something I have always kept in mind is the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam.Tikkun Olam is the practice of repairing the world one step at a time, and I have been taught that it is a Jewish responsibility to improve the world that surrounds you however you can.

I aspire to live my life keeping Tikkun Olam close to heart, and I feel I am getting a good start on that right now. Just recently, I was accepted by Habitat for Humanity to be a team member on a project in Molokai, Hawaii, where we will build a home for a struggling family of eight. A Habitat for Humanity volunteer is not only donating time, but also has to pay for shelter, flights, food, construction supplies, and general contractors. In order to raise the money, I organized a garage sale and asked my friends and neighbors for any donations they could provide. With their help, I was able to raise $1,200 for the project, in addition to receiving over $1,500 in monetary contributions. I am fortunate to have been raised within a supportive community that has allowed me to take on great challenges, like Habitat for Humanity.

I look forward to taking advantage of the opportunities afforded me by such a supportive environment and turning them into future successes. I hope to attend a four-year university, and then move onto law school and have a successful career in the business world. This year as I look around the Thanksgiving table and see the friends and family that have helped me so much, I know my dream is to create the type of supportive community for my family and those around me that I was raised in, and I hope to keep Tikkun Olam in mind the entire time.

Any and all feedback is much appreciated! Thanks!