Scholarship / (Discuss Family or Personal Circumstance) - Scholarship Essay Topic [4]

So the prompt is:

"How has a family or personal circumstance interfered with you attaining an achievement in school, work or your participation in school and community activities?"

...but I'm a little confused as to how I should go about addressing that question. I have an idea in mind, but it seems like answering the question as it is would leave a sort of gap..

Undergraduate / "The Art of Storytelling" talent, world [4]

Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

I hung at the edge of my seat in silence as I learned of the drudging and dehumanizing sixty-one mile march my grandfather endured in the Bataan Death March. Looking upon him with a great sense of appreciation, I learned of his local political endeavors in his hometown in the Philippines, his multiple occupations as a surveyor, tailor, and carpenter, and the heartbreak that lead him to new love. On the other side of my family tree several aged photos of my grandparents when they first came to America accompany the story of their one month journey across the Pacific to America, arriving with nothing but the clothes on their backs. I'd always stay at the dinner table after all the food has gone, just so that I may hear the stories again or hear new ones. Since childhood, my family has exposed me to the wondrously enlightening art of storytelling, creating an energy in which has since sparked my imagination and curiosity to new levels of possibility.

From then on I became inspired by the art of literature, an art in which has the power of binding all those ups and downs of life within the pages of a book. Taken aback by the vivid imagery, impeccable diction, and the unique writing styles of greats, such as my personal favorite, Mark Twain, I found myself in new worlds. But it wasn't enough for me to read and hear about someone else's world. I desired to create my own.

There is a certain richness and beauty associated with language and culture that manifests itself through the language and the art of storytelling and connects us to one another every single day of our lives. It beholds the power to evoke a sense of appreciation towards one's history and culture, to mend a frown or a scowl with a smile, to touch hearts, to get people to remember what is truly important in life, and to take them to new worlds. And so I dream to strengthen my abilities so that I may one day harness that coveted artistic prowess to captivate, inspire, and enlighten young readers, fashion stories of my own and possibly even retell the stories of my family history.

Of course, one of the marks of true storytellers is how they are able to live their own stories. And so in that manner, I dream to embark on my own adventures as well, to create captivating stories worthy of being told and retold in generations to come. Of the many lessons I learned from my family's rich history, is that the journey of life is inevitably filled with obstacles. Whatever obstacles come my way, it's up to me to get back up and venture on. And as I venture off to college in the upcoming year, it is clear that my journey is just beginning.

Positive feedback and constructive criticism appreciated. Do you think I should condense anything or expand on a concept or anything?

Thanks in advance =].

Undergraduate / "Art: Silent Poetry" - (personal quality, talent) - UC Personal Statement [5]

Prompt 2
All applicants: 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?

In their old age, my grandparents can still recall the days when they would watch over me whilst my parents were away at work. There were never any kids my age in my neighborhood, so I would always seek ways in which I could entertain myself. On rainy days, my grandfather would sit down with me and we would draw pictures together of people in the family. And on days when the sun shone, he would spend time on his garden, whilst I wandered around on my purple rollerblades and a piece of chalk in my hand, ready to create my own little masterpiece on the sidewalk until the day that the rain would come again and wash it away. Starting from an early age, I have always had a passion for art, a talent in which later on, taught me more than just the proper techniques on how to hold a pencil or paintbrush.

I took my first official art class at the beginning of freshman year. I recall shyly walking through a brick alleyway laced with ivy, my footsteps echoing as I clutched onto my newly bought sketchpad and art pencils. A gold sign hung from the top that read "Art Academia." At first slightly intimidated, my perspective completely changed upon opening that ivory door. The room itself had its own brilliance to it: the sun shone through the windows, illuminating the dazzling works of art that hung on the walls, stood on the shelves, and on the easels of the other students, who just like me, took interest in the fascinating world of self-expression. Since my first day there, every Friday at four thirty became the highlight of my week. I could continue on for the whole two-hour class period drawing, painting, even as the teacher called for our fifteen minute break. I liked the idea of recreating plain, everyday objects, and turning them into works of art.

After a few months however, due to my family's financial issues, my parents were forced to withdraw me from the class. Though my stay there may have been short-lived, I didn't let that discourage me. And though I may no longer have had that special working desk, easel, and that same unique, magical environment, I still never put my pencil down. For me, art is not just two dimensional; it transforms, inspires, and speaks.

From then on, I realized something. Art is not just about the finished product, but about the endurance of getting there, to that last stroke of the paintbrush. Every masterpiece starts with an idea or a dream, and from there, it manifests itself into a goal, in which to get there requires endless streams of passion and dedication. In my younger years, I would stare upon the works in a museum in disbelief that such great artists can spend lifetimes on their works of art. Nowadays, I look upon these great works of art with appreciation and realize the infinite possibilities that life presents us with, in which there is no time for either hesitation or fear.