Undergraduate / 'My dual-thinking mode' - UVA Supplement Essay [2]

A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community.

One hand was gripping my mom's index finger; the other was dragging along my miniature, yellow carry-on suitcase. As my mom searched for my dad through the crowd, I was busy dodging the bodies coming my way. My eyes, nearly three feet above the ground, could see nothing but the pants of frantic bodies trying to find their terminal. My mom's finger was the only thing keeping me from becoming physically lost, however there was nothing she could do to keep me from becoming mentally lost. The myriad of languages hitting me from every direction had me dumfounded; my ears were drowning in a sea of unfamiliar words. Being my impatient self, I took no more than seven seconds to attempt to decipher what I was hearing.

I looked up at the heads towering over me and saw things I had never seen before. At first glance, I thought I had entered into a new world full of strange looking, gibberish speaking people. I gently tugged at my mom's finger and by the look of confusion on my face she knew precisely what was going through my mind. The clothing the people were wearing, the way they interacted with each other, and the languages they spoke all took me by surprise.

Before I moved to America and experienced the diversity and richness of the languages and cultures, I thought the world was all within the country I lived in. That beyond those country boundaries everyone and everything was the same. My naivety at the time caused me to believe there was no such thing as someone who spoke a language other than Arabic or that there existed a place where a woman was not required to wear a headdress.

After a while, I told myself people here were the different ones and I was the "normal" one. My adolescent beliefs, however, faded away. My view of the world was altered once I saw that people in different counties practice different traditions, speak different languages, and believe in different things. In fact, I was the one to add to the diversity of America.

Nowadays, I view everything from two perspectives. My dual-thinking mode naturally applies to any dilemma I face or basically any situation I am in. Rarely do people think twice before they do something, whether it being big or small. I automatically think twice, once with the knowledge I gained in Syria and once with the knowledge I gained in America. Though my train of thought is not seen by others, the outcome is. It brings me a great sense of pride and appreciation towards my background when I hear someone say to me, "Oh, I didn't even think of it that way."

Undergraduate / "Favorite Place To Get Lost" - UVA Supplement [2]

- Discuss your favorite place to get lost.

As I walk down the crowded street, in over one hundred degree temperature, I try to figure out where I am. All I can hear are the horns of numerous yellow taxis stuck in traffic and the vague sound of pedestrians talking. A gust of wind rolls by and brings an array of scents towards me, all of which remind me of home. I look around and notice an old spice shop with a sign resting on the door with the Arabic word for "spices" written on it. Continuing down the street, I take a look at the sky. There isn't a single cloud in sight, only the sun's rays beating down on my lost eyes.

Beneath my feet is a deteriorated sidewalk with sand filling every crack. Along the sidewalk is nothing but more of this sand; there is no trace of greenery. The only tree I see is at the end of the street in the center of a roundabout. I walk towards it in hopes of remembering where I am. To my dismay, I only discover more buildings. These buildings seem different though. I take a closer look and realize they are in fact houses. Balconies line the side of what seems like one long building with plants hanging down from their edges. This is the most green I've seen yet.

I start to pay closer attention to my surroundings and acknowledge the people walking past me. Their sheer presence put me at ease. The head dresses of the women and the long white shirts of the men are no surprise to me. It was all a part of my culture growing up; it is something I am used to. Everyone around me gives off an essence of kindness with their genuine smiles and warm looks of acceptance towards me. Deep down, my gut was telling me that this is my home.

How could this be my home? I do not even know where I am. My aimless wandering leads me to a small white house with a bed of red carnations to the side of it. I stare at it for a second, confused as to why I have urge to simply walk inside of it. Digging through my memory, I finally remember whose house this is. It's my own. Everything comes together now; I am in Syria and this is the house I grew up in as a baby. My instincts somehow led me to walk the path I walked on countless times as a child. As I take everything in, I realize I wasn't lost after all.

Undergraduate / 'an Arabic interpreter at The Loudoun Free Clinic' - Extracurricular Activities [3]

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below (1000 character maximum).
I want to know if I answered the prompt? Feedback is appreciated!

Every volunteer opportunity I have taken a part in has left a unique imprint in my mind. The imprint to stand out the most comes from my role as an Arabic interpreter at The Loudoun Free Clinic. Due to the scarcity of Arabic interpreters, I was a very useful resource to the clinic. I was able to use a language I never expected to speak outside of my home to help others. Since the clinic is only for those who are less privileged financially, I really felt like I was benefiting my community. Not only did I benefit several patients, but I also benefited myself. A few years ago I became interested in the medical field and volunteering at the clinic has done anything but discourage me to pursue this career. I received a "sneak-peak" into the life of a doctor and into the medical field in general by being in the same room as the doctor and patient and by observing the interactions between them. A hospital environment, such as this one, seems like a very fitting place for me in the future.