catdammerj12
Dec 8, 2012
Undergraduate / When I first learned to read, I struggled; Common App [3]
This is for the Common App personal essay- I selected topic of your choice.
Any and all feedback would be appreciated!
When the boy I was tutoring in English announced he'd never liked a single book he had read, I was speechless. For him, every book was boring, a chore to read, or a lifeless vessel whose impact was nonexistent. Books had been taught to him in a bubble of multiple choice tests and five paragraph essays. I tried to bring them to life by telling him my own story of embracing books.
When I first learned to read, I struggled, unable to decode the letters. I was placed in special classes, but nothing helped. At my young age, I couldn't understand why reading was important. I was stuck. Progress was finally made when I went to a special "reading recovery" tutor and, slowly, reading became less of a challenge. I began to enjoy what I was reading and devoured any book set in front of me. I read books on a thousand different subjects, learning about far off lands, issues plaguing our society, and the ideas of philosophers and authors from long ago. I went from Black Beauty to 1984, from Harry Potter to The Handmaid's Tale. Each book I read taught me something, whether it was a new fact or a completely new way of thinking.
As I grew older, my passion for books spread; I got a job at my local library, where I shelved and sorted the objects I loved, tutored kids in English, and even collected over 10,000 books for the Literacy Fair which my school service club, Missionaides, holds every year in Newark, New Jersey. We set up tables piled high with books and allow the children to take home as many as they want. Kids drag home bags as large as they are, stuffed with more books than they can count. Last year we gave away over 4,000 books in the course of a few hours. As I stood in that room and watched eager hands sort through tables of books, I was struck by just how important this moment was. Often, these are the first and only books these children will own. The books we gave away that day may have contained simple sentences designed for young children, but the words inside were important: they symbolized the ability to learn and communicate. Those books represented something to those children, whether it be as simple as a story to read or as complex as a small stepping-stone out of poverty.
Whenever it came time to discuss a new book with this boy I tutored, my instructions were simple: "We read to find our own souls mirrored back. Find something which appeals to you in this book." After long hours discussing, he finally understood. Books are truly powerful to us when we understand them on a personal level. They may represent the first steps towards literacy, knowledge, or wisdom from long ago. Books have been a part of me, shaping my life and decisions. They have been my friends, and for that, I am grateful.
This is for the Common App personal essay- I selected topic of your choice.
Any and all feedback would be appreciated!
When the boy I was tutoring in English announced he'd never liked a single book he had read, I was speechless. For him, every book was boring, a chore to read, or a lifeless vessel whose impact was nonexistent. Books had been taught to him in a bubble of multiple choice tests and five paragraph essays. I tried to bring them to life by telling him my own story of embracing books.
When I first learned to read, I struggled, unable to decode the letters. I was placed in special classes, but nothing helped. At my young age, I couldn't understand why reading was important. I was stuck. Progress was finally made when I went to a special "reading recovery" tutor and, slowly, reading became less of a challenge. I began to enjoy what I was reading and devoured any book set in front of me. I read books on a thousand different subjects, learning about far off lands, issues plaguing our society, and the ideas of philosophers and authors from long ago. I went from Black Beauty to 1984, from Harry Potter to The Handmaid's Tale. Each book I read taught me something, whether it was a new fact or a completely new way of thinking.
As I grew older, my passion for books spread; I got a job at my local library, where I shelved and sorted the objects I loved, tutored kids in English, and even collected over 10,000 books for the Literacy Fair which my school service club, Missionaides, holds every year in Newark, New Jersey. We set up tables piled high with books and allow the children to take home as many as they want. Kids drag home bags as large as they are, stuffed with more books than they can count. Last year we gave away over 4,000 books in the course of a few hours. As I stood in that room and watched eager hands sort through tables of books, I was struck by just how important this moment was. Often, these are the first and only books these children will own. The books we gave away that day may have contained simple sentences designed for young children, but the words inside were important: they symbolized the ability to learn and communicate. Those books represented something to those children, whether it be as simple as a story to read or as complex as a small stepping-stone out of poverty.
Whenever it came time to discuss a new book with this boy I tutored, my instructions were simple: "We read to find our own souls mirrored back. Find something which appeals to you in this book." After long hours discussing, he finally understood. Books are truly powerful to us when we understand them on a personal level. They may represent the first steps towards literacy, knowledge, or wisdom from long ago. Books have been a part of me, shaping my life and decisions. They have been my friends, and for that, I am grateful.
