This is my essay for my Questbridge application. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Tell us about one of your proudest achievements and why it is important to you.
My family loves food.
However, since I grew up with seven other siblings, every time my parents' came home from the grocery store, a battle was signaled. The goodies are instantly attacked and then later salvaged by those not quick enough. (Usually just my little sister.) All of us had mastered the skills of splitting up, portioning, and always finishing whatever snacks or meals that were created in my household. Once a bag of chips exhales a gasp of air and is opened, it will disappear in the matter of about 2 minutes; I even remember distinctly the times we would say, everyone gets 10 Doritos first and if there's extra we can go a second round- something we all still reminisce and joke about. Over the years, however, our competition levels have mitigated but my natural instinct to always finish all my food remains with me today. Especially being reinforced by parents who always inflicted the importance of never wasting food, I try to continue to apply these values in my daily life.
So I was absolutely stunned when I saw food being wasted around me. It was not until my sophomore year in High School did I finally decide to do something about it. At my school, it's required to pick one fruit, drink, and entree even if you did not want it. One morning, as I was getting breakfast, I noticed everyone left perfectly good apples, bananas, and basically baskets of fresh fruit back on the countertops before the exit. As I walked out the door, I felt the strong urge to just take it all and bring it to my family(Imagining the excited looks on my parents faces), however as I pondered the thought I saw the cafeteria ladies throw it all in the trash. I felt my heart drop.
A sense of responsibility built up every time I got breakfast/lunch. A simple idea formulated in my mind. After a long discussion with the cafeteria workers, and then the principal, we had set a plan in place. I set up cardboard boxes near the trash cans and any viable food about to get thrown away will get put into the box instead. At the end of each day, I collected it and put it into my teacher's classroom until volunteers(ones I've gathered) or my mother could pick it up and drop it off at my city's hall to give to the homeless people there.
This plan created from my own mind, executed by my own self, and although was such a simple plan gave me such a strong sense of accomplishment and happiness within myself. Being able to apply a core value given to me from my own personal environment to the world around gave me an extra sensation of satisfaction. Moreover, I truly felt the direct benefits to the people it was affecting; I saw faces light up, got countless thank you, and even recognition from my parents. Although this may seem a small fraction of the larger problem out there, taking these steps to make a difference in just one person's life, to me is huge. This dip into the world of possibilities, inspires me to continue to act on what I believe in, and know the only person in the way of a plan, is myself.
Tell us about one of your proudest achievements and why it is important to you.
My family loves food.
However, since I grew up with seven other siblings, every time my parents' came home from the grocery store, a battle was signaled. The goodies are instantly attacked and then later salvaged by those not quick enough. (Usually just my little sister.) All of us had mastered the skills of splitting up, portioning, and always finishing whatever snacks or meals that were created in my household. Once a bag of chips exhales a gasp of air and is opened, it will disappear in the matter of about 2 minutes; I even remember distinctly the times we would say, everyone gets 10 Doritos first and if there's extra we can go a second round- something we all still reminisce and joke about. Over the years, however, our competition levels have mitigated but my natural instinct to always finish all my food remains with me today. Especially being reinforced by parents who always inflicted the importance of never wasting food, I try to continue to apply these values in my daily life.
So I was absolutely stunned when I saw food being wasted around me. It was not until my sophomore year in High School did I finally decide to do something about it. At my school, it's required to pick one fruit, drink, and entree even if you did not want it. One morning, as I was getting breakfast, I noticed everyone left perfectly good apples, bananas, and basically baskets of fresh fruit back on the countertops before the exit. As I walked out the door, I felt the strong urge to just take it all and bring it to my family(Imagining the excited looks on my parents faces), however as I pondered the thought I saw the cafeteria ladies throw it all in the trash. I felt my heart drop.
A sense of responsibility built up every time I got breakfast/lunch. A simple idea formulated in my mind. After a long discussion with the cafeteria workers, and then the principal, we had set a plan in place. I set up cardboard boxes near the trash cans and any viable food about to get thrown away will get put into the box instead. At the end of each day, I collected it and put it into my teacher's classroom until volunteers(ones I've gathered) or my mother could pick it up and drop it off at my city's hall to give to the homeless people there.
This plan created from my own mind, executed by my own self, and although was such a simple plan gave me such a strong sense of accomplishment and happiness within myself. Being able to apply a core value given to me from my own personal environment to the world around gave me an extra sensation of satisfaction. Moreover, I truly felt the direct benefits to the people it was affecting; I saw faces light up, got countless thank you, and even recognition from my parents. Although this may seem a small fraction of the larger problem out there, taking these steps to make a difference in just one person's life, to me is huge. This dip into the world of possibilities, inspires me to continue to act on what I believe in, and know the only person in the way of a plan, is myself.
