In January 2012, I began the application process for a scholarship to attend an International baccalaureate in a united world college. An year ago I came to know about this organization that operates in some schools across to provide an amazing and multicultural experience to those who attend them and also the students can get the International Baccalaureate which is a program that gives to the student one of the most prestigious two year pre-university diploma.
In my country, Venezuela, the organization responsible for organizing this process is called Avemundo. In January they began the preregistration process and in March I was called to the capital city Caracas, which is about 300 miles from my home city Barquisimeto, to take part in a knowledge test, which was the first step of selection process.
Approximately 30 days later, I received the news that I had successfully ranked among the top 50 and therefore qualify for the second phase of the process: the coexistence.
This phase consisted of sharing a weekend with the other 49 selected and perform a number of activities that would be evaluated by the organizing committee. All these activities were really enriching although I admit that there was one worth remembering.
In this activity we separated in groups of 7 and together with the monitors form a circle, they showed us a series of pictures, between those I remember: A half-naked woman masturbating, in another two students cheating on a test, other was two half-naked men kissing they were promoting a campaign against VIH, another showed a group of pregnant teenagers and dressed in the uniform of school class and the last one showed a half-naked woman with a dog next to her.
In my view all these images relayed in a way different subjects that are considered taboo by society. And in each displayed picture that was showed the students had to affirm our agreement or disagreement with. At the end we made a discussion about these issues relayed in those images.
I have always had certain views that can be classified as conservative, I was raised in a strongly Catholic home and always had an opinion of rejection suggestive themes as masturbation, homosexual civil union, the cheating on a test or bestiality but of course always respecting the rights of others. When I got to participate in the discussion my opinion was that however I respect the rights of others; I was opposed to these issues basically for my religion.
In the discussion were different opinions, however which take more importance in the discussion was to be in favor of all these issues. And when I tried to explain my rejection based on my faith and my religion, my detractors simply responded to me with the fact that they were not Catholics.
I realized that my argument, but seemed logical to me, had no great importance or acceptance in the discussion. So I thought I was wrong. When we finished the discussion and we went to the break I spoke with other people from other groups and I realized that each discussion group will come to a different conclusion some supporting certain issues, others rejected some, I finally realized that the problem was not that my argument was not correct it was that my opinion was not well argued nor based.
From this experience I learned that it is important to be prudent of any opinion that is expressed especially when you discuss about some controversial issue like ones I mentioned before, and at the same time I always try to research as much as possible about every point of view that I give.
Hi here is the essay I changed the parts you told me if there is something else that would be recommended to change tell me. Thanks very much,
From a year ago I had heard of this organization that operates some schools around the globe and people who attend these schools live an amazing and multicultural experience and also get the IB.
....need to explain what IB is.
An year ago I came to know about this organization that operates in some schools across the globe to provide a strong multicultural experience to those who attend them.In January was the preregistration and in March, I travelled from my home city Barquisimeto to the capital city Caracas (about 300 miles) to present a knowledge test, this was the first selection stage.
In January they began the preregistration process and in March I was called to the capital city Caracas, which is about 300 miles from my home city Barquisimeto, to take part in a knowledge test, which was the first step of selection process.