"Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging."
As a kid, I hated going to school and would use any excuse, any opportunity to get out of going and pretending sick more times than I could count. My dad, being a single parent, didn't have the time for my tantrums in his busy morning and let me have my will after just a few feeble protests. The only thing keeping me from savoring my victories was our house maid Laxmi. Like an embodiment of my conscience, she used to nag me all day about how school was important until all the enjoyment of having a whole day for myself seeped out.
Finally, on one such day, I blew up at her and said "If you like school so much, why don't you go?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. But Laxmi gently looked at me and said," I never had the chance." She told me of how she had been married off when she was 13, far below the legal age in our country and had to drop out of school to take care of the household and told me that I was lucky that I had the freedom to study all that I could ever want.
I learned that day how wrong my actions were and how grateful I ought to be for all the things that I had within my grasp. From that day on, school was no longer an obstacle to be avoided but a door to new experiences just waiting to be had.
The next morning, my dad was surprised to see me dressed and ready and out the door with all the necessary pigtails in my hair without the daily dose of dramatics. In the evening, I returned after a visit to the book store. I sat Laxmi down with paper and a pen and pointed to the book in front of me. "Now repeat after me," I said. "A, B, C, D..."
I have to edit a lot of it since its way above the word count, but is it on topic? Please be brutal
As a kid, I hated going to school and would use any excuse, any opportunity to get out of going and pretending sick more times than I could count. My dad, being a single parent, didn't have the time for my tantrums in his busy morning and let me have my will after just a few feeble protests. The only thing keeping me from savoring my victories was our house maid Laxmi. Like an embodiment of my conscience, she used to nag me all day about how school was important until all the enjoyment of having a whole day for myself seeped out.
Finally, on one such day, I blew up at her and said "If you like school so much, why don't you go?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. But Laxmi gently looked at me and said," I never had the chance." She told me of how she had been married off when she was 13, far below the legal age in our country and had to drop out of school to take care of the household and told me that I was lucky that I had the freedom to study all that I could ever want.
I learned that day how wrong my actions were and how grateful I ought to be for all the things that I had within my grasp. From that day on, school was no longer an obstacle to be avoided but a door to new experiences just waiting to be had.
The next morning, my dad was surprised to see me dressed and ready and out the door with all the necessary pigtails in my hair without the daily dose of dramatics. In the evening, I returned after a visit to the book store. I sat Laxmi down with paper and a pen and pointed to the book in front of me. "Now repeat after me," I said. "A, B, C, D..."
I have to edit a lot of it since its way above the word count, but is it on topic? Please be brutal