Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
In my earlier days- throughout most of my teenage years, actually- I resented the quiet and simple nature of my hometown- the tiny village of Leland located on the "baby finger" (Leelanau Peninsula) of Michigan. Leland has a population of about 7,000 during the summer months, while the winter population just barely tops out over 2,000 people.
I frequently wished I could have grown up somewhere urban or exotic- exciting and chock-full of blatantly obvious inspiration. I constantly resented my parents for choosing such a dull place to settle down, imagining myself thriving in the multiculturalism of a metropolitan area, while instead, I found myself surrounded by what I thought were the most average of settings. Feeling trapped by the fields of hay, staring down row after row of cherry trees in perfect lines, and boxed in by the isolating Great Lakes, covered in a monotonous blanket of snow for the better half of the year, I wondered what I had done to deserve such tedium.
But, as of late, I have matured to realize that I have been trained, in a sense, to find the beauty in everything, turning what I once saw as ordinary into extraordinary. I have come to embrace my surroundings, appreciating every small thing around me, realizing that the time I have left in my hometown is quickly running out. Fields of hay have sprouted into amber waves of grain. Repetitive cherry trees have blossomed into beautiful orchards brimming full of adventure. The once isolating lakes covered in harsh sheets of ice have melted into life-giving bodies of water for which I am most grateful.
Although my peers and I have not been blessed with the academic opportunities large high schools offer (my graduating class will consist of approximately 30 students), any Leland Public School student can assure you we definitely make the most of what we are given, not just in the classroom but outside as well. The enchanting ability to discover the beauty in anything that I feel will influence my future decisions and will help shape me into a better, more caring adult capable of enjoying the small and more important things in life.
It is this impeccable ability to discover beauty in common activities and everyday life that has lead me to anthropology. Through various academic courses and photographing as a hobby, I have begun to merge photography and anthropology into one. Although these two extremely different studies might not seem to have anything in common, to me, they go hand-in-hand. How can you take a photograph of a person without capturing who they are, where they've been, or what they are trying to be? Every subject has his or her own personal story, struggle, or tale, and every photograph is taken with the goal of capturing this individual story, of which I simply cannot get enough.
45` 1' 26" N 85` 45' 35" W: Leland, Michigan. Preeminently tattooed not only on my skin, but also in my mind, my heart, my entire being, acting as a mold for not only my past, but also my future. Regardless of where the future takes me, I know the lessons Leland, Michigan has taught me will forever stay with me throughout my upcoming endeavors.
In my earlier days- throughout most of my teenage years, actually- I resented the quiet and simple nature of my hometown- the tiny village of Leland located on the "baby finger" (Leelanau Peninsula) of Michigan. Leland has a population of about 7,000 during the summer months, while the winter population just barely tops out over 2,000 people.
I frequently wished I could have grown up somewhere urban or exotic- exciting and chock-full of blatantly obvious inspiration. I constantly resented my parents for choosing such a dull place to settle down, imagining myself thriving in the multiculturalism of a metropolitan area, while instead, I found myself surrounded by what I thought were the most average of settings. Feeling trapped by the fields of hay, staring down row after row of cherry trees in perfect lines, and boxed in by the isolating Great Lakes, covered in a monotonous blanket of snow for the better half of the year, I wondered what I had done to deserve such tedium.
But, as of late, I have matured to realize that I have been trained, in a sense, to find the beauty in everything, turning what I once saw as ordinary into extraordinary. I have come to embrace my surroundings, appreciating every small thing around me, realizing that the time I have left in my hometown is quickly running out. Fields of hay have sprouted into amber waves of grain. Repetitive cherry trees have blossomed into beautiful orchards brimming full of adventure. The once isolating lakes covered in harsh sheets of ice have melted into life-giving bodies of water for which I am most grateful.
Although my peers and I have not been blessed with the academic opportunities large high schools offer (my graduating class will consist of approximately 30 students), any Leland Public School student can assure you we definitely make the most of what we are given, not just in the classroom but outside as well. The enchanting ability to discover the beauty in anything that I feel will influence my future decisions and will help shape me into a better, more caring adult capable of enjoying the small and more important things in life.
It is this impeccable ability to discover beauty in common activities and everyday life that has lead me to anthropology. Through various academic courses and photographing as a hobby, I have begun to merge photography and anthropology into one. Although these two extremely different studies might not seem to have anything in common, to me, they go hand-in-hand. How can you take a photograph of a person without capturing who they are, where they've been, or what they are trying to be? Every subject has his or her own personal story, struggle, or tale, and every photograph is taken with the goal of capturing this individual story, of which I simply cannot get enough.
45` 1' 26" N 85` 45' 35" W: Leland, Michigan. Preeminently tattooed not only on my skin, but also in my mind, my heart, my entire being, acting as a mold for not only my past, but also my future. Regardless of where the future takes me, I know the lessons Leland, Michigan has taught me will forever stay with me throughout my upcoming endeavors.
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