Is it too abstract or far fetched? Can you get a good understanding of who I am and what I can possibly bring to the college community? Thank you for your time.
I tried to combine Plato's concept of the cave and answer it to the prompt: A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
Plato's profound Allegory of the Cave made a lasting impression on me as a sophomore when introduced to it in English class. The allegory itself was new to me: the flickering shadows on the cave wall representing severely limited experience and knowledge, the way the people were strapped in a chair unable to move their necks and were limited in communication, and the bewilderment of the lucky one who had the chance to escape and was able to experience the sun, the world outside the cave, but was unable to convey the phenomenon of what he saw to the naturally ignorant people with their long guarded beliefs. I understood the concept; it dawned on me how our views of the world are largely confined to our experiences, to what we choose to believe and who we choose to associate with. Our "worlds" I realized, are entirely perceptual and can easily change, depending on our experiences with other people and cultures, with ideas and knowledge. The people in Plato's cave were true prisoners: constrained by cultural chains that prevent a genuine realization of the truth, of the greater and more complex world. The sad part was that the prisoners were content to live in ignorance-forever. To escape the confines of ignorance and mental stagnation, diversity: beliefs, perspectives, ideas and experiences outside of the known, is necessary. Diversity does not just enrich the educational environment but is crucial for personal development and for the expansion of our delicate worlds. Overcoming personal and cultural condition and habits, breaking through comfort zones to reach out to other worlds seem to me the ways to true self-growth and enlightenment.
As someone who has experienced much of the country, attended three different high schools from coast to coast, lived in over five states and traveled to and through fifteen, I can appreciate this concept of diversity because it is responsible for my personal development. I was born in a remote town in Latvia, but was destined to be exposed to a great nation, one so diverse that its people or lands cannot be defined. My American story began when two young Russian immigrants brought me, a mere infant, to the United States when pursuing higher education. Since settling down, my parents had adjusted to speaking predominantly English with my sister and me. I was lucky to maintain the language and link to my Russian world, partly as a result of both of my grandmothers' sojourns to our homes. Soon, I became the one to initiate Russian conversations with my parents during my grandmothers' absences, for fear of losing this precious link. While some may feel shame and try to purposely suppress their cultural qualities for the sake of assimilation, I swell with pride when singled out in class to pronounce my unique last name, or when presented with an opportunity to put my bilingualism to the test and communicate with an elderly 'babushka' in Hollywood in need of quick translation.
Of course this clash and integration of ideas and perceptual worlds is not without conflict or pain. Our tendency to remain in the known and comfortable, like the prisoners of Plato's Cave, and repel and even degrade what is unknown or different is the main obstacle to accepting diversity. In the same English class, an American boy teased me and with contempt, dubbed me as a Communist, solely based on my Russian heritage. We almost did not make it here. Friends tried to deter my father from entering America, wondering why he would want to go to an unfamiliar country with no connections, no money, not even a basic knowledge of English. My mother, who could not form a coherent sentence of English at the time, hated the country and was eager to return home, to the familiar homeland. Today, both of my parents have mastered English, attained college degrees, and have strong ties to the country and the American culture.
I myself have radically grown since my freshman year of high school. High school has provided me with fodder to challenge and stretch my mental capabilities, to synthesize broad ideas and concepts that before were completely foreign to me. My academics have truly broadened my horizons, encouraging me to view my world differently than before. My experiences with the vast amount of people I have collided with, each with their own perspectives, collection of experiences and memories, beliefs and ideas. Wise teachers, insightful friends and acquaintances from all backgrounds, the many regions of the country, have all shaped my world.
Granted, my world is still limited. This is why I want to go to college; I know there is so much out there for me, there are people who I must meet and understand, there are countries I must experience through study abroad programs, languages I must learn and practice to open more doors, and cultures I must understand and explore, books to read of all topics, and concepts and ideas to challenge my mind, all to enrich my knowledge and my expand my perception of the world. Similarly, I offer my own diversity to the college community with my unique background, perspectives, and experiences. The beam of light that I have glimpsed has made me want nothing more than to break free and see the sun.
I tried to combine Plato's concept of the cave and answer it to the prompt: A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
Plato's profound Allegory of the Cave made a lasting impression on me as a sophomore when introduced to it in English class. The allegory itself was new to me: the flickering shadows on the cave wall representing severely limited experience and knowledge, the way the people were strapped in a chair unable to move their necks and were limited in communication, and the bewilderment of the lucky one who had the chance to escape and was able to experience the sun, the world outside the cave, but was unable to convey the phenomenon of what he saw to the naturally ignorant people with their long guarded beliefs. I understood the concept; it dawned on me how our views of the world are largely confined to our experiences, to what we choose to believe and who we choose to associate with. Our "worlds" I realized, are entirely perceptual and can easily change, depending on our experiences with other people and cultures, with ideas and knowledge. The people in Plato's cave were true prisoners: constrained by cultural chains that prevent a genuine realization of the truth, of the greater and more complex world. The sad part was that the prisoners were content to live in ignorance-forever. To escape the confines of ignorance and mental stagnation, diversity: beliefs, perspectives, ideas and experiences outside of the known, is necessary. Diversity does not just enrich the educational environment but is crucial for personal development and for the expansion of our delicate worlds. Overcoming personal and cultural condition and habits, breaking through comfort zones to reach out to other worlds seem to me the ways to true self-growth and enlightenment.
As someone who has experienced much of the country, attended three different high schools from coast to coast, lived in over five states and traveled to and through fifteen, I can appreciate this concept of diversity because it is responsible for my personal development. I was born in a remote town in Latvia, but was destined to be exposed to a great nation, one so diverse that its people or lands cannot be defined. My American story began when two young Russian immigrants brought me, a mere infant, to the United States when pursuing higher education. Since settling down, my parents had adjusted to speaking predominantly English with my sister and me. I was lucky to maintain the language and link to my Russian world, partly as a result of both of my grandmothers' sojourns to our homes. Soon, I became the one to initiate Russian conversations with my parents during my grandmothers' absences, for fear of losing this precious link. While some may feel shame and try to purposely suppress their cultural qualities for the sake of assimilation, I swell with pride when singled out in class to pronounce my unique last name, or when presented with an opportunity to put my bilingualism to the test and communicate with an elderly 'babushka' in Hollywood in need of quick translation.
Of course this clash and integration of ideas and perceptual worlds is not without conflict or pain. Our tendency to remain in the known and comfortable, like the prisoners of Plato's Cave, and repel and even degrade what is unknown or different is the main obstacle to accepting diversity. In the same English class, an American boy teased me and with contempt, dubbed me as a Communist, solely based on my Russian heritage. We almost did not make it here. Friends tried to deter my father from entering America, wondering why he would want to go to an unfamiliar country with no connections, no money, not even a basic knowledge of English. My mother, who could not form a coherent sentence of English at the time, hated the country and was eager to return home, to the familiar homeland. Today, both of my parents have mastered English, attained college degrees, and have strong ties to the country and the American culture.
I myself have radically grown since my freshman year of high school. High school has provided me with fodder to challenge and stretch my mental capabilities, to synthesize broad ideas and concepts that before were completely foreign to me. My academics have truly broadened my horizons, encouraging me to view my world differently than before. My experiences with the vast amount of people I have collided with, each with their own perspectives, collection of experiences and memories, beliefs and ideas. Wise teachers, insightful friends and acquaintances from all backgrounds, the many regions of the country, have all shaped my world.
Granted, my world is still limited. This is why I want to go to college; I know there is so much out there for me, there are people who I must meet and understand, there are countries I must experience through study abroad programs, languages I must learn and practice to open more doors, and cultures I must understand and explore, books to read of all topics, and concepts and ideas to challenge my mind, all to enrich my knowledge and my expand my perception of the world. Similarly, I offer my own diversity to the college community with my unique background, perspectives, and experiences. The beam of light that I have glimpsed has made me want nothing more than to break free and see the sun.
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