Prompt: 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.
I'm not sure if my response to this prompt is what UC will accept =/ Some people have said things like "this is fine because that's your world right now and has been for a while" - and others say that "they want family or community background, things you grew up with". I figured the prompt was worded broadly enough for my topic to fit...
Any feedback would be eternally appreciated!
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When I was twelve years old, a friend from school introduced me to the overwhelming and thrilling world of "k-pop". Korean music did not quite appeal to me at first, but soon enough the fast-paced entertainment had sung its way into my life and heart. My world was transformed as I delved into a deliciously foreign experience, and my true ambitions were dramatically altered.
Coming from strict Indian families, my parents were initially quite unpleased with my foray into a very new realm. People around me did not understand my seemingly random fascination with Asian music, and I was constantly made fun of for appreciating something that to them was bizarre and awkward. Despite the lack of acceptance, I decided that I would not hide my k-pop affairs in shame, but rather use them to positively influence my life and those of others.
At school, I co-founded the Asian Cultural Exchange club, through which I reached out to the students that were willing to expand their horizons as well. My parents and peers warmed up and began to support my endeavors when they realized how much more focused my goals had become. I fell urgently and irreversibly in love with the idea of positively transforming others' perceptions of foreign cultures. Going to events like the Korean Music Festival fuelled my ambition to facilitate awareness and share my love of k-pop with the world. I would like to someday run a travel agency through which I can bridge cultural divides by allowing everyone to transcend their societal, cultural, and traditional boundaries - just as I had done when I turned to Asian music as an unconventional outlet for expression.
K-pop has made me realize that when I go out in the world, I will help people because I do not want them to conform. To be restricted by the expectations of society would tear me apart. Just as Korean and other foreign music have given me the opportunity to express myself shamelessly, I would like to provide the less privileged with journeys into such beautifully unconventional worlds. Everyone deserves to be free in their beliefs, curiosities, and knowledge - and I want to promote that as much as possible. If ever I give someone that sense of freedom, even for a fleeting yet cherished moment, I will feel worthwhile. These days, some still call me a "wannabe", but I know that I am just lucky enough to have found passion and direction in a very unlikely, yet exhilarating environment. As I sit here in my room listening to the latest k-pop release on my iPod, posters of famous Asian celebrities crookedly taped on the wall, I hungrily anticipate the cultural wonders that life has to offer - and that I will use to carve a place in my diverse and changing world.
I'm not sure if my response to this prompt is what UC will accept =/ Some people have said things like "this is fine because that's your world right now and has been for a while" - and others say that "they want family or community background, things you grew up with". I figured the prompt was worded broadly enough for my topic to fit...
Any feedback would be eternally appreciated!
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When I was twelve years old, a friend from school introduced me to the overwhelming and thrilling world of "k-pop". Korean music did not quite appeal to me at first, but soon enough the fast-paced entertainment had sung its way into my life and heart. My world was transformed as I delved into a deliciously foreign experience, and my true ambitions were dramatically altered.
Coming from strict Indian families, my parents were initially quite unpleased with my foray into a very new realm. People around me did not understand my seemingly random fascination with Asian music, and I was constantly made fun of for appreciating something that to them was bizarre and awkward. Despite the lack of acceptance, I decided that I would not hide my k-pop affairs in shame, but rather use them to positively influence my life and those of others.
At school, I co-founded the Asian Cultural Exchange club, through which I reached out to the students that were willing to expand their horizons as well. My parents and peers warmed up and began to support my endeavors when they realized how much more focused my goals had become. I fell urgently and irreversibly in love with the idea of positively transforming others' perceptions of foreign cultures. Going to events like the Korean Music Festival fuelled my ambition to facilitate awareness and share my love of k-pop with the world. I would like to someday run a travel agency through which I can bridge cultural divides by allowing everyone to transcend their societal, cultural, and traditional boundaries - just as I had done when I turned to Asian music as an unconventional outlet for expression.
K-pop has made me realize that when I go out in the world, I will help people because I do not want them to conform. To be restricted by the expectations of society would tear me apart. Just as Korean and other foreign music have given me the opportunity to express myself shamelessly, I would like to provide the less privileged with journeys into such beautifully unconventional worlds. Everyone deserves to be free in their beliefs, curiosities, and knowledge - and I want to promote that as much as possible. If ever I give someone that sense of freedom, even for a fleeting yet cherished moment, I will feel worthwhile. These days, some still call me a "wannabe", but I know that I am just lucky enough to have found passion and direction in a very unlikely, yet exhilarating environment. As I sit here in my room listening to the latest k-pop release on my iPod, posters of famous Asian celebrities crookedly taped on the wall, I hungrily anticipate the cultural wonders that life has to offer - and that I will use to carve a place in my diverse and changing world.
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