Topic: There is a Quaker saying: "Let your life speak." Describe the environment in which you were raised-your family, home, neighborhood or community-and how it influenced the person you are today. (Required length 200-250 words)
Essay:
My school (Sacred Heart College) is unique. It isn't focused on that which
schools are normally focused on and as a result is often found in the local
newspaper because of some controversy. For example, during apartheid my
school was one of the first multiracial schools in the country, causing it to
be shunned by much of the academic community.
Sacred Heart students aren't the top achievers in South Africa. The school
doesn't churn out archetypal students who get perfect scores in every test,
like many of the top private schools in South Africa do, but rather produces
people who know who they are and what they're good at.
Sacred Heart has allowed me to learn in my own way, and has provided me with
the tools I needed to learn about what I want for my life. When I was junior
high, my friends and I thought it was a great idea to start a school gaming
club. We approached the head of college, and after some persistence, we were
allowed to try, so long as we run it ourselves. So we did that, and ended up
competing at a national level. Mind you, we were utterly demolished, but at
least I could see that this wasn't the path for me because it took the fun
out of the game.
Sacred Heart has shaped my aspirations by removing all obligations and
expectations, and allowing me to explore myself.
