Please take some time out to read this essay. A friend of mine said that I am generalizing too much, and trying to cover so many points in one essay, if that is the case, please let me know. Also, i am 9 words above the word limit, so any cut recommendation would be great.
Q) Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. (650 Words)
"We'll be there to support you! It doesn't matter if you have minimal knowledge about this issue" assured the trio of girls, as they tried to convince me to speak at an event on the occasion of Kashmir Day. My reluctance to speak on the Kashmir issue was traced to the lack of interest I always had on the issue. I never bothered to form an opinion about the Kashmir conflict or for that matter any other situation which didn't affect me or my family directly. I spent sixteen years of my life in utter ignorance. A major reason for my ignorance was the fact that I had spent sixteen years of my life in a bubble: My home. The fact that I had friends from more or less same cultural backgrounds, who, like me, were rarely opinionated, made my outlook on life unexamined. I never realized my responsibilities towards society. But reality hit me hard when I went on to attend high school abroad.
Mahindra United World College (UWC) provided me an opportunity to participate in dialogues about world issues. UWCs are widely known to bring people from diverse cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds together; the more I interacted, the more I realized that people there had an opinion on everything. Everyone had their own version of the truth, and they argued hard to defend it. Overwhelmed by the environment at my new school, the urge to go back home was not astonishing. So much so that only after two weeks I decided to pack my bags and was ready to go back to Pakistan. With the help of my kind mentor, though, I got on my feet and realized that there was only one way to battle the situation: To find what I stand for? Once a naive teenager, I had to ask myself what kind of a person I want to be? That is the beauty of an ethnically diverse place, that, it compels you to find your version of truth while not losing your unique identity.
Similarly, I didn't have to lose a sense of self to find accord with a Canadian friend, but I had to understand that unlike in Pakistan, for people to drink alcohol in Canada is not uncommon. And I can't declare them wrong because drinking alcohol is a part of their culture. The diversity at UWC not only allowed me to be tolerant toward other cultures, but it widened my horizon to see the world from a different perspective. Even though I haven't found the exact answer to the questions discussed earlier; I know I want to lead a meaningful life which should be of benefit to society and mankind. I want to interact with innumerable people-- people who are different than me, who challenge my ideas and compel me to think critically. I firmly believe that my best teachers are and will be the people who prove me wrong and make me think out of the box.
I never knew spending two years of my life at a hilltop in rural Maharashtra would change my outlook on life. From drowning in a pile of deadlines to sharing a bedroom with complete strangers, MUWCI had hit me with full force-- highs were the highest and lows were the lowest. But both extremes taught me that it is completely fine to fail at times, and allowed me to dream big. A friend once said, "you will not find yourself here, you will lose it, to rebuilt a real life--a life of purpose." I don't know whether I will be able to attain a 'purpose' in my life, but I know that this nineteen-year-old is different than that sixteen-year-old who had no motivation and grey hair to do so.
UWC education has provided me with the insight and enthusiasm to address Kashmir issue and any other issue which our world is facing today, and I am nothing but thankful to have gone through this life altering journey.
Q) Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. (650 Words)
my life in a bubble
"We'll be there to support you! It doesn't matter if you have minimal knowledge about this issue" assured the trio of girls, as they tried to convince me to speak at an event on the occasion of Kashmir Day. My reluctance to speak on the Kashmir issue was traced to the lack of interest I always had on the issue. I never bothered to form an opinion about the Kashmir conflict or for that matter any other situation which didn't affect me or my family directly. I spent sixteen years of my life in utter ignorance. A major reason for my ignorance was the fact that I had spent sixteen years of my life in a bubble: My home. The fact that I had friends from more or less same cultural backgrounds, who, like me, were rarely opinionated, made my outlook on life unexamined. I never realized my responsibilities towards society. But reality hit me hard when I went on to attend high school abroad.
Mahindra United World College (UWC) provided me an opportunity to participate in dialogues about world issues. UWCs are widely known to bring people from diverse cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds together; the more I interacted, the more I realized that people there had an opinion on everything. Everyone had their own version of the truth, and they argued hard to defend it. Overwhelmed by the environment at my new school, the urge to go back home was not astonishing. So much so that only after two weeks I decided to pack my bags and was ready to go back to Pakistan. With the help of my kind mentor, though, I got on my feet and realized that there was only one way to battle the situation: To find what I stand for? Once a naive teenager, I had to ask myself what kind of a person I want to be? That is the beauty of an ethnically diverse place, that, it compels you to find your version of truth while not losing your unique identity.
Similarly, I didn't have to lose a sense of self to find accord with a Canadian friend, but I had to understand that unlike in Pakistan, for people to drink alcohol in Canada is not uncommon. And I can't declare them wrong because drinking alcohol is a part of their culture. The diversity at UWC not only allowed me to be tolerant toward other cultures, but it widened my horizon to see the world from a different perspective. Even though I haven't found the exact answer to the questions discussed earlier; I know I want to lead a meaningful life which should be of benefit to society and mankind. I want to interact with innumerable people-- people who are different than me, who challenge my ideas and compel me to think critically. I firmly believe that my best teachers are and will be the people who prove me wrong and make me think out of the box.
I never knew spending two years of my life at a hilltop in rural Maharashtra would change my outlook on life. From drowning in a pile of deadlines to sharing a bedroom with complete strangers, MUWCI had hit me with full force-- highs were the highest and lows were the lowest. But both extremes taught me that it is completely fine to fail at times, and allowed me to dream big. A friend once said, "you will not find yourself here, you will lose it, to rebuilt a real life--a life of purpose." I don't know whether I will be able to attain a 'purpose' in my life, but I know that this nineteen-year-old is different than that sixteen-year-old who had no motivation and grey hair to do so.
UWC education has provided me with the insight and enthusiasm to address Kashmir issue and any other issue which our world is facing today, and I am nothing but thankful to have gone through this life altering journey.