Just gonna add my other essay too, if people would be so kind to look it over! :)
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 come from the stereotypical American suburb. We are the Sunday morning joggers, the minivans and golden retrievers, the neighbors who welcome you to the street with a fruit basket, and the tipped flowerpots in the police blotter. Our lives are marked with routine and familiarity, our houses perfectly described by the lyrics of Malvina Reynold's "Little Boxes:" "And they're all made out of ticky-tacky, and they all look just the same."
According to Wikipedia, 97.5% of North Reading's population is White. But, I don't need census data to know that the town where I have spent my entire life is not one where diversity blooms. My mom still retells an anecdote from my early childhood where, upon my return to North Reading following my first trip to Taiwan, I looked up at her with wide, three-year-old eyes and asked, "Mom, do we live in the wrong place?"
Growing up, I had always felt that race and culture slightly isolated me from my peers in North Reading. During snack time, I'd get strange looks when I discreetly opened a bag of shrimp crackers instead of the customary peanut butter cookies. On Chinese New Year, I'd sit in my seat, quietly buzzing with excitement about a holiday that only I celebrated. I grew up in an environment where being different was often something I tried to hide.
Today, I am proud of my Asian heritage. After frequent trips to Hong Kong and Taiwan, after many afternoons spent learning the ribbon or fan dance, and after multiple summers volunteering at Asian academic enrichment programs, I came to realize that being of a different heritage was, put simply, kind of awesome. Once I left my North Reading bubble, it became clear that diversity was something to embrace.
Ironically, perhaps it is because conformity was so heavily emphasized in my earlier years, but one of my largest aspirations today is to expose myself to diversity. I find other cultures interesting, and I want to be in an environment that encourages uniqueness. The minivans and flowerpots of North Reading fostered in me a want to travel to new places and see new things. And lastly, the fact that I previously wanted to blend in makes me want to stand out today. I aim to be creative and inventive, and contribute to the community something that's a little different.
(Total word count of both essays combined: 1000 words)
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 come from the stereotypical American suburb. We are the Sunday morning joggers, the minivans and golden retrievers, the neighbors who welcome you to the street with a fruit basket, and the tipped flowerpots in the police blotter. Our lives are marked with routine and familiarity, our houses perfectly described by the lyrics of Malvina Reynold's "Little Boxes:" "And they're all made out of ticky-tacky, and they all look just the same."
According to Wikipedia, 97.5% of North Reading's population is White. But, I don't need census data to know that the town where I have spent my entire life is not one where diversity blooms. My mom still retells an anecdote from my early childhood where, upon my return to North Reading following my first trip to Taiwan, I looked up at her with wide, three-year-old eyes and asked, "Mom, do we live in the wrong place?"
Growing up, I had always felt that race and culture slightly isolated me from my peers in North Reading. During snack time, I'd get strange looks when I discreetly opened a bag of shrimp crackers instead of the customary peanut butter cookies. On Chinese New Year, I'd sit in my seat, quietly buzzing with excitement about a holiday that only I celebrated. I grew up in an environment where being different was often something I tried to hide.
Today, I am proud of my Asian heritage. After frequent trips to Hong Kong and Taiwan, after many afternoons spent learning the ribbon or fan dance, and after multiple summers volunteering at Asian academic enrichment programs, I came to realize that being of a different heritage was, put simply, kind of awesome. Once I left my North Reading bubble, it became clear that diversity was something to embrace.
Ironically, perhaps it is because conformity was so heavily emphasized in my earlier years, but one of my largest aspirations today is to expose myself to diversity. I find other cultures interesting, and I want to be in an environment that encourages uniqueness. The minivans and flowerpots of North Reading fostered in me a want to travel to new places and see new things. And lastly, the fact that I previously wanted to blend in makes me want to stand out today. I aim to be creative and inventive, and contribute to the community something that's a little different.
(Total word count of both essays combined: 1000 words)
