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The pandemic struck suddenly. In mere days, my city entered a stage-4 lockdown, my school and dance classes closed, but when my family business shut down, I realized the gravity of the situation, especially how badly it'll affect people who live hand-to-mouth. I had recently started exploring sustainable fashion and I decided to sell my clothes online and donate all of the amount I earned. There wasn't much to lose. However, in India, there's a lot of stigma against second-hand clothing and additionally with covid, there were a lot of obstacles. People were reluctant to buy worn clothes and scared of being scammed. On the small amounts of orders that I got, either the shipping rates were really high or the post offices were shut. Moreover, I hadn't considered the costs of sanitizing the clothes and packages. However, I was stubborn and kept my page up; consistently posting the recent trends, promoting my page and utilizing instagram's tools. In a month, my followers grew from 156 to 3400 and I currently have 10,056 followers. We've managed to raise more than $1950 profit for people who have been affected by covid by providing them with food and basic necessities. This experience taught me how to be selfless, giving me a reality check on the privilege that I have and that I can use it to help others. I had thought that in order to raise any amount or bring a change in such difficult times, I'm going to have to invest a lot or do something on a grand scale however this experience taught me that regardless of whatever war we are fighting, perseverance is extremely important.

The pandemic struck suddenly. In mere days, my city entered a stage-4 lockdown, my school and dance classes closed, but when my family business shut down, I realized the gravity of the situation, especially how badly it'll affect people who live hand-to-mouth. I had recently started exploring sustainable fashion and I decided to sell my clothes online and donate all the amount I earned. There wasn't much to lose. However, in India, there's a lot of stigma against second-hand clothing and additionally with covid, there were a lot of obstacles. People were reluctant to buy worn clothes and scared of being scammed. On the small amounts of orders that I got, either the shipping rates were really high or the post offices were shut. Moreover, I hadn't considered the costs of sanitizing the clothes and packages. However, I was stubborn and kept my page up; consistently posting the recent trends, promoting my page and utilizing Instagram's tools. In a month, my followers grew from 156 to 3400, and I currently have 10,056 followers. We've managed to raise more than $1950 profit for people who have been affected by covid by providing them with food and necessities. This experience taught me how to be selfless, giving me a reality check on the privilege that I have and that I can use it to help others. I had thought that in order to raise any amount or bring a change in such difficult times, I'm going to have to invest a lot or do something on a grand scale however this experience taught me that regardless of whatever war we are fighting, perseverance is extremely important.

I thought I was playing the best squash I had ever played, I was ranked 4th nationally, training to represent India but everything changed. I tore my ACL for the first time; July 14, 2016. For a few days, I was frustrated, angry, bitter but I was always resolved to get better until July 16th, 2017, a year later. I tore my ACL again and had to undergo another surgery. That's when I gave up. I had lost all routine and I felt unaware of what defined me. Soon, I became a guru of procrastination and a philosopher of self-pity. Until one day, I felt this irrefutable yearning to visit the squash court. Looking at the court reminded me of how squash had shaped me into the disciplined, dedicated person I used to be and I realized I have never been a quitter. Hours with my physiotherapist increased, training became longer and I focused all my energy into balancing squash with academics. This experience made me resilient, teaching me that although having a plan is good, when things don't turn out how I want them to, I need to be strong enough to find an alternative and make it work.

I thought I was playing the best squash I had ever played, I was ranked 4th nationally, training to represent India but everything changed. I tore my ACL for the first time; July 14, 2016. For a few days, I was frustrated, angry, bitter, but I was always resolved to get better until July 16th, 2017, a year later. I tore my ACL again and had to undergo another surgery. That's when I gave up. I had lost all routine and I felt unaware of what defined me. Soon, I became a guru of procrastination and a philosopher of self-pity. Until one day, I felt this irrefutable yearning to visit the squash court. Looking at the court reminded me of how squash had shaped me into the disciplined, dedicated person I used to be, and I realized I have never been a quitter. Hours with my physiotherapist increased, training became longer, and I focused all my energy into balancing squash with academics. This experience made me resilient, teaching me that although having a plan is good, when things don't turn out how I want them to, I need to be strong enough to find an alternative and make it work.

For years, expectations forced unto me governed the way I thought about myself. Creating art has allowed me to create a new beauty standard. Through art, I have regained control of my self-image, without the influence of others. I grew up in an ethnically mixed household. My father was born in Egypt and my mother in Poland. From a young age, my dad would encourage me to eat more than I could handle. He wanted me to be "kalbozah", the Arabic word for chubby. In Egypt, being chubby meant you were affluent and healthy. We would regularly make trips together to the health food store where he would buy me appetite pills. But every time bikini season was around the corner, like clockwork, my mom would display her dissatisfaction with her body. And every Spring, she would starve off the extra pounds gained from the holidays. She teases me, calling me "szczypiorek", the Polish word for green onion - implying I was tall and skinny, like the plant. My weight and body image is a continuous conversation between my family and I. Throughout my childhood, I used fashion as a tool to help me cope with my insecurities. I wore baggy clothes I could hide behind or something vibrant to make myself seen. I struggled to pick out my 5th-grade graduation dress because there was always something wrong with it. Either my dad had a problem with its length, or it was too tight for my mom's standards. I was expected to uphold everyone's expectations within one dress. As a young adolescent, when my body image became increasingly dictated by social expectations of weight, fashion turned into a challenge instead of a coping mechanism. Rather than provide me with an outlet or a relief, fashion made me overly fixated on my body. As a young child, I never had a problem with the way I looked. I was comfortable playing sports, hugging my friends, and making art. This state was interrupted by my adolescence, which is marred by insecurity, like many other teenage girls. Every insecurity I had was taught to me by someone in my life who criticized me. I realized my greatest flaw was becoming fixated on my insecurities. This negative cycle was something I didn't want to bring with me into adulthood. Tasked with unlearning my insecurities, I turned to art. My art was a place I could feel comfortable, honest and vulnerable. At my art program in high school, I was surrounded by other young people for whom art provided a similar relief. Learning and creating alongside them gave me a deep appreciation for the inspiration that an inspired community provides. With my fashion design, I left behind the beauty standard I grew up learning and created a new one where I fit the criteria. Dropping those standards completely, and doing only what felt natural helped me to feel like me. My art is an extension of myself and an expression of myself. My work repairs my relationship with my body by emphasizing my insecurities in a beautiful way. By reinforcing individuality, I expand the boundaries in women's fashion. I found a liberating capacity for self-expression within fashion. I hope my artwork encourages others to do the same. My relationship with my artwork has been incredibly influential in my self-confidence and body image. It has rewritten my approach to loving myself and others in their entirety. Every day, I will carry this newfound sense of confidence with me.

For years, expectations forced unto me governed the way I thought about myself. Creating art has allowed me to create a new beauty standard. Through art, I have regained control of my self-image, without the influence of others. I grew up in an ethnically mixed household. My father was born in Egypt and my mother in Poland. From a young age, my dad would encourage me to eat more than I could handle. He wanted me to be "Balboa", the Arabic word for chubby. In Egypt, being chubby meant you were affluent and healthy. We would regularly make trips together to the health food store where he would buy me appetite pills. But every time bikini season was around the corner, like clockwork, my mom would display her dissatisfaction with her body. And every Spring, she would starve off the extra pounds gained from the holidays. She teases me, calling me "szczypiorek", the Polish word for green onion - implying I was tall and skinny, like the plant. My weight and body image is a continuous conversation between my family and I. Throughout my childhood, I used fashion as a tool to help me cope with my insecurities. I wore baggy clothes I could hide behind or something vibrant to make myself seen. I struggled to pick out my 5th-grade graduation dress because there was always something wrong with it. Either my dad had a problem with its length, or it was too tight for my mom's standards. I was expected to uphold everyone's expectations within one dress. As a young adolescent, when my body image became increasingly dictated by social expectations of weight, fashion turned into a challenge instead of a coping mechanism. Rather than provide me with an outlet or a relief, fashion made me overly fixated on my body. As a young child, I never had a problem with the way I looked. I was comfortable playing sports, hugging my friends, and making art. This state was interrupted by my adolescence, which is marred by insecurity, like many other teenage girls. Every insecurity I had was taught to me by someone in my life who criticized me. I realized my greatest flaw was becoming fixated on my insecurities. This negative cycle was something I didn't want to bring with me into adulthood. Tasked with unlearning my insecurities, I turned to art. My art was a place I could feel comfortable, honest and vulnerable. At my art program in high school, I was surrounded by other young people for whom art provided a similar relief. Learning and creating alongside them gave me a deep appreciation for the inspiration that an inspired community provides. With my fashion design, I left behind the beauty standard I grew up learning and created a new one where I fit the criteria. Dropping those standards completely, and doing only what felt natural helped me to feel like me. My art is an extension of myself and an expression of myself. My work repairs my relationship with my body by emphasizing my insecurities in a beautiful way. By reinforcing individuality, I expand the boundaries in women's fashion. I found a liberating capacity for self-expression within fashion. I hope my artwork encourages others to do the same. My relationship with my artwork has been incredibly influential in my self-confidence and body image. It has rewritten my approach to loving myself and others in their entirety. Every day, I will carry this newfound sense of confidence with me.

A picture of 12 women in bodysuits with toned arms and athlete bodies cheering after receiving awards has made me fall in love with Wellesley. Walking along the Sai Gon Riverbank, I imagine the fierceness and unison that the boat-mates in Blue Crew would bring to me in every practice before the NCCA National Championship. For me, waking up every morning at 4:18 AM to learn how to row in Lake Waban would be a gift to see the beauty of the lake and immerse in the winning-spirit at Wellesley. But I don't see the rowing in the lake is only the way to build up my muscle or feel belongs to a community, my heart has found the syntonization when founding the emphasis in "mindfulness and trying to find the flow" in every row lessons which were delivered by Coach Tessa. From this view, I see that rowing at Wellesley is more like art than sports. Maria Iannotti '20 - a member of the crew has said that "strive not for "success" but for excellence". Participating in Blue Crew would push me to go further my limits, sharpen my mind and body to be ready to spark in the future. While searching for the information about Wellesley, I've come up with fear when imagining the first time living alone in a foreign country. But I relieved after finding Counterpoint - the monthly journal of campus life and also is what I called Wellesley 101. Being an international student at Wellesley, what would I do to save one of the most meaningful memories in my life? Truly captivated by each story shared by each Wendy, I imagine one day I will submit a post about a day of myself which will make people feel astonished and understand more about the feelings and perspectives of a Vietnamese international student. I want to send these posts to my family and friends in Vietnam and other countries, to keep in touch and let them not be worried about my decisions. Writing is the way I choose to record my days in the US, to find hope to move on and overcome challenges. In some ways, when I could write then I could feel my confidence gets back. Writing is a big challenge for a foreigner and when I overcome it, there would be no reasons to be scared of it anymore.

A picture of 12 women in bodysuits with toned arms and athlete bodies cheering after receiving awards has made me fall in love with Wellesley. Walking along the SAI On Riverbank, I imagine the fierceness and unison that the boat-mates in Blue Crew would bring to me in every practice before the NCAA National Championship. For me, waking up every morning at 4:18 AM to learn how to row in Lake Laban would be a gift to see the beauty of the lake and immerse in the winning-spirit at Wellesley. But I don't see the rowing in the lake is only the way to build up my muscle or feel belongs to a community, my heart has found the cantonization when founding the emphasis in "mindfulness and trying to find the flow" in every row lessons which were delivered by Coach Tessa. From this view, I see that rowing at Wellesley is more like art than sports. Maria Cannot '20 - a member of the crew has said that "strive not for "success" but for excellence". Participating in Blue Crew would push me to go further my limits, sharpen my mind and body to be ready to spark in the future. While searching for the information about Wellesley, I've come up with fear when imagining the first time living alone in a foreign country. But I relieved after finding Counterpoint - the monthly journal of campus life and also is what I called Wellesley 101. Being an international student at Wellesley, what would I do to save one of the most meaningful memories in my life? Truly captivated by each story shared by each Wendy, I imagine one day I will submit a post about a day of myself which will make people feel astonished and understand more about the feelings and perspectives of a Vietnamese international student. I want to send these posts to my family and friends in Vietnam and other countries, to keep in touch and let them not be worried about my decisions. Writing is the way I choose to record my days in the US, to find hope to move on and overcome challenges. In some ways, when I could write then I could feel my confidence gets back. Writing is a big challenge for a foreigner and when I overcome it, there would be no reasons to be scared of it anymore.

Famed philosopher Nietzsche (or Kelly Clarkson, depending on who you ask) once wrote the famous words: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." This quote has become rather cliché in recent history but still holds its significance nonetheless. The idea that one should take failure as an opportunity to build strength is an important one, one that resonated with me when I encountered failure while trying to solve a problem. "What was the problem?" you might ask. Let's talk about it. The problem in question fell onto my radar while my friends talked about the classes they planned on taking their junior year. I heard the usual. AP this, honors that. But there were two classes I was surprised to hear nobody mentioning: the computer science classes, and when I suggested one of my friends take them, he gave me a somewhat unexpected response: AP CSP is one of my favorite high school classes, so this response surprised me. But it also got me wondering: who else feels this way? So, I decided to conduct a mini-survey via Instagram Stories (very scientific, I know) and received many insightful responses. It turned out that numerous people at my school wanted to learn how to program but found it too boring or too hard, and since my personal experience with coding has been really fun, this didn't sit right with me. So, I decided to take the initiative and do something about it. My solution was to start a club: Berkley Hack Club (BHC), the club where anybody can learn to code (the fun way). The idea behind BHC is to teach code in a more fun, easily understandable way. The computer science classes in my school focus more on abstract programming concepts than programming itself. It's way easier and fun to learn how to code by making a game versus learning about what loops and variables are. That is the core methodology behind BHC: learning by doing. Of course, this was just an idea. The real challenge was making it a reality. The first step in starting BHC was registering the club with my school. Easy enough. The next step was the real hurdle: getting people to join. I started hanging up flyers, handing out stickers, and convincing random people in the hallways to join my club, which was extremely uncomfortable for me. I was somewhat of a reserved person at the time, so it felt weird going up to people I didn't know, practically begging them to join BHC. But, I eventually became more comfortable (and less awkward) talking to new people and even made a few friends. After two weeks of trying to find initial members, I felt prepared enough to hold the first meeting. On the day of the meeting, I sat down in my chair, expecting a sizable turnout. A few people walked in at first, but reality started to set in as time on the clock ticked away. Nobody else was showing up. I held out hope for an hour before finally deciding to call off the meeting. The wave of sadness that came over me that day was immeasurable. I felt like an absolute failure. Although devastating, I'm glad the meeting flopped because it taught me an essential life lesson: don't fear failure. My fear of failure ultimately hindered BHC's potential because I focused more on "success" than BHC's mission of teaching people to code. Upon this realization, I entirely changed the approach I took towards growing BHC. Instead of focusing on marketing, I focused on the experience, striving to make BHC the most exciting club at my school. Once I did that, I saw BHC go from 3 to 15+ members in only two meetings. Ironically, failing turned out to be the best solution to the problem I was tackling.

Famed philosopher Nietzsche (or Kelly Clarkson, depending on who you ask) once wrote the famous words: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." This quote has become rather cliché in recent history but still holds its significance nonetheless. The idea that one should take failure as an opportunity to build strength is an important one, one that resonated with me when I encountered failure while trying to solve a problem. "What was the problem?" you might ask. Let's talk about it. The problem in question fell onto my radar while my friends talked about the classes they planned on taking their junior year. I heard the usual. AP this, honors that. But there were two classes I was surprised to hear nobody mentioning: the computer science classes, and when I suggested one of my friends take them, he gave me a somewhat unexpected response: AP CSP is one of my favorite high school classes, so this response surprised me. But it also got me wondering: who else feels this way? So, I decided to conduct a mini-survey via Instagram Stories (very scientific, I know) and received many insightful responses. It turned out that numerous people at my school wanted to learn how to program but found it too boring or too hard, and since my personal experience with coding has been really fun, this didn't sit right with me. So, I decided to take the initiative and do something about it. My solution was to start a club: Berkley Hack Club (BHC), the club where anybody can learn to code (the fun way). The idea behind BHC is to teach code in a more fun, easily understandable way. The computer science classes in my school focus more on abstract programming concepts than programming itself. It's way easier and fun to learn how to code by making a game versus learning about what loops and variables are. That is the core methodology behind BHC: learning by doing. Of course, this was just an idea. The real challenge was making it a reality. The first step in starting BHC was registering the club with my school. Easy enough. The next step was the real hurdle: getting people to join. I started hanging up flyers, handing out stickers, and convincing random people in the hallways to join my club, which was extremely uncomfortable for me. I was somewhat of a reserved person at the time, so it felt weird going up to people I didn't know, practically begging them to join BHC. But, I eventually became more comfortable (and less awkward) talking to new people and even made a few friends. After two weeks of trying to find initial members, I felt prepared enough to hold the first meeting. On the day of the meeting, I sat down in my chair, expecting a sizable turnout. A few people walked in at first, but reality started to set in as time on the clock ticked away. Nobody else was showing up. I held out hope for an hour before finally deciding to call off the meeting. The wave of sadness that came over me that day was immeasurable. I felt like an absolute failure. Although devastating, I'm glad the meeting flopped because it taught me an essential life lesson: don't fear failure. My fear of failure ultimately hindered BHC's potential because I focused more on "success" than BHC's mission of teaching people to code. Upon this realization, I entirely changed the approach I took towards growing BHC. Instead of focusing on marketing, I focused on the experience, striving to make BHC the most exciting club at my school. Once I did that, I saw BHC go from 3 to 15+ members in only two meetings. Ironically, failing turned out to be the best solution to the problem I was tackling.

I was born in Vietnam and move to Canada at the age of 14. Growing up and going to school in Canada was a great challenge for me due to cultural and language differences. I was having difficulty adapting to the new environment and open myself up to others. Over the years, I was able to overcome these struggles and it has shape who I am today and how other people perceive me as. My family and peers would perceive me as a determined and hardworking individual. When facing difficult situations, I took the time to reflect on my actions and plans out the next steps. It gives me a sense of understanding of where I am on my track to help me stay committed and work hard to reach the finish line. Becoming a part of my school community was a goal I set out to achieve in my high school years. By engaging in clubs such as Me to We, Leadership, and Avid, I have the opportunity to make new friends, be more outgoing, and to give back to my community. I took on many leadership roles and put all my effort in to improve the school's life by organizing fundraisers and help teachers run events. I'm proud that I have reached the goal I set out and I have growth and learn from it. By having a strong mindset to work hard with a clear goal in mind, I believe that anything is possible to achieve.

I was born in Vietnam and move to Canada at the age of 14. Growing up and going to school in Canada was a great challenge for me due to cultural and language differences. I was having difficulty adapting to the new environment and open myself up to others. Over the years, I was able to overcome these struggles, and it has shape who I am today and how other people perceive me as. My family and peers would perceive me as a determined and hardworking individual. When facing difficult situations, I took the time to reflect on my actions and plans out the next steps. It gives me a sense of understanding of where I am on my track to help me stay committed and work hard to reach the finish line. Becoming a part of my school community was a goal I set out to achieve in my high school years. By engaging in clubs such as Me to We, Leadership, and Avid, I have the opportunity to make new friends, be more outgoing, and to give back to my community. I took on many leadership roles and put all my effort in to improve the school's life by organizing fundraisers and help teachers run events. I'm proud that I have reached the goal I set out, and I have growth and learn from it. By having a strong mindset to work hard with a clear goal in mind, I believe that anything is possible to achieve.

I sat in the backseat of a car, sandwiched between two girls from a private school, on our way to Ontake-jinja shrine near Osaka, Japan. Moments after our homestay mother briefed us on the historical significance of the site, the vehicle unexpectedly halted. We piled out, then registered the situation at hand: the hood of the car was deeply wedged into four feet of compact, glistening snow. That is how I found myself 10, 000 feet above ground on February 15, 2017 - stranded, freezing, and petrified on a mountainous volcano in Osaka, Japan. Reflecting on my early childhood, I was engulfed by this same sense of frigid fear and isolation. My strongest memory from elementary was standing in the cafeteria, lunch tray in hand, wondering why those girls were so cold when they flatly denied me a place at their table. As rejections like this became commonplace, I'd chalk them up to me not fitting in. The girls in the cafeteria were fair, blonde, and blue eyed - cute in a way I never could be. These feelings alienated me throughout elementary and then through junior high, where I hesitated to join student government because I felt abnormal amidst a room full of girls like those in that cafeteria. My low self-esteem extended far beyond appearance. At six years old, when I was in a car accident that shattered my kneecap, with the corresponding surgery indebting my family, I became resentful at our finances for depriving us of basic care. After this, I was increasingly aware of the luxuries and privileges other students possessed that we didn't. When picked last for a PE team or excluded from a birthday party, I'd feel my dark skin or my wardrobe's lack of Hollister clothes were to blame. Too anxious to pursue the choir and leadership groups my school offered, my freshman year of highschool, I gravitated to the quiet atmosphere of the empty choral room to study; one day, the director, Mrs. Hall suggested I attend the first meeting afterschool that evening. I was hesitant at first, but she eventually chipped away my resolve. That evening, I meekly opened the doors to the once familiar, but now daunting, choral room. Drawing in nearly thirty people from a spectrum of different 'cliques' at our school, the room was filled with diverse, excited students who all appeared as nervous as I. In that same meeting, students shared jokes and stories with each other and the longer I was there, the more my anxiety melted away. Corresponding practices were just as welcoming. My experience in this dynamic space of affirmation and engagement shaped me into a more confident person. After joining choir, I felt my capabilities double in size. Equipped with this newfound confidence, I initiated my school's first global affairs club to encourage discussion about issues plaguing communities around the world. The club, with its mosaic of ideologies, races and faiths, not only stimulated honest discourse that added new facets to our knowledge as a small community, but also provided a warm environment for people who may not have fit in elsewhere. I strive to continue this devotion to increase multiculturalism, promote diversity, and make other students feel welcome. By expanding my comfort zone, I realized my previous self-victimization was stagnating my progress. The girls in that cafeteria may not have wanted me to sit with them, but that wasn't indicative of my worth and capabilities. Exposing myself to an unfamiliar environment ultimately shaped me into a friend, classmate, and student who expands perspectives, is willing to be challenged, and takes action. On February 15, 2017, on top of Mount Ontake, I needed the help of others - we utilized our collective strength to dislodge the vehicle and escape our situation. Joining choir helped me gain the confidence I needed to expand my comfort zone and the experience in Japan was much the same. By opening myself to others, I could leave the freezing, isolating mountains behind for the warm communities I'd built at school.

I sat in the backseat of a car, sandwiched between two girls from a private school, on our way to Ontake-jinja shrine near Osaka, Japan. Moments after our homestay mother briefed us on the historical significance of the site, the vehicle unexpectedly halted. We piled out, then registered the situation at hand: the hood of the car was deeply wedged into four feet of compact, glistening snow. That is how I found myself 10, 000 feet above ground on February 15, 2017 - stranded, freezing, and petrified on a mountainous volcano in Osaka, Japan. Reflecting on my early childhood, I was engulfed by this same sense of frigid fear and isolation. My strongest memory from elementary was standing in the cafeteria, lunch tray in hand, wondering why those girls were so cold when they flatly denied me a place at their table. As rejections like this became commonplace, I'd chalk them up to me not fitting in. The girls in the cafeteria were fair, blonde, and blue-eyed - cute in a way I never could be. These feelings alienated me throughout elementary and then through junior high, where I hesitated to join student government because I felt abnormal amidst a room full of girls like those in that cafeteria. My low self-esteem extended far beyond appearance. At six years old, when I was in a car accident that shattered my kneecap, with the corresponding surgery indenting my family, I became resentful at our finances for depriving us of basic care. After this, I was increasingly aware of the luxuries and privileges other students possessed that we didn't. When picked last for a PE team or excluded from a birthday party, I'd feel my dark skin or my wardrobe's lack of Hollister clothes were to blame. Too anxious to pursue the choir and leadership groups my school offered, my freshman year of high school, I gravitated to the quiet atmosphere of the empty choral room to study; one day, the director, Mrs. Hall suggested I attend the first meeting after school that evening. I was hesitant at first, but she eventually chipped away my resolve. That evening, I meekly opened the doors to the once familiar, but now daunting, choral room. Drawing in nearly thirty people from a spectrum of different 'cliques' at our school, the room was filled with diverse, excited students who all appeared as nervous as I. In that same meeting, students shared jokes and stories with each other and the longer I was there, the more my anxiety melted away. Corresponding practices were just as welcoming. My experience in this dynamic space of affirmation and engagement shaped me into a more confident person. After joining choir, I felt my capabilities double in size. Equipped with this newfound confidence, I initiated my school's first global affairs club to encourage discussion about issues plaguing communities around the world. The club, with its mosaic of ideologies, races and faiths, not only stimulated honest discourse that added new facets to our knowledge as a small community, but also provided a warm environment for people who may not have fit in elsewhere. I strive to continue this devotion to increase multiculturalism, promote diversity, and make other students feel welcome. By expanding my comfort zone, I realized my previous self-victimization was stagnating my progress. The girls in that cafeteria may not have wanted me to sit with them, but that wasn't indicative of my worth and capabilities. Exposing myself to an unfamiliar environment ultimately shaped me into a friend, classmate, and student who expands perspectives, is willing to be challenged, and takes action. On February 15, 2017, on top of Mount Intake, I needed the help of others - we utilized our collective strength to dislodge the vehicle and escape our situation. Joining choir helped me gain the confidence I needed to expand my comfort zone and the experience in Japan was much the same. By opening myself to others, I could leave the freezing, isolating mountains behind for the warm communities I'd built at school.

I have written about how my family situations taught me to become the person I am now. It is exactly 650 words. It was raining cats and dogs as I stared outside from the veranda. It seemed as if the weather, too, was as worried as I am. "Knock!! Knock!!" A woman in her 30s with an umbrella, standing in front of our house calling Navaraj...Navaraj. My dad, startled by her arrival, rushed down from the second floor of the house and I was shocked to shiver. Now, my suspicions had transformed into reality, and worse, I didn't know that "she" was PREGNANT. I was in 10th grade when I first became suspicious about my dad's affair. I had overheard my dad on a call saying "I cannot come there this year to celebrate Dashain with you." I wondered for days who that 'you' was and if that had something to with my dad not coming to our village with us last year. Now, the lady stood in our front door asking for her rights. My mom, heartbroken, couldn't even utter a sound. Clueless, my sisters just sat there. It was the first time I saw my mom weeping. My father, who didn't know what to do, just sat on the bed while the lady waited. Amidst the cries and confusion, I being the eldest child, knew that I need to do something. Without thinking, I searched for my father's wallet. As I handed it to him, I said, "Dad, please go & sort things out." He reluctantly stood up and said "Bye...Bye" then left. Until now, we had a secure life. My mom had invested all her time taking care of us so we could excel in school and beyond while my dad ran a shop that supplied cement. It all fell apart that evening. To my sheer surprise the next day, my mom appeared cheerful. Then, I quickly realized she just wanted us not to be sad. Nonetheless, I understood how sad she was. I wanted to cry, but "Sajan, you need to be strong. Your family needs you," said my mind. This kept me going, and made me work even harder. Now, I had to be the backbone of our house. I began tutoring my sister and then my neighbors' children for financial support. In Nepal, affairs and single parenting are looked down upon. I felt no one would understand my struggle and so I never spoke to anyone about it except my math teacher. It was the week before my board examination when my math teacher called me in and asked what was wrong. At first, I was too embarrassed to ask for help but after a week of giving up due to my what-ifs, I finally mustered the courage to explain. Looking back, I realize how lucky I was to have him as my teacher. Had I given in to the "what-ifs", I would never have had his support, and would not be who I am today. Two years have passed since and I thank my younger self for embracing the challenges as an opportunity for self-improvement. I learned from my family situation to be strong, reach out to people, and get involved. Whether sitting in the park, joining different clubs or participating in Olympiads and competitions, I look to form and develop intentional relationships with people. Currently, I am forming connections with international students who participated in the International Olympiad GeCAA. This will always be the case, with even more amazing people. Finally, exploring various things without any hesitations and getting to know people whom I can't imagine not knowing, I never want to hold back myself with my limitations and what-ifs. Rather, I want to conquer them and explore further. With my mindset to grow and learn without any what-ifs, I do not fear the challenges ahead. I know I will emerge stronger and I believe the best is yet to come. Bye...bye what-ifs.

I have written about how my family situations taught me to become the person I am now. It is exactly 650 words. It was raining cats and dogs as I stared outside from the veranda. Furthermore, it seemed as if the weather, too, was as worried as I am. "Knock!! Knock!!" A woman in her 30s with an umbrella, standing in front of our house calling Navarre... Navaraj. My dad, startled by her arrival, rushed down from the second floor of the house, and I was shocked to shiver. Now, my suspicions had transformed into reality, and worse, I didn't know that "she" was PREGNANT. I was in 10th grade when I first became suspicious about my dad's affair. I had overheard my dad on a call saying "I cannot come there this year to celebrate Dash ain with you." I wondered for days who that 'you' was and if that had something to with my dad not coming to our village with us last year. Now, the lady stood in our front door asking for her rights. My mom, heartbroken, couldn't even utter a sound. Clueless, my sisters just sat there. It was the first time I saw my mom weeping. My father, who didn't know what to do, just sat on the bed while the lady waited. Amidst the cries and confusion, I being the eldest child, knew that I need to do something. Without thinking, I searched for my father's wallet. As I handed it to him, I said, "Dad, please go camp; sort things out." He reluctantly stood up and said "Bye... Bye" then left. Until now, we had a secure life. My mom had invested all her time taking care of us, so we could excel in school and beyond while my dad ran a shop that supplied cement. It all fell apart that evening. To my sheer surprise the next day, my mom appeared cheerful. Then, I quickly realized she just wanted us not to be sad. Nonetheless, I understood how sad she was. I wanted to cry, but "Satan, you need to be strong. Your family needs you," said my mind. This kept me going, and made me work even harder. Now, I had to be the backbone of our house. I began tutoring my sister and then my neighbors' children for financial support. In Nepal, affairs and single parenting are looked down upon. I felt no one would understand my struggle, and so I never spoke to anyone about it except my math teacher. It was the week before my board examination when my math teacher called me in and asked what was wrong. At first, I was too embarrassed to ask for help but after a week of giving up due to my what-ifs, I finally mustered the courage to explain. Looking back, I realize how lucky I was to have him as my teacher. Had I given in to the "what-ifs", I would never have had his support, and would not be who I am today. Two years have passed since, and I thank my younger self for embracing the challenges as an opportunity for self-improvement. I learned from my family situation to be strong, reach out to people, and get involved. Whether sitting in the park, joining different clubs or participating in Olympiads and competitions, I look to form and develop intentional relationships with people. Currently, I am forming connections with international students who participated in the International Olympiad GeCAA. This will always be the case, with even more amazing people. Finally, exploring various things without any hesitations and getting to know people whom I can't imagine not knowing, I never want to hold back myself with my limitations and what-ifs. Rather, I want to conquer them and explore further. With my mindset to grow and learn without any what-ifs, I do not fear the challenges ahead. I know I will emerge stronger, and I believe the best is yet to come. Bye...bye what-ifs.

My mother, sister, and friends would describe me as an individual who is calm, dedicated, and focused on achieving goals through hard-work and persistency. The descriptions of myself can be illustrated through my graduation of the Kinesiology program at Langara College. I am proud of myself for completing the program because I have struggled over the last few years with mental health, and family and personal issues. Throughout middle school, high school, and in my early twenties after graduating, I had struggled with depression because of the effects of being bullied and coming from the life of a broken and separated family. Being the victim of bullying caused a Persistent Depressive disorder. Furthermore, tragic family problems added to my depressive state. The house I had grown up in was destroyed by a fire that was caused by an electrical issue in the bathroom. Unfortunately, another family issue arose and had impacted me in a negative way - the death of my uncle of whom I was very close to and considered a father figure. However, through these struggles, I attempted to find what I was interest in, thus my post-secondary journey started later in my life. Through all the hardships, setbacks, and failures, I had found what I was interested in, and would use my dedication, hard-work, and persistence to achieve my goal of obtaining a diploma in Kinesiology towards my journey of becoming a Physiotherapist. [ Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all :) ]

My mother, sister, and friends would describe me as an individual who is calm, dedicated, and focused on achieving goals through hard-work and persistency. The descriptions of myself can be illustrated through my graduation of the Kinesiology program at Angara College. I am proud of myself for completing the program because I have struggled over the last few years with mental health, and family and personal issues. Throughout middle school, high school, and in my early twenties after graduating, I had struggled with depression because of the effects of being bullied and coming from the life of a broken and separated family. Being the victim of bullying caused a Persistent Depressive disorder. Furthermore, tragic family problems added to my depressive state. The house I had grown up in was destroyed by a fire that was caused by an electrical issue in the bathroom. Unfortunately, another family issue arose and had impacted me negatively - the death of my uncle of whom I was very close to and considered a father figure. However, through these struggles, I attempted to find what I was interested in, thus my post-secondary journey started later in my life. Through all the hardships, setbacks, and failures, I had found what I was interested in, and would use my dedication, hard-work, and persistence to achieve my goal of obtaining a diploma in Kinesiology towards my journey of becoming a Physiotherapist. [Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank you all :)]

During the coronavirus pandemic, our lives have changed dramatically. For some of us, this has meant significant changes to our personal, family, and community lives. You might have spent time caring for people around you. You might have spent more time on academic work than usual. You might have been able to use this as an opportunity for growth in other ways. Please tell us about two or three of the most significant things that have taken your time during the pandemic. (limit 900 characters) When the bitter reality of the pandemic finally settled in, I felt powerless. Lusting for control, I sought refuge in my eating disorder; after six grueling years of recovery, I relapsed. In May, I was rushed to the hospital due to malnutrition. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, I knew if my habits didn't change, I'd be dead within the month. I turned to art for solace; painting my problems on a canvas made them feel less intimidating. I quickly accumulated an abundance of oil paintings, begging for their tales to be told. Quarantine granted me the time to reopen my art business after neglecting it to focus on school during grade 11. I began marching the streets eagerly with my mask on and an overflowing bag of canvases. I sold 12 pieces and made over a hundred dollars. I thank this pandemic every day for gifting me the stories currently being told on 12 strangers' walls.

During the coronavirus pandemic, our lives have changed dramatically. For some of us, this has meant significant changes to our personal, family, and community lives. You might have spent time caring for people around you. You might have spent more time on academic work than usual. Furthermore, you might have been able to use this as an opportunity for growth in other ways. Please tell us about two or three of the most significant things that have taken your time during the pandemic. (limit 900 characters) When the bitter reality of the pandemic finally settled in, I felt powerless. Lusting for control, I sought refuge in my eating disorder; after six grueling years of recovery, I relapsed. In May, I was rushed to the hospital due to malnutrition. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, I knew if my habits didn't change, I'd be dead within the month. I turned to art for solace; painting my problems on a canvas made them feel less intimidating. I quickly accumulated an abundance of oil paintings, begging for their tales to be told. Quarantine granted me the time to reopen my art business after neglecting it to focus on school during grade 11. I began marching the streets eagerly with my mask on and an overflowing bag of canvases. I sold 12 pieces and made over a hundred dollars. Furthermore, I thank this pandemic every day for gifting me the stories currently being told on 12 strangers' walls.

I am most proud of the fact that I am an intelligent student and a good time manager. I am always stand in the top 3 of my math classes and also achieve a few prizes when I was in secondary school. I passed into a gifted high school in my country, Vietnam, and trained here for 1 year after studying abroad in Canada. With my time management skill, I am still able to spend my time enough for my study, my family and open many opportunities in order to deal with new challenges and develop myself. Besides, I have a perennial passion for basketball, I was a captain of my team in secondary school and currently playing point guard for my high school. Others say that I am a talented and well-rounded individual, I can acquire knowledge in a short time. For instance, when I just knew about guitar, I have enabled to play for three days; and now, I am a great amateur guitar player, know a little bit about piano and especially, a Rubik solver.

I am most proud of the fact that I am an intelligent student and a good time manager. I am always stood in the top 3 of my math classes and also achieve a few prizes when I was in secondary school. Furthermore, I passed into a gifted high school in my country, Vietnam, and trained here for 1 year after studying abroad in Canada. With my time management skill, I am still able to spend my time enough for my study, my family and open many opportunities in order to deal with new challenges and develop myself. Besides, I have a perennial passion for basketball, I was a captain of my team in secondary school and currently playing point guard for my high school. Others say that I am a talented and well-rounded individual, I can acquire knowledge in a short time. For instance, when I just knew about guitar, I have enabled to play for three days; and now, I am a great amateur guitar player, know a little about piano and especially, a Rubik solver.

The mental picture I took of that 1250 feet above the ground-view is still so fresh in my mind that if I close my eyes right now I can still see it in front of me and I feel like I am being the 11 year old girl who is mesmerized by the spectacular view of the city with a gorgeous sunset with the sky painted with smoky colours with a hint of purple. I remember thinking that time, how all these people walking down the street look like ants from above here. As a small girl living in Mumbai in 2014, I cannot stress enough the degree to which I was mesmerized simply by that view .In other words, the most thrilling part of the trip for me when we went to USA on a family vacation, Empire State building view- was the most thrilling part of the trip for me and Disneyland stands second. I have a fear of heights and being at such high altitude and to look down was meant to terrify me to death but I was so busy being fascinated by the view that I completely forgot about my fear of heights. This had never happened before.I always had difficulty to express in what way that experience affected me so I never really even tried enough to explain anyone in person whenever the topic came up until now because it felt so unreal and personal. I was so lost living in that moment that when I look back now I remember it exactly how all of it felt. It might not seem a very big thing or a life changing moment but I have soaked up so many memories from that moment while watching that city view, I know it always be a part of me. Off course I didn't realize the importance of this one particular memory from that trip at that age but while growing up I learnt that I have always been pulled towards creating and designing. Its modern, futuristic style opened my eyes to the skill and craftsmanship behind the jaw-dropping structures and the various types of building the area had to offer. This experience truly gravitated me deeply towards the architectural field and the life changing decision my family took in that very same year, 2014 regarding moving to a different country had only managed to keep me inspired.I could relate to all of those people who moved to a new country to explore more about themselves and opportunities as well. I, along with my family, moved to a small but a very fast growing country, Qatar a few years ago. It was not easy for us to leave everything behind and head towards a fresh new start. It was hard to leave the place where I spent my childhood and leave my friends was not something that I was willing to give away, but, In the end, it all turned out for better. Having the privilege to live in Qatar which has many diverse types of structures like the corniche and various stadiums including the FIFA-2022 stadiums here has only pulled me deeper into this field as I literally watched a city grow in front of my eyes. Infact the country as a whole has developed so much over such a small amount of time that I find it hard to believe it's the same country that I came 6 years ago. I want to continue studying a subject that can not only quench my thirst to learn but also satisfy my creativity . Even at every science fair, every seemingly random competition entered, I sought to do something, something new.Being able to combine my passion into work would be a once in a lifetime opportunity, after all who doesn't want to contribute towards something that has the power to make people forget about their worst fears.

The mental picture I took of that 1250 feet above the ground-view is still so fresh in my mind that if I close my eyes right now I can still see it in front of me and I feel like I am being the 11-year-old girl who is mesmerized by the spectacular view of the city with a gorgeous sunset with the sky painted with smoky colors with a hint of purple. I remember thinking that time, how all these people walking down the street look like ants from above here. As a small girl living in Mumbai in 2014, I cannot stress enough the degree to which I was mesmerized simply by that view. In other words, the most thrilling part of the trip for me when we went to the USA on a family vacation, Empire State Building view-was the most thrilling part of the trip for me and Disneyland stands second. I have a fear of heights and being at such high altitude and to look down was meant to terrify me to death, but I was so busy being fascinated by the view that I completely forgot about my fear of heights. This had never happened before. I always had difficulty to express in what way that experience affected me, so I never really even tried enough to explain anyone in person whenever the topic came up until now because it felt so unreal and personal. I was so lost living At that moment that when I look back now I remember it exactly how all of it felt. It might not seem a very big thing or a life-changing moment, but I have soaked up so many memories from that moment while watching that city view, I know it be always a part of me. Off course, I didn't realize the importance of this one particular memory from that trip at that age but while growing up I learned that I have always been pulled towards creating and designing. Its modern, futuristic style opened my eyes to the skill and craftsmanship behind the jaw-dropping structures and the various types of building the area had to offer. This experience truly gravitated me deeply towards the architectural field and the life-changing decision my family took in that very same year, 2014 regarding moving to a different country had only managed to keep me inspired. I could relate to all of those people who moved to a new country to explore more about themselves and opportunities as well. I, along with my family, moved to a small but a very fast-growing country, Qatar a few years ago. It was not easy for us to leave everything behind and head towards a fresh new start. It was hard to leave the place where I spent my childhood and leave my friends was not something that I was willing to give away, but, In the end, it all turned out for better. Having the privilege to live in Qatar which has many diverse types of structures like the cornice and various stadiums including the FIFA-2022 stadiums here has only pulled me deeper into this field as I literally watched a city grow in front of my eyes. In fact the country as a whole has developed so much over such a small amount of time that I find it hard to believe it's the same country that I came 6 years ago. I want to continue studying a subject that can not only quench my thirst to learn but also satisfy my creativity. Even at every science fair, every seemingly random competition entered, I sought to do something, something new. Being able to combine my passion into work would be a once in a lifetime opportunity, after all who doesn't want to contribute towards something that has the power to make people forget about their worst fears.

Fold. Crease. Turn. Unfold. Edge to the edge, as precisely as possible. I analyze the ends for flaws.As the myth goes, one who creates 1000 origami cranes would be granted a wish. I took this as a challenge. To my parents' confusion, junk mail and money would often transform into these little creatures. This was a distraction until the doors of McCarran International Airport opened. I was 3 years old when my parents chose to uproot their comfortable lives in Jakarta, Indonesia to Newnan - a suburb 45 minutes south of Atlanta. A stamp of arrival on our I-91 cards validated our entrance. And so my family began the business of equivocating Tahun Baru Imlek and Eid al-Fitr to New Years' and Thanksgiving. Growing up, nobody ever spoke to me about my immigrant status, and I overlooked the implications until freshman year of high school. As my peers began to test for their learner's permits, I was frustrated when my request was shut down by my parents: "We don't want you on the roads." However, I knew it was much deeper than that. Though no one openly told me I was undocumented, I was able to reason. People often asked, "Why haven't you gotten your permit? Aren't you 17?" Consequently, I found myself scrambling to make the same excuses to friends my parents made to me. Hiding this vital part of my identity was an attack on my self-perception. My opportunities were severely limited in comparison to my classmates. I wouldn't be working a summer job, and I wouldn't be voting when I turn eighteen. At the same time, I was plagued by the Model Minority Myth. The stereotype of Asian families is a successful, nuclear family. Not conforming to this cliche due to my undocumented status pushed me to compensate by pursuing math team and academic bowl. Even so, did I do these for my own happiness, or did I do them because I felt the need to? Believing I was designed to engage with society this way, I fell into that role. As a consequence, my grades slipped; I found myself straying farther from my wish. With this outlook, I began volunteering at the Piedmont Newnan Hospital. There, I observed the bonds established between the workers and patients. I fell back on my childhood habit of origami around this time and attempted to build connections in my own way by leaving cranes for others to find. I imagine these bits of folded paper go unnoticed, but I hoped those would amount to the thousand I needed to not only heal patients' illnesses but also their quality of life. I may have not been handing a scalpel to a surgeon, but through this experience, I recognized healthcare was the career path I wanted to pursue. I had 1000 pieces of paper necessary for a wish, yet the one piece of paper determining my worth was out of reach. The system often says "You're not welcome here. Do it the right way." But, how do I secure a paper that is impossible to obtain? I have a love-hate relationship with my identity as an Asian-American. What's the benefit of pledging my allegiance to a country that doesn't pledge its allegiance to me? The public refers to me as someone who doesn't belong and who is nothing but a mere shadow. It seems the only alternative is to give up, but I plan on continuing my education and encouraging others, success is feasible. Nobody should exist in fear or be doubtful of their academic future. Being undocumented isn't a weakness. Rather, it's a drive. It helped uncover the virtue of my endeavors and resolution. I'm no longer the girl who believes in legends, but I am one who is determined to integrate and flourish in the systems putting me at a disadvantage, in order to deliver change.

Fold. Crease. Turn. Unfold. Edge to the edge, as precisely as possible. I analyze the ends for flaws. As the myth goes, one who creates 1000 origami cranes would be granted a wish. I took this as a challenge. To my parents' confusion, junk mail and money would often transform into these little creatures. This was a distraction until the doors of McCarry International Airport opened. I was 3 years old when my parents chose to uproot their comfortable lives in Jakarta, Indonesia to Newman - a suburb 45 minutes south of Atlanta. A stamp of arrival on our I-91 cards validated our entrance. And so my family began the business of equivocating Thun Bar Inlet and Eid al-Fitr to New Years' and Thanksgiving. Growing up, nobody ever spoke to me about my immigrant status, and I overlooked the implications until freshman year of high school. As my peers began to test for their learner's permits, I was frustrated when my request was shut down by my parents: "We don't want you on the roads." However, I knew it was much deeper than that. Though no one openly told me I was undocumented, I was able to reason. People often asked, "Why haven't you gotten your permit? Aren't you 17?" Consequently, I found myself scrambling to make the same excuses to friends my parents made to me. Hiding this vital part of my identity was an attack on my self-perception. My opportunities were severely limited in comparison to my classmates. I wouldn't be working a summer job, and I wouldn't be voting when I turn eighteen. At the same time, I was plagued by the Model Minority Myth. The stereotype of Asian families is a successful, nuclear family. Not conforming to this cliché due to my undocumented status pushed me to compensate by pursuing math team and academic bowl. Even so, did I do these for my own happiness, or did I do them because I felt the need to? Believing I was designed to engage with society this way, I fell into that role. As a consequence, my grades slipped; I found myself straying farther from my wish. With this outlook, I began volunteering at the Piedmont Newman Hospital. There, I observed the bonds established between the workers and patients. I fell back on my childhood habit of origami around this time and attempted to build connections in my own way by leaving cranes for others to find. I imagine these bits of folded paper go unnoticed, but I hoped those would amount to the thousand I needed to not only heal patients' illnesses but also their quality of life. Furthermore, I may have not been handing a scalpel to a surgeon, but through this experience, I recognized healthcare was the career path I wanted to pursue. Furthermore, I had 1000 pieces of paper necessary for a wish, yet the one piece of paper determining my worth was out of reach. The system often says "You're not welcome here. Do it the right way." But, how do I secure a paper that is impossible to obtain? I have a love-hate relationship with my identity as an Asian-American. What's the benefit of pledging my allegiance to a country that doesn't pledge its allegiance to me? The public refers to me as someone who doesn't belong and who is nothing but a mere shadow. It seems the only alternative is to give up, but I plan on continuing my education and encouraging others, success is feasible. Nobody should exist in fear or be doubtful of their academic future. Being undocumented isn't a weakness. Rather, it's a drive. It helped uncover the virtue of my endeavors and resolution. I'm no longer the girl who believes in legends, but I am one who is determined to integrate and flourish in the systems putting me at a disadvantage, in order to deliver change.

This is an admissions prompt for the University of Waterloo's Computing and Financial Management program. I also applied to CS and AFM but CFM is my first choice. I'm not sure if my answer is very concise and if I answered everything that was asked. I also think I repeated a few words too many times but I don't know what to replace them with. Thanks for helping! I've always had a passion for STEM and the arts, though I found choosing between the two as a career was difficult. However, after encountering computer science and finance through high school courses, I noticed their versatility could help me combine my interests as both are essential to most industries. Waterloo's CFM program interests me because its double major can help me determine if I want to pursue a career in computer science, finance, or both. It complements my passions in programming and math, yet gives me an opportunity to gain deeper knowledge in both. As a student with diverse interests, Waterloo's co-op program can also help me narrow down my career options and develop a true passion for a field where I can apply my strengths to. At Waterloo, I have the potential to merge both my creative and mathematical interests, as well as discover where my passions lie.

This is an admission prompt for the University of Waterloo's Computing and Financial Management program. I also applied to CS and AFM, but CFM is my first choice. I'm not sure if my answer is very concise and if I answered everything that was asked. Furthermore, I also think I repeated a few words too many times, but I don't know what to replace them with. Thanks for helping! I've always had a passion for STEM and the arts, though I found choosing between the two as a career was difficult. However, after encountering computer science and finance through high school courses, I noticed their versatility could help me combine my interests as both are essential to most industries. Waterloo's CFM program interests me because its double major can help me determine if I want to pursue a career in computer science, finance, or both. It complements my passions in programming and math, yet gives me an opportunity to gain deeper knowledge in both. As a student with diverse interests, Waterloo's co-op program can also help me narrow down my career options and develop a true passion for a field where I can apply my strengths to. At Waterloo, I have the potential to merge both my creative and mathematical interests, as well as discover where my passions lie.

In my quantum computing course, the most fascinating topic I have learned about so far is the Pauli computing gates. It is for that reason, I would be delighted to meet the famous physicist Wolfgang Ernest Pauli. Wolfgang Pauli not only has one of the coolest names in history but his achievements in the field of quantum are quite amazing. I'd definitely ask Pauli about his work on quantum mechanics and subjects I loved learning about such as Pauli matrices and the Pauli exclusion principle. Yet, while asking about these things would teach me much, I think I would also look forward to discovering Wolfgang Pauli's character. Pauli was known to be a perfectionist but also a humorous person. I'd be very excited to hear a joke from him while also learn why perfection was so vital to him in the field he studied. I would also ask about his everyday thought process and how he tackles a problem. I think I overall would like a fun conversation mixed with inquiries about his research. I would certainly not forget to ask him about the Pauli effect, an unusual tendency of scientific equipment to break when he was present. (198 words)

In my quantum computing course, the most fascinating topic I have learned about so far is the Pauli computing gates. It is for that reason, I would be delighted to meet the famous physicist Wolfgang Ernest Pauli. Wolfgang Pauli not only has one of the coolest names in history but his achievements in the field of quantum are quite amazing. I'd definitely ask Pauli about his work on quantum mechanics and subjects I loved learning about such as Pauli matrices and the Pauli exclusion principle. Yet, while asking about these things would teach me much, I think I would also look forward to discovering Wolfgang Pauli's character. Pauli was known to be a perfectionist but also a humorous person. I'd be very excited to hear a joke from him while also learn why perfection was so vital to him in the field he studied. I would also ask about his everyday thought process and how he tackles a problem. Furthermore, I think I overall would like a fun conversation mixed with inquiries about his research. Furthermore, I would certainly not forget to ask him about the Pauli effect, an unusual tendency of scientific equipment to break when he was present. (198 words)

A bittersweet ambience filled the air. The field of the school campus was scattered with students in black and white gowns. Parents and relatives crying tears of joy. I stood beside my family as my brother received congratulations from others. Had it already been a year since Tim graduated? Now Phil? It was an odd feeling. All my life I had my two older brothers by my side to guide me. And in just a couple of months, I was going to be all alone. My stomach knotted. The truth is, I was always envious of my brothers. From the beginning, there seemed to be a standard set for me to reach. Being raised in a Korean household, my academic performance would often be compared to my older brothers. I used to be afraid of bringing home my report card, already knowing what my parents would say. "Why is there a B+ on your report card? Your brothers always bring home straight As." my parents would nag with an unsatisfied look. Along with being named to the highest honor roll every quarter, they were also involved in various extracurricular activities and had lots of friends. Most of all, they each had their individual niches. Phil was the athletic captain and MVP of the boys varsity soccer team, one of the only players to start on varsity all four years of high school. Tim was outgoing, charismatic, and the leading star of the school musicals. I remember staring in awe as Phil scored a goal in the second minute against our school's rival. Or watching Tim up on the stage in a packed auditorium, receiving a seemingly endless applause. Entering middle school, my brothers' feats had already garnered me a reputation. While taking attendance, teachers immediately recognized my name, mentioning how great my brothers were. Upperclassmen that I didn't recognize would constantly say "hi" to me in the halls. Members of the boys varsity soccer team would ask if I was going to be better than Phil at soccer. Feelings of inadequacy surfaced. I desperately wanted to be like my brothers. Deep down I knew I couldn't sustain this mindset. But I didn't know how to get rid of it. That winter, I decided to join the indoor track team. I'll never forget the immense feeling of regret and anxiety while waiting for my race to begin, not realizing what I had signed up for. I ended up being dead last by at least thirty seconds and while running the final straightaway, the crowd began to clap for me. Yes. I received a standing ovation for being in last place. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life but at the same time, I was extremely proud. For the first time in my life, I had made a decision for myself, not caring about living up to a false persona. Within the following years my perspective shifted. Maybe the source of my stress and disappointment wasn't caused by others, but rather, myself. I stopped viewing my brothers' accolades as a burden on me to perform at the same level. I began to realize how foolish it was of me to compare myself to them. I no longer yearned to become a soccer phenom or a Broadway star. I was finally able to concentrate on making the most of my abilities without worrying how they measure up to my brothers'. Now, looking back at my anxious, twelve year old self on my brother's graduation night gives me a sense of pride. While I never fulfilled my initial wishes of living up to my brothers' image, I was able to find fulfillment elsewhere: within myself. It's funny what once used to feel like a curse, was actually a blessing in disguise. Having such well rounded brothers serves as a motive for me to approach everything with diligence and passion, rather than a reason to diminish my self worth.

A bittersweet ambience filled the air. The field of the school campus was scattered with students in black and white gowns. Parents and relatives crying tears of joy. I stood beside my family as my brother received congratulations from others. Had it already been a year since Tim graduated? Now Phil? It was an odd feeling. All my life I had my two older brothers by my side to guide me. And in just a couple of months, I was going to be all alone. My stomach knotted. The truth is, I was always envious of my brothers. From the beginning, there seemed to be a standard set for me to reach. Being raised in a Korean household, my academic performance would often be compared to my older brothers. I used to be afraid of bringing home my report card, already knowing what my parents would say. "Why is there a B+ on your report card? Your brothers always bring home straight As." my parents would nag with an unsatisfied look. Along with being named to the highest honor roll every quarter, they were also involved in various extracurricular activities and had lots of friends. Most of all, they each had their individual niches. Phil was the athletic captain and MVP of the boys varsity soccer team, one of the few players to start on varsity all four years of high school. Tim was outgoing, charismatic, and the leading star of the school musicals. I remember staring in awe as Phil scored a goal in the second minute against our school's rival. Or watching Tim up on the stage in a packed auditorium, receiving a seemingly endless applause. Entering middle school, my brothers' feats had already garnered me a reputation. While taking attendance, teachers immediately recognized my name, mentioning how great my brothers were. Upperclassmen that I didn't recognize would constantly say "hi" to me in the halls. Members of the boys varsity soccer team would ask if I was going to be better than Phil at soccer. Feelings of inadequacy surfaced. I desperately wanted to be like my brothers. Deep down I knew I couldn't sustain this mindset. But I didn't know how to get rid of it. That winter, I decided to join the indoor track team. I'll never forget the immense feeling of regret and anxiety while waiting for my race to begin, not realizing what I had signed up for. I ended up being dead last by at least thirty seconds and while running the final straightaway, the crowd began to clap for me. Yes. Furthermore, I received a standing ovation for being in last place. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life but at the same time, I was extremely proud. For the first time in my life, I had made a decision for myself, not caring about living up to a false persona. Within the following years my perspective shifted. Maybe the source of my stress and disappointment wasn't caused by others, but rather, myself. I stopped viewing my brothers' accolades as a burden on me to perform at the same level. I began to realize how foolish it was of me to compare myself to them. Furthermore, I no longer yearned to become a soccer phenom or a Broadway star. Furthermore, I was finally able to concentrate on making the most of my abilities without worrying how they measure up to my brothers'. Now, looking back at my anxious, twelve-year-old self on my brother's graduation night gives me a sense of pride. While I never fulfilled my initial wishes of living up to my brothers' image, I was able to find fulfillment elsewhere: within myself. It's funny what once used to feel like a curse, was actually a blessing in disguise. Having such well-rounded brothers serves as a motive for me to approach everything with diligence and passion, rather than a reason to diminish my self-worth.

This is my common app essay for the fall 2022 freshman year. I know its early, but I'm an international and likely won't have time to write long essays during my senior year. Also I'm somewhat unfamiliar with writing essays in general since its not something taught here in depth so I'm open to super-critical feedback and maybe even a complete restructuring. 641 words as of now: *** I nervously glanced at the clock. Three more hours. Looking back at the geometry problem I was trying to solve, the peculiar collection of harmonic bundles looked utterly confuddling. I had an arsenal of theorems and lemmas, ready to fire them away in a flashy proof, and yet nothing seemed forthcoming. In my mind, the erudite phrases of my math teacher rang out. Though he was rather infamous for waxing philosophically, they seemed of some value now: "The key is to keep adapting. Fixating on a particular approach too early in the game can be disastrous." Adaptability is an old friend of mine. When I was a kid I found SnapCircuits fascinating. How each component adapted in tandem to yield a satisfying result, and different arrangements produced different surprises. Moving to India from the windy winters of Chicago halfway through middle school was never something I considered easy, but I adapted, and made the most of it. I learnt to play Cricket, met new friends, and acquired that distinctive drawl when speaking English. "However, adaptability is always complemented by persistence. Spending too little time on an approach to the problem risks giving up the right idea too quickly." When I entered highschool I never stopped adapting. I dove headfirst into the same race as millions of other Indian students. Preparing for the dreaded undergraduate entrance exams was my first exposure to the world of competitive problem solving. The goal was to solve the most questions in the shortest time possible, the whys and hows were left to rout. Quite the rebel, I often spent entire days on a single intriguing problem, refusing to rest until a satisfying conclusion was reached. "It is important to conjecture creatively and look for clues in the constraints given in the problem." In my case, the constraints were the problem, but I always tried to transcend those constraints. Organising a Science Fair in my school, staying afloat during a global pandemic, or helping out when my family faced unemployment, these challenges were just different problems that required creativity to overcome. It was the journey that I relished; the initial tedium of arranging facts, the addictive intellectual stimulation of figuring out a way to proceed, the anti-climatic dejection of failing at first, and the slow unravelling of the solution climaxing in the sheer, undiluted mirth of unearthing the final result. "Try to test for smaller cases, and reinstate the problem in different ways" As I grew, I developed my own way of idle mathematical internalization, which involved spending more time exploring other interests. I undertook an internship for an enterprise providing living services to the aged relatives of Indian expatriates, and even volunteered for a rural development initiative. In a quaint village far out of the city, we helped resolve local issues involving sanitation, waste management, and sustainability. Fascinatingly, I found that I was able to employ the same tools I had picked up in my mathematical venturings to devise solutions for problems in finance and business operations, to efficient waste disposal, and even SnapCircuit design. I surmised that most global issues can be rephrased in terms of simple mathematical problems. "Know your technique. There is no substitute for constant practice." Whether it was adapting to a new country or persevering through competitive exams, my experiences in the last few years have allowed me to understand my goals better. Mathematics provides me with the noble pursuit of seeing the world through the lens of mathematical understanding, and using intuition and rigour to unravel the solutions to mankind's problems. I was snapped back once again to reality, to the puzzling geometric conundrum I was stuck on. Armed with a renewed sense of purpose and perspective, the question now seemed inanely trivial. I picked up my pen, scratched out the solution and moved forth. One down, twenty-nine to go.

This is my common app essay for the fall 2022 freshman year. I know it's early, but I'm an international and likely won't have time to write long essays during my senior year. Also, I'm somewhat unfamiliar with writing essays in general since it's not something taught here in depth, so I'm open to super-critical feedback and maybe even a complete restructuring. 641 words as of now: *** I nervously glanced at the clock. Three more hours. Looking back at the geometry problem I was trying to solve, the peculiar collection of harmonic bundles looked utterly confuddling. I had an arsenal of theorems and lemmas, ready to fire them away in a flashy proof, and yet nothing seemed forthcoming. In my mind, the erudite phrases of my math teacher rang out. Though he was rather infamous for waxing philosophically, they seemed of some value now: "The key is to keep adapting. Fixating on a particular approach too early in the game can be disastrous." Adaptability is an old friend of mine. When I was a kid I found SnapCircuits fascinating. How each component adapted in tandem to yield a satisfying result, and different arrangements produced different surprises. Moving to India from the windy winters of Chicago halfway through middle school was never something I considered easy, but I adapted, and made the most of it. I learned to play Cricket, met new friends, and acquired that distinctive drawl when speaking English. "However, adaptability is always complemented by persistence. Spending too little time on an approach to the problem risks giving up the right idea too quickly." When I entered high school I never stopped adapting. I dove headfirst into the same race as millions of other Indian students. Preparing for the dreaded undergraduate entrance exams was my first exposure to the world of competitive problem-solving. The goal was to solve the most questions in the shortest time possible, the why's and how's were left to rout. Quite the rebel, I often spent entire days on a single intriguing problem, refusing to rest until a satisfying conclusion was reached. "It is important to conjecture creatively and look for clues in the constraints given in the problem." In my case, the constraints were the problem, but I always tried to transcend those constraints. Organizing a Science Fair in my school, staying afloat during a global pandemic, or helping out when my family faced unemployment, these challenges were just different problems that required creativity to overcome. It was the journey that I relished; the initial tedium of arranging facts, the addictive intellectual stimulation of figuring out a way to proceed, the anti-climatic dejection of failing at first, and the slow unraveling of the solution climaxing in the sheer, undiluted mirth of unearthing the final result. "Try to test for smaller cases, and reinstate the problem in different ways" As I grew, I developed my own way of idle mathematical internalization, which involved spending more time exploring other interests. I undertook an internship for an enterprise providing living services to the aged relatives of Indian expatriates, and even volunteered for a rural development initiative. In a quaint village far out of the city, we helped resolve local issues involving sanitation, waste management, and sustainability. Fascinatingly, I found that I was able to employ the same tools I had picked up in my mathematical venturing to devise solutions for problems in finance and business operations, to efficient waste disposal, and even SnapCircuit design. I surmised that most global issues can be rephrased in terms of simple mathematical problems. "Know your technique. There is no substitute for constant practice." Whether it was adapting to a new country or persevering through competitive exams, my experiences in the last few years have allowed me to understand my goals better. Mathematics provides me with the noble pursuit of seeing the world through the lens of mathematical understanding, and using intuition and rigor to unravel the solutions to mankind's problems. I was snapped back once again to reality, to the puzzling geometric conundrum I was stuck on. Armed with a renewed sense of purpose and perspective, the question now seemed inanely trivial. I picked up my pen, scratched out the solution and moved forth. One down, twenty-nine to go.

Every Eid, I would awaken to the chants coming from the Mosque and to the pungent but aromatic scent of Usban emanating from the kitchen. There she1 was in her signature kaftan delicately suturing tripe pieces filled with a mixture of rice and lamb, all the while our cat was weaving through her legs, anticipating -much like me- a delectable meal. Which2 we would then sit down to enjoy over the (often embarrassing) stories she would recount with vivid details. In 2015, the atmosphere this time around struck a different chord. Our beloved grandmother was still present with us, but there was an underlying stench, a stench caused by a ravenous monster she had fallen prey to: Alzheimer's. This was the first Eid since her diagnosis, and it was noticeably different. My grandmother was nestled in bed with her ever-present cats, still telling family stories, although they were stories of a different nature: she would often tell us of her marriage as if it happened yesterday. At first, it felt like a tragedy. It was hard watching someone I love wither away before my eyes and I felt powerless, unable to help her combat this ailment. This mentor whose voice would give me the strength I needed whenever I was in a swimming competition, whose cakes would give me the affection I needed on my birthdays, was stripped of her precious memories. But as time elapsed and the neurofibrillary tangles accumulated in her brain, I noticed that our roles were reversed: no longer was I the needy child, and she the loving caring adult, it had become the other way around. In fact, during 9th grade, seeing as my parents were at work most of the day, I had to take on the responsibility of being her caretaker: I regularly combed her disheveled hair, I had learned to cook Couscous which was her favorite dish, and I even had to lock away potentially dangerous items - not unlike what she did when I was a kid. It was the least I could do to return the love and care she had always given me. But it was not enough, her condition was deteriorating. So, I scoured the internet looking for ways to reverse this. To my dismay, I found that this disease has neither a cure nor a clear treatment and my options regarding brain games were severely limited by my grandmother's illiteracy. I couldn't let that dishearten me so I took the initiative and I taught myself the piano and learned to play her favorite melodies that survived the onslaught of Alzheimer's. As her communication problems mounted up, music provided a way to connect with her and alleviate her pain... But not much else, unfortunately. Nothing could have saved her from the grim clutch of her disease. Looking back on it, I realize that it was this event that marked my transition from childhood to adulthood. While I was taking care of her, she brought out in me the attributes that I possess today. The experience was both rewarding and challenging, and it helped me mature as an individual and take on the most daunting of responsibilities: soon after her passing, her fondness for all things feline passed on to me as I had the pleasure of raising twelve cats {abandoned by their mothers}. Ultimately, as I recount my story through flashbacks, (a simple gratification my grandmother could no longer enjoy) it doesn't sit right with me that these seniors - who have given so much to society - don't get to live their final years with health and happiness. That's where I will always strive to make a difference. By taking a gap year, I have been able to fully commit myself to making an impact in my community: since joining the Red Crescent Movement, I have given back to the elderly in these challenging times, by visiting retirement homes and playing for them. My grandmother always used to say: "Science is an ocean. Never say you know.". Inspired by her words I will always continue to look for ways to help combat this disease in the hopes of giving our seniors a more suitable ending.

Every EID, I would awaken to the chants coming from the Mosque and to the pungent but aromatic scent of Urban emanating from the kitchen. There she1 was in her signature caftan delicately suturing tripe pieces filled with a mixture of rice and lamb, all the while our cat was weaving through her legs, anticipating -much like me- a delectable meal. Which2 we would then sit down to enjoy over the (often embarrassing) stories she would recount with vivid details. In 2015, the atmosphere this time around struck a different chord. Our beloved grandmother was still present with us, but there was an underlying stench, a stench caused by a ravenous monster she had fallen prey to: Alzheimer's. This was the first EID since her diagnosis, and it was noticeably different. My grandmother was nestled in bed with her ever-present cats, still telling family stories, although they were stories of a different nature: she would often tell us of her marriage as if it happened yesterday. At first, it felt like a tragedy. It was hard watching someone I love wither away before my eyes and I felt powerless, unable to help her combat this ailment. This mentor whose voice would give me the strength I needed whenever I was in a swimming competition, whose cakes would give me the affection I needed on my birthdays, was stripped of her precious memories. But as time elapsed and the neurofibrillary tangles accumulated in her brain, I noticed that our roles were reversed: no longer was I the needy child, and she is the loving caring adult, it had become the other way around. In fact, during 9th grade, seeing as my parents were at work most of the day, I had to take on the responsibility of being her caretaker: I regularly combed her disheveled hair, I had learned to cook Couscous which was her favorite dish, and I even had to lock away potentially dangerous items - not unlike what she did when I was a kid. It was the least I could do to return the love and care she had always given me. But it was not enough, her condition was deteriorating. So, I scoured the internet looking for ways to reverse this. To my dismay, I found that this disease has neither a cure nor a clear treatment and my options regarding brain games were severely limited by my grandmother's illiteracy. I couldn't let that dishearten me, so I took the initiative and I taught myself the piano and learned to play her favorite melodies that survived the onslaught of Alzheimer's. As her communication problems mounted up, music provided a way to connect with her and alleviate her pain... But not much else, unfortunately. Nothing could have saved her from the grim clutch of her disease. Looking back on it, I realize that it was this event that marked my transition from childhood to adulthood. While I was taking care of her, she brought out in me the attributes that I possess today. The experience was both rewarding and challenging, and it helped me mature as an individual and take on the most daunting of responsibilities: soon after her passing, her fondness for all things feline passed on to me as I had the pleasure of raising twelve cats {abandoned by their mothers}. Ultimately, as I recount my story through flashbacks, (a simple gratification my grandmother could no longer enjoy) it doesn't sit right with me that these seniors - who have given so much to society - don't get to live their final years with health and happiness. That's where I will always strive to make a difference. By taking a gap year, I have been able to fully commit myself to making an impact in my community: since joining the Red Crescent Movement, I have given back to the elderly in these challenging times, by visiting retirement homes and playing for them. My grandmother always used to say: "Science is an ocean. Never say you know.". Inspired by her words I will always continue to look for ways to help combat this disease in the hopes of giving our seniors a more suitable ending.

Cre·scen·do: a gradual increase in the volume of music.There it was. Glistening from what seemed a mile away, my feet subconsciously began to move. In the music store filled with countless other instruments, I immediately fell in love with the flute. From learning Hot Cross Buns on the flute to singing in my high school choir, my love for music has only continued to crescendo to this day. At Yale, studying music will allow me to convert my passion into action. I hope to use music to better understand how the brain works to help treat physical and mental problems. Just like how my love for music continues to crescendo, I strive to allow others to do the same.

CRE·seen·do: a gradual increase in the volume of music. There it was. Glistening from what seemed a mile away, my feet subconsciously began to move. In the music store filled with countless other instruments, I immediately fell in love with the flute. From learning Hot Cross Buns on the flute to singing in my high school choir, my love for music has only continued to crescendo to this day. At Yale, studying music will allow me to convert my passion into action. I hope to use music to better understand how the brain works to help treat physical and mental problems. Just like how my love for music continues to crescendo, I strive to allow others to do the same.

"I want to kill myself." The sweaty, young man had just rushed in through the entrance of the hospital where I was volunteering. Visibly distraught, he stood before me at the front desk stammering out the same phrase. Quickly overcoming my shock, I carefully asked him what was wrong while dialing the telephone operator. To my surprise, the operator came down to the lobby and spoke to the man for several minutes. She calmed him down while surreptitiously signaling for me to call for more assistance. Soon, help came and the man was taken to the Emergency Department. I was very impressed by the operator's quick thinking and compassion. Despite the fact that she was not a health care provider, she had provided empathy and concern in a fraught situation. While volunteering at the hospital, I witnessed many similar examples amongst the medical and non-medical staff, and these demonstrated what professionalism is. Professionalism goes beyond simply fulfilling the tasks that a job requires; one must be conscientious and honorable. I am drawn to health care precisely because of the impact professionalism has on all those involved in this field. A doctor's primary concern is the health and well-being of patients who are often at their most vulnerable. Their conduct must demonstrate that the patient's trust is not misplaced. I believe that professionalism is the heart of what it is to be a doctor and governs every facet of their life. Being a physician is a privilege that involves discipline, dedication, and compassion.

"I want to kill myself." The sweaty, young man had just rushed in through the entrance of the hospital where I was volunteering. Visibly distraught, he stood before me at the front desk stammering out the same phrase. Quickly overcoming my shock, I carefully asked him what was wrong while dialing the telephone operator. To my surprise, the operator came down to the lobby and spoke to the man for several minutes. She calmed him down while surreptitiously signaling for me to call for more assistance. Soon, help came, and the man was taken to the Emergency Department. I was very impressed by the operator's quick thinking and compassion. Despite the fact that she was not a health care provider, she had provided empathy and concern in a fraught situation. While volunteering at the hospital, I witnessed many similar examples amongst the medical and nonmedical staff, and these demonstrated what professionalism is. Professionalism goes beyond simply fulfilling the tasks that a job requires; one must be conscientious and honorable. I am drawn to health care precisely because of the impact professionalism has on all those involved in this field. A doctor's primary concern is the health and well-being of patients who are often at their most vulnerable. Their conduct must demonstrate that the patient's trust is not misplaced. I believe that professionalism is the heart of what it is to be a doctor and governs every facet of their life. Being a physician is a privilege that involves discipline, dedication, and compassion.

As a naturally inquisitive teenager, I crave new experiences. I became the youngest Indonesian representative in Asia Youth Leader by AEON 1% club. On the topic of healthy diet, our group considered technological trends to attract people's interest and practicality, so we settled on a virtual assistant that could identify the nutritional needs of every household securing third place overall. Our project sparked my interest in programming, delving further into introductory courses like Hour of Code and Scratch. The subsequent year, I was a delegate in an AFS exchange program to Italy. I took the opportunity to address misconceptions between cultures at the local community, and though I would likely mispronounce my words, learning how to code taught me to embrace improvement instead of aiming for perfection. Furthermore, I did volunteer work for primary school students and people with disabilities. Unfortunately, the experience ended early and I saw firsthand just how the situation worsened. Ambulance sirens could be frequently heard and everyone seemed to be on high alert in public settings. A question popped into my head, how could a country with such technological prowess be one of the first to fall? Both experiences fuelled my curiosity over the limitations of technology and to participate in finding solutions to global issues while simultaneously challenging my problem solving skill and creativity, looking at things through various angles as well as approaching a problem with critical and analytical mindset. Being immersed in diversity and engaging in group projects had improved my adaptability, I learned how to be a team player and a leader with enhanced communication skills. I believe that those mentalities are crucial for an engineer and it drove me towards studying computer science at NUS which will be my stepping stone, envisioning myself working alongside people in pursuit of efficiency to create an invention with a profound impact on civilization.

As a naturally inquisitive teenager, I crave new experiences. I became the youngest Indonesian representative in Asia Youth Leader by Eon 1% club. On the topic of healthy diet, our group considered technological trends to attract people's interest and practicality, so we settled on a virtual assistant that could identify the nutritional needs of every household securing third place overall. Our project sparked my interest in programming, delving further into introductory courses like Hour of Code and Scratch. The subsequent year, I was a delegate in an AFS exchange program to Italy. I took the opportunity to address misconceptions between cultures at the local community, and though I would likely mispronounce my words, learning how to code taught me to embrace improvement instead of aiming for perfection. Furthermore, I did volunteer work for primary school students and people with disabilities. Unfortunately, the experience ended early, and I saw firsthand just how the situation worsened. Ambulance sirens could be frequently heard and everyone seemed to be on high alert in public settings. A question popped into my head, how could a country with such technological prowess be one of the first to fall? Both experiences fuelled my curiosity over the limitations of technology and to participate in finding solutions to global issues while simultaneously challenging my problem-solving skill and creativity, looking at things through various angles as well as approaching a problem with critical and analytical mindset. Being immersed in diversity and engaging in group projects had improved my adaptability, I learned how to be a team player and a leader with enhanced communication skills. I believe that those mentalities are crucial for an engineer, and it drove me towards studying computer science at NUS which will be my stepping stone, envisioning myself working alongside people in pursuit of efficiency to create an invention with a profound impact on civilization.

I'll appreciate if someone help me with grammatical errors and other things This pandemic has made me realize the importance of having family around when dealing with unexpected situations. Across the globe, we all had to go through tough times during this pandemic including myself, when I lost my grandmother earlier in July. Not only did my grandmother survive Breast Cancer in 2011, but she was on the edge of surviving stage 3 Ovarian Cancer before COVID took her life away. Knowing that the survival rate of Stage 3 cancer is low, she did not give up. Her strong willpower and determination to get better every day were truly inspirational and mind-blowing. Seeing a loved one going through this much pain and coming very close to recovering and then suddenly passing away from a virus that is out of everyone's control was very tough to discern. I learned that in life there will be certain situations beyond my control, and even after doing my best, I cannot change the outcome of these situations, but as long as I am with the right people, I will be able to face them.

I'll appreciate if someone help me with grammatical errors and other things This pandemic has made me realize the importance of having family around when dealing with unexpected situations. Across the globe, we all had to go through tough times during this pandemic including myself, when I lost my grandmother earlier in July. Not only did my grandmother survive Breast Cancer in 2011, but she was on the edge of surviving stage 3 Ovarian Cancer before COVID took her life away. Knowing that the survival rate of Stage 3 cancer is low, she did not give up. Her strong willpower and determination to get better every day were truly inspirational and mind-blowing. Seeing a loved one going through this much pain and coming very close to recovering and then suddenly passing away from a virus that is out of everyone's control was very tough to discern. I learned that in life there will be certain situations beyond my control, and even after doing my best, I cannot change the outcome of these situations, but as long as I am with the right people, I will be able to face them.

"The Happy Little Cow", that's how my family began to call me when I was four years old because, it didn't matter what, smiling was my profession. Few years ago, we went through hard times. My father got cancer, and we didn't have enough money to buy food and pay the bills; mom had four jobs, she was exhausted and depressed. When she was at home, which was very unusual, my sisters and I tried to make her feel fine, but stress defeated her. My mother got a gastric ulcer. The frequent and abundant bleeding left her in a hospital bed. At home, hope was scarce. The fear of losing my parents kept me crying a lot of nights. Some days I couldn't find the energy to get out of bed, but I knew pretty well that letting myself be dragged down by the surrounding vibes was only going to make things harder, so I had to motivate myself in order to motivate my family. I did my best to stay positive, bringing a smile to them with my bad jokes, and taking my little sister out for an ice cream from time to time. I watched motivational speeches on YouTube and what I learned from them I taught to my family. The hardest thing was to hold back tears while talking about how strong we should be. When the stress was intense, my refuge was the magnificent voice of Edith Piaf; listening to her songs made me travel to Paris and escape for a moment from chaos. Everything was quite hard, but we receive emotional and financial support from our family and friends. Thanks to many people, my parents are now in good health. During those times, I realized that I really am that happy little cow whose laughter is contagious. Most importantly, I found my purpose. Transmitting love, peace and hope is what makes me feel alive. I desire people to understand that no matter how horrible the situation may seem; those challenges are not sent to destroy us. They're sent to promote, increase, and strengthen us. Life is full of wonderful opportunities, but we can never make the most of them if we only focus on those we don't have. Works are worth more than words, so I will develop professionally and humanly to inspire through example. I have the will and the means to carry my objectives. My passion for medicine will make me able to collaborate body and soul for a world where love and hope predominate over hate and misery. Six months ago, I had no idea that I would actually do this. If in my neighborhood you tell someone you will apply to a United States university, specifically Harvard, you can get two reactions: They could give you the number of a psychiatrist or they wouldn't even know what Harvard is. My mother begged me not to do it; she said it would frustrate me. She even took me to a friend of her, who is a school principal, to make me see the reality. At the moment, those discouraging comments made me feel ridiculous, but then I felt more powerful than before. How can I judge my mother? Where I see a horizon, she sees a wall. Although I love her, I moved on. I went to a non-bilingual school, but I learned English by reading and watching movies. No one around me knew anything about applying to an international university, so the Harvard website along with their students were my consultants. I didn't even know what the SAT was; however, I Watched videos on YouTube to study, and so I have spent my life, taking the small seeds I find on the way and turning them into a wonderful garden. In the end, that's what I want to preach. I may seem like a naïve girl who lives in a fantasy world, but I am not. Life can put me in the middle of nowhere and I will come out because I have my inner compass, love.

"The Happy Little Cow", that's how my family began to call me when I was four years old because, it didn't matter what, smiling was my profession. Few years ago, we went through hard times. My father got cancer, and we didn't have enough money to buy food and pay the bills; mom had four jobs, she was exhausted and depressed. When she was at home, which was very unusual, my sisters and I tried to make her feel fine, but stress defeated her. My mother got a gastric ulcer. The frequent and abundant bleeding left her in a hospital bed. At home, hope was scarce. The fear of losing my parents kept me crying a lot of nights. Some days I couldn't find the energy to get out of bed, but I knew pretty well that letting myself be dragged down by the surrounding vibes was only going to make things harder, so I had to motivate myself in order to motivate my family. I did my best to stay positive, bringing a smile to them with my bad jokes, and taking my little sister out for an ice cream from time to time. I watched motivational speeches on YouTube and what I learned from them, I taught to my family. The hardest thing was to hold back tears while talking about how strong we should be. When the stress was intense, my refuge was the magnificent voice of Edith Piaf; listening to her songs made me travel to Paris and escape for a moment from chaos. Everything was quite hard, but we receive emotional and financial support from our family and friends. Thanks to many people, my parents are now in good health. During those times, I realized that I really am that happy little cow whose laughter is contagious. Most importantly, I found my purpose. Transmitting love, peace and hope is what makes me feel alive. I desire people to understand that no matter how horrible the situation may seem; those challenges are not sent to destroy us. They're sent to promote, increase, and strengthen us. Life is full of wonderful opportunities, but we can never make the most of them if we only focus on those we don't have. Works are worth more than words, so I will develop professionally and humanly to inspire through example. I have the will and the means to carry my objectives. My passion for medicine will make me able to collaborate body and soul for a world where love and hope predominate over hate and misery. Six months ago, I had no idea that I would actually do this. If in my neighborhood you tell someone you will apply to a United States university, specifically Harvard, you can get two reactions: They could give you the number of a psychiatrist, or they wouldn't even know what Harvard is. My mother begged me not to do it; she said it would frustrate me. She even took me to a friend of her, who is a school principal, to make me see the reality. At the moment, those discouraging comments made me feel ridiculous, but then I felt more powerful than before. How can I judge my mother? Where I see a horizon, she sees a wall. Although I love her, I moved on. I went to a non-bilingual school, but I learned English by reading and watching movies. No one around me knew anything about applying to an international university, so the Harvard website along with their students were my consultants. I didn't even know what the SAT was; however, I Watched videos on YouTube to study, and so I have spent my life, taking the small seeds I find on the way and turning them into a wonderful garden. In the end, that's what I want to preach. I may seem like a naïve girl who lives in a fantasy world, but I am not. Life can put me in the middle of nowhere and I will come out because I have my inner compass, love.

I asked my best friend to help me answer this question by briefly describing me, and she said, "When it comes to being a friend to someone, you are the most empathetic person I know, but when it comes to helping yourself, you are turning into the strictest parent I could imagine". After a while, I realized that she is correct. It might be that the caring and supportive attitude I obtained by being an older sister for four of my siblings reflects on my interactions with others, and exactingness to myself is the consequence of the understanding that I am in charge of everyone. Many people would say they perceive me as a strong and confident individual, but it was not always that way. Before moving to Canada for secondary school, I was extremely vulnerable, but since I arrived the major changes within my personality occured. During the first year abroad, I had to adapt to living among diverse community, and in order to become more tolerant I taught myself to accept judgements. By providing me with the opportunity to engage myself into a variety of team projects and volunteering, my school has helped me to become creative and adoptable, while the wide experience of organizing school events made me more responsible. From my teachers, I learned to work the hardest and be curious about every field of study. However, the most important of my inferences that I feel proud of is that even if the chance to succeed seems to be low, taking a risk is always worth it, so now I am entirely fearless. Bravery is a key to finding your way, that is why I value that quality within myself.

I asked my best friend to help me answer this question by briefly describing me, and she said, "When it comes to being a friend to someone, you are the most empathetic person I know, but when it comes to helping yourself, you are turning into the strictest parent I could imagine". After a while, I realized that she is correct. It might be that the caring and supportive attitude I obtained by being an older sister for four of my siblings reflects on my interactions with others, and exactness to myself is the consequence of the understanding that I am in charge of everyone. Many people would say they perceive me as a strong and confident individual, but it was not always that way. Before moving to Canada for secondary school, I was extremely vulnerable, but since I arrived the major changes within my personality occurred. During the first year abroad, I had to adapt to living among diverse community, and in order to become more tolerant I taught myself to accept judgements. By providing me with the opportunity to engage myself into a variety of team projects and volunteering, my school has helped me to become creative and adoptable, while the wide experience of organizing school events made me more responsible. From my teachers, I learned to work the hardest and be curious about every field of study. However, the most important of my inferences that I feel proud of is that even if the chance to succeed seems to be low, taking a risk is always worth it, so now I am entirely fearless. Bravery is a key to finding your way, that is why I value that quality within myself.

Working in the business environment right after high school brought to me a different perspective of college education. Being in between the colleagues who are older than me, I always wonder: "How can I still be equal to them although I've not attended college?", "What is the difference between me and people who all have a college degree?". Later I realized that the difference doesn't exist so much because I could catch up with their information and procedures in a short time. It is impractical to spend the next 4 years in college to learn the available procedures and then return to what I've already done. What I truly expect from a college education includes the opportunities to explore my choices and criticize knowledge. Liberal Art Education encourages me to do different things, and Wesleyan has stimulated me to combine Theater and Neuroscience majors. How to make people interested in my plays? How to trigger the emotions of audiences? What is happening in their brains when seeing the performance? Those questions lead me to two different majors, one in art and the other in science, to solve the biggest human inquiry: Who are we? What is called human? My time at college should be a journey of exploring, building my fullest characteristics, and sharpening my worldviews through thousands of experiences. The practical values of Liberal Education lied in the freedom of choices and the ability it cultivates in me to utilize that freedom.

Working in the business environment right after high school brought to me a different perspective of college education. Being in between the colleagues who are older than me, I always wonder: "How can I still be equal to them, although I've not attended college?", "What is the difference between me and people who all have a college degree?". Later I realized that the difference doesn't exist so much because I could catch up with their information and procedures in a short time. It is impractical to spend the next 4 years in college to learn the available procedures and then return to what I've already done. What I truly expect from a college education includes the opportunities to explore my choices and criticize knowledge. Liberal Art Education encourages me to do different things, and Wesleyan has stimulated me to combine Theater and Neuroscience majors. How to make people interested in my plays? How to trigger the emotions of audiences? What is happening in their brains when seeing the performance? Those questions lead me to two different majors, one in art and the other in science, to solve the biggest human inquiry: Who are we? What is called human? My time at college should be a journey of exploring, building my fullest characteristics, and sharpening my worldviews through thousands of experiences. The practical values of Liberal Education lied in the freedom of choices and the ability it cultivates in me to utilize that freedom.

My friend once told me that I am a person, who easily succeeds in everything. These words sounded nice, but they hurted me because it wasn't the type of person which I want to become. In my mind, someone, who is good at everything, isn't significant in anything. Although, they were fair: the person, who said it, was my classmate, and I truly cope with the curriculum without problems and have the best grades in class, not putting more effort, than other students do. I continued thinking about it and eventually concluded that this is my strong side. Not spending so much time on what most do, I can invest it into spheres, which develop me and are engaging and valuable to me. One of these spheres is Economic science: I do researches and participate in competitions. In particular, I took second place at the All-Ukrainian Economics Olympiad. My hobby is Irish dance, and I can devote my time to this exciting process. I am a participant in the lyceum's parliament, where we are launching useful for school projects and protecting interests of students. When I see an opportunity, I try to help people by volunteering. For example, I helped with building a school for special needs children «Mozayka». Eventually, I will use all my potential when I face a real challenge. And so I will be able to successfully study even in such a high ranked university, as UBC. Thanks again!

My friend once told me that I am a person, who easily succeeds in everything. These words sounded nice, but they hurt me because it wasn't the type of person which I want to become. In my mind, someone, who is good at everything, isn't significant in anything. Although, they were fair: the person, who said it, was my classmate, and I truly cope with the curriculum without problems and have the best grades in class, not putting more effort, than other students do. I continued thinking about it and eventually concluded that this is my strong side. Not spending so much time on what most do, I can invest it into spheres, which develop me and are engaging and valuable to me. One of these spheres is Economic science: I do researches and participate in competitions. In particular, I took second place at the All-Ukrainian Economics Olympiad. My hobby is Irish dance, and I can devote my time to this exciting process. I am a participant in the lyceum's parliament, where we are launching useful for school projects and protecting interests of students. When I see an opportunity, I try to help people by volunteering. For example, I helped with building a school for special needs children «Maya». Eventually, I will use all my potential when I face a real challenge. And so I will be able to successfully study even in such a high ranked university, as UBC. Thanks again!

I was born in an underprivileged area in Turkey. My father passed away when I was six. I was raised by my brother and my mother. I took an exam for a boarding school (Darussafaka) specifically for orphans, and after I passed the exam started living 1000km away from my family at the age of 10. In my hometown, we lacked basic amenities laboratories, sports facilities, observatories, and instruments in school. And even in some areas parents don't let their daughters go to school. I consider myself lucky to be able to go to Darussafaka. The opportunities were mesmerizing in there so, I took advantage of them I started participating in events, organizations, sessions, courses, and activities from volleyball to chorus, science projects to leadership programs, cake workshops to recycling movements. At first, I was doing these just to have fun then, I got lost. There were times I question if what I did was worth it, there were times that I had to be in three different places. I remember that I didn't even have the time to take care of myself. Hopefully, things changed when I attended the Young Guru Academy (YGA). YGA is an organization that aims to turn young people into socially responsible future leaders. They know the best way to learn is by learning from role models so, we learned a lot about being the professions of the future by witnessing to role models; YGA Advisory Board and Alumni. With these mind-blowing experiences, I further volunteered in the Science Movement. By sending the recent technologies to the most disadvantaged regions of Turkey, the Science Movement aimed to raise free thinkers, unique creators, and confident individuals by being their role models. We became the role models of children that we organized science sessions with. Our conversations were so motivating one said people often come to them, play, and give gifts to them that is why he didn't want to come today but the way we approached him felt so real and helped him discover that he really likes science and technology. He even wanted us to come back again. To date, I'm still baffled by their ambitions to learn and their creativity. Their ambition drew me up from the water and helped me realized what I wanted to do in life; to be a role model to millions of kids who dream like them. After that day, I worked hard on making an impression on people and especially on children. First, I became the first girl captain of our robotics team. However, it was not enough. I needed to reach the ones who still live under family patriarch and societal pressure. I and my robotics team worked on projects, workshops, and webinars to touch their hearts. Tried to reach their parents, their teachers, their mukhtars to break taboos of their culture. We were rejected every time. I almost gave up, but I found hope through a foundation that wanted to publish a book about successful girls' stories under the slogan of "Strong Girls, Strong Futures". It was a chance to reach more people. We worked on it for days and finally, the book was published. Now looking back on what I have done, I see how much we can do If We Want.

I was born in an underprivileged area in Turkey. My father passed away when I was six. I was raised by my brother and my mother. I took an exam for a boarding school (Darussalam) specifically for orphans, and after I passed the exam started living 1000 km away from my family at the age of 10. In my hometown, we lacked basic amenities laboratories, sports facilities, observatories, and instruments in school. And even in some areas parents don't let their daughters go to school. I consider myself lucky to be able to go to Darussalam. The opportunities were mesmerizing in there so, I took advantage of them I started participating in events, organizations, sessions, courses, and activities from volleyball to chorus, science projects to leadership programs, cake workshops to recycling movements. At first, I was doing these just to have fun then, I got lost. There were times I question if what I did was worth it, there were times that I had to be in three different places. I remember that I didn't even have the time to take care of myself. Hopefully, things changed when I attended the Young Guru Academy (YOGA). YOGA is an organization that aims to turn young people into socially responsible future leaders. They know the best way to learn is by learning from role models so, we learned a lot about being the professions of the future by witnessing to role models; YOGA Advisory Board and Alumni. With these mind-blowing experiences, I further volunteered in the Science Movement. By sending the recent technologies to the most disadvantaged regions of Turkey, the Science Movement aimed to raise free thinkers, unique creators, and confident individuals by being their role models. We became the role models of children that we organized science sessions with. Our conversations were so motivating one said people often come to them, play, and give gifts to them that is why he didn't want to come today but the way we approached him felt so real and helped him discover that he really likes science and technology. He even wanted us to come back again. To date, I'm still baffled by their ambitions to learn and their creativity. Their ambition drew me up from the water and helped me realized what I wanted to do in life; to be a role model to millions of kids who dream like them. After that day, I worked hard on making an impression on people and especially on children. First, I became the first girl captain of our robotics team. However, it was not enough. I needed to reach the ones who still live under family patriarch and societal pressure. My robotics team and I worked on projects, workshops, and webinars to touch their hearts. Tried to reach their parents, their teachers, their Mokhtar to break taboos of their culture. We were rejected every time. I almost gave up, but I found hope through a foundation that wanted to publish a book about successful girls' stories under the slogan of "Strong Girls, Strong Futures". It was a chance to reach more people. We worked on it for days and finally, the book was published. Now looking back on what I have done, I see how much we can do If We Want.

My palms were sweaty before I even ventured into the field. I have always been a player, but for the first time, I was going to play in the background with a board in hand as I took the responsibility of a team manager for a sport I have never competed in before- baseball. As the manager for the Varsity Boys Baseball, I was in charge of updating the checklist for traveling documents, maintaining scorebooks, recording the players' performance, and managing equipment. While my job seemed appealing, it was quite hard for someone like me who couldn't even differentiate between a strike and a ball. I took the responsibility to challenge my skills and expand my horizon in a new field, but I didn't want to become a burden on my team while pursuing my endeavors. I watched youtube videos and talked to the teammates, practicing with them, to learn the game. With their constant help and support, I understood the importance of teamwork and improved my managing and communication skills. It helped me recognize the significance of relentless hard-work and how it can help you swing a home-run even in the most unacquainted things.

My palms were sweaty before I even ventured into the field. I have always been a player, but for the first time, I was going to play in the background with a board in hand as I took the responsibility of a team manager for a sport I have never competed in before-baseball. As the manager for the Varsity Boys Baseball, I was in charge of updating the checklist for traveling documents, maintaining scorebooks, recording the players' performance, and managing equipment. While my job seemed appealing, it was quite hard for someone like me who couldn't even differentiate between a strike and a ball. I took the responsibility to challenge my skills and expand my horizon in a new field, but I didn't want to become a burden on my team while pursuing my endeavors. I watched YouTube videos and talked to the teammates, practicing with them, to learn the game. With their constant help and support, I understood the importance of teamwork and improved my managing and communication skills. It helped me recognize the significance of relentless hard-work and how it can help you swing a home-run even in the most unacquainted things.

Like every kid I also was inspired by movies to become a hacker and my laptop setup with parental controls was just the reason I needed to seriously consider the possibility. After tons of "research" on the internet and asking every adult I knew , I ended up at a programming course.I put in a ton of effort in my coding classes and seeing my persistence and inquisitiveness my instructors allowed me to take more advanced classes. They praised me for my level of work-ethic and hard-work which not only motivated me but also allowed my parents to see my hardworking and determined side. I love to help my fellow classmates, especially in mathematics which has helped me gain the title of the "math guy" and because of this my teachers distinguish me for my ability to think critically and logically. My friends often describe me as committed and say that I have a tendency to produce healthy competition among my peers. Among my friends I am also known for my dark and self-deprecating humour and oftentimes I am the butt of the joke. Over-time I have acquired lot's of skills from my friends and instructors which have helped me in my studies and in pursuing passions, the most important of which is time management. Effectively managing my time has allowed me to attend my first machine learning class and build a complete deep learning model on my own which is my proudest achievement.

Like every kid I also was inspired by movies to become a hacker and my laptop setup with parental controls was just the reason I needed to seriously consider the possibility. After tons of "research" on the internet and asking every adult I knew, I ended up at a programming course. I put in a ton of effort in my coding classes and seeing my persistence and inquisitiveness my instructors allowed me to take more advanced classes. They praised me for my level of work-ethic and hard-work which not only motivated me but also allowed my parents to see my hardworking and determined side. I love to help my classmates, especially in mathematics which has helped me gain the title of the "math guy" and because of this my teachers distinguish me for my ability to think critically and logically. My friends often describe me as committed and say that I have a tendency to produce healthy competition among my peers. Among my friends I am also known for my dark and self-deprecating humor and oftentimes I am the butt of the joke. Over-time I have acquired lots of skills from my friends and instructors which have helped me in my studies and in pursuing passions, the most important of which is time management. Effectively managing my time has allowed me to attend my first machine learning class and build a complete deep learning model on my own which is my proudest achievement.

I got into computer science because I missed a tournament. It was the year 2012 when I got my first laptop , a hand-me-down from my dad. It was also around the time when my parents discovered parental-controls and my gaming time was reduced to one hour, because of this I ended up missing an "important" gaming tournament. Enraged by this I scoured the internet and the solution I found was hacking the software. After a ton of research and after asking basically everyone i ended up at a programming course. With clear goals I put in a ton of effort in my coding classes. By the end of the course even though I still lacked skills to hack, my instructors were impressed. Seeing my persistent efforts, they allowed me to attend more advanced classes. This was also around the time my academic subjects got interesting. Coding helped me develop two of my treasured traits: extreme curiosity and love for depth of knowledge , which transferred quite well to my STEM studies especially mathematics. Love for which only grew throughout my high school. Now in my senior year I am known as the math guy. Even though I am not the quickest at solving difficult questions, I do solve them. With introduction to proofs and taking my first machine learning course in my final year my desires have morphed to learning more theoretical aspects of computers. I hope to study the same in university and someday make contributions as a researcher in computer science.

I got into computer science because I missed a tournament. It was the year 2012 when I got my first laptop, a hand-me-down from my dad. It was also around the time when my parents discovered parental-controls and my gaming time was reduced to one hour, because of this I ended up missing an "important" gaming tournament. Enraged by this I scoured the internet and the solution I found was hacking the software. After a ton of research and after asking basically everyone I ended up at a programming course. With clear goals I put in a ton of effort in my coding classes. By the end of the course even though I still lacked skills to hack, my instructors were impressed. Seeing my persistent efforts, they allowed me to attend more advanced classes. This was also around the time my academic subjects got interesting. Coding helped me develop two of my treasured traits: extreme curiosity and love for depth of knowledge, which transferred quite well to my STEM studies especially mathematics. Love for which only grew throughout my high school. Now in my senior year I am known as the math guy. Even though I am not the quickest at solving difficult questions, I do solve them. With introduction to proofs and taking my first machine learning course in my final year my desires have morphed to learning more theoretical aspects of computers. I hope to study the same in university and someday make contributions as a researcher in computer science.

This essay isn't very "flowery" and is straight to the point. Should I add extra texture and substance to make it read like a much better essay? If so, how? Here is the prompt:Please use the space below to provide details about the change in progression through secondaryhigh school I am currently scheduled to graduate from high school as a junior and will be receiving a high school diploma. I have completed the highest level of numerous courses offered at my school and I believe I am ready to start my college education. Graduating early and jumpstarting my life at *college name* would introduce me to a great network of talented students, knowledgeable and caring faculty, and challenging curriculum. Because I feel ready for college and believe it will adequately challenge me to prepare me for my career goals, my school counselor and parents fully support me in graduating early.

This essay isn't very "flowery" and is straight to the point. Should I add extra texture and substance to make it read like a much better essay? If so, how? Here is the prompt:Please use the space below to provide details about the change in progression through secondary high school I am currently scheduled to graduate from high school as a junior and will be receiving a high school diploma. I have completed the highest level of numerous courses offered at my school and I believe I am ready to start my college education. Graduating early and jumpstarting my life at *college name* would introduce me to a great network of talented students, knowledgeable and caring faculty, and challenging curriculum. Because I feel ready for college and believe it will adequately challenge me to prepare me for my career goals, my school counselor and parents fully support me in graduating early.

I am interested in the software engineering and computer science programs at Waterloo due to my love of problem-solving and pushing boundaries. I aspire to define new frontiers of innovation and build a better future for generations to come. The UW Blueprint Organization will allow me to dedicate my skills in creating technology for the social good while honing my technical craft in a team environment. Waterloo's women in engineering club offers mentorship, outreach events, and networking opportunities. Having a mentor will support my learning, provide guidance in a male-dominated field, and enable me to learn from others' mistakes instead of my own. Waterloo's extensive co-op program fosters professional development from day one, adding a competitive advantage after graduation. Arguing my case with stakeholders and their team, asking questions, or sharing learning achievements, requires a certain finesse that is only developed from onsite experience that co-op offers. The program will also help decipher, where I add unique value to the company.

I am interested in the software engineering and computer science programs at Waterloo due to my love of problem-solving and pushing boundaries. I aspire to define new frontiers of innovation and build a better future for generations to come. The UW Blueprint Organization will allow me to dedicate my skills in creating technology for the social good while honing my technical craft in a team environment. Waterloo's women in engineering club offers mentorship, outreach events, and networking opportunities. Having a mentor will support my learning, provide guidance in a male-dominated field, and enable me to learn from others' mistakes instead of my own. Waterloo's extensive co-op program fosters professional development from day one, adding a competitive advantage after graduation. Arguing my case with stakeholders and their team, asking questions, or sharing learning achievements, requires a certain finesse that is only developed from onsite experience that co-op offers. The program will also help decipher, where I add unique value to the company.

My first business was when I was 7 years old. You may have heard stories like this before, but mine is a little different. During recess, I would sell Rainbow Loom bracelets to other unsuspecting 7 years olds but I would charge them triple the price I should have. In one day I made 80 dollars off of 10 bracelets, even though it cost me 5 dollars to make them. That day, I learned about profit in relation to revenue and cost. However, only 3 days later, many of my customers came back telling me I had overcharged them. That day, I learned about the importance of customer satisfaction. I hated that I lost money because of refunds, but I learned the importance of ethical behavior when it comes to running a business. After that, I became invested in finding new and innovative ways to make money, which eventually transferred over to my love for business. From a young age, my parents taught me to be self-sufficient. Being that they're both entrepreneurs they felt it was vital for me to learn how to create and problem-solve on my own. As I began to understand the significance of independence and responsibility, I formed a craving and love for it. This became evident at school; among my peers, I have consistently been known as the independent student. I am very strict with my schedules and deadlines, and hold myself to a very high standard-- which I believe is the reason for my academic success. My propensity for self-governance and my parents' businesses also inspires me to find my own way in life. Being that one of the main focuses of your Commerce program is entrepreneurship, your program made an excellent fit for what I was looking for in Business. Learning to create a business as an individual is very important to me because I am able to have more freedom with my vision. When I have creative leeway and autonomy, I am usually more passionate and tend to be more successful in my work. University seems to be where independence becomes essential, even more so for this program. Since I am an individual who thrives in an environment such as this, my penchant for independence will be a huge part of my success in university. I have always had a proclivity for mathematics and its practical application to life; mathematical theory, and its importance in society, fascinates me. I love that I can apply my knowledge from math to many facets of life, including finance. When given a finance problem, the numbers are no longer just symbols on a page; they mean something. Understanding the significance of the numbers and how I could solve or analyze the problem became an exciting task I looked forward to. After the finance unit, learning more about the practical application of math within business seemed quite interesting. Through my research into post-secondary programs, I discovered I could learn about business in a practical sense as well as apply math to finance courses. The links between mathematics and the Commerce program will contribute to my success in university, more specifically this program, as a result of my skill in math. I have had the privilege to travel, both in North America and Europe. It is an aspect of my life I value and has given me the opportunity to learn about various cultures. Traveling takes me out of the environment I am accustomed to and challenges my conscious and subconscious biases. One example of how travel influenced my perspective on life is being able to compare the many different lifestyles and careers of those I have met. It completely shifted my mindset on the breadth of work and life opportunities I have available to me. I am not limited to one set path in life, I am free to alter my course and direction anytime I would like. With this in mind, I was excited to learn that your program includes an international business focus. This aligns well with my goal to build my career on a global scale as well as further my cultural horizons. The University of Victoria's Commerce program gives me the flexibility and choice to adjust my path. These aspects as well as my own mindset towards my career path will both contribute to my personal success. Each of these aspects makes up a part of who I am and what I value. I believe my independence, skill in mathematics, and my understanding of career pathways through travel will contribute to my eventual success in university and your BCom program. My independence will aid in learning about entrepreneurship and the completion of independent work. My aptitude for math will be incredibly helpful for finance. Last but not least, being given the opportunity to travel gave me a much deeper understanding of my own personal goals and what I see for myself in terms of a career pathway. Right now, my personal goal is to go to university and as for my career pathway, going into a Business Commerce program is only the beginning. In the end, all I want is to live up to that seven-year-old girl's dream of a business bigger than selling elastic band bracelets during recess.

My first business was when I was 7 years old. You may have heard stories like this before, but mine is a little different. During recess, I would sell Rainbow Loom bracelets to other unsuspecting 7 years olds, but I would charge them triple the price I should have. In one day I made 80 dollars off of 10 bracelets, even though it cost me 5 dollars to make them. That day, I learned about profit in relation to revenue and cost. However, only 3 days later, many of my customers came back telling me I had overcharged them. That day, I learned about the importance of customer satisfaction. I hated that I lost money because of refunds, but I learned the importance of ethical behavior when it comes to running a business. After that, I became invested in finding new and innovative ways to make money, which eventually transferred over to my love for business. From a young age, my parents taught me to be self-sufficient. Being that they're both entrepreneurs they felt it was vital for me to learn how to create and problem-solve on my own. As I began to understand the significance of independence and responsibility, I formed a craving and love for it. This became evident at school; among my peers, I have consistently been known as the independent student. I am very strict with my schedules and deadlines, and hold myself to a very high standard-- which I believe is the reason for my academic success. My propensity for self-governance and my parents' businesses also inspires me to find my own way in life. Being that one of the main focuses of your Commerce program is entrepreneurship, your program made an excellent fit for what I was looking for in Business. Learning to create a business as an individual is very important to me because I am able to have more freedom with my vision. When I have creative leeway and autonomy, I am usually more passionate and tend to be more successful in my work. University seems to be where independence becomes essential, even more so for this program. Since I am an individual who thrives in an environment such as this, my penchant for independence will be a huge part of my success in university. I have always had a proclivity for mathematics and its practical application to life; mathematical theory, and its importance in society, fascinates me. I love that I can apply my knowledge from math to many facets of life, including finance. When given a finance problem, the numbers are no longer just symbols on a page; they mean something. Understanding the significance of the numbers and how I could solve or analyze the problem became an exciting task I looked forward to. After the finance unit, learning more about the practical application of math within business seemed quite interesting. Through my research into post-secondary programs, I discovered I could learn about business in a practical sense as well as apply math to finance courses. The links between mathematics and the Commerce program will contribute to my success in university, more specifically this program, as a result of my skill in math. I have had the privilege to travel, both in North America and Europe. It is an aspect of my life I value and has given me the opportunity to learn about various cultures. Traveling takes me out of the environment I am accustomed to and challenges my conscious and subconscious biases. One example of how travel influenced my perspective on life is being able to compare the many lifestyles and careers of those I have met. It completely shifted my mindset on the breadth of work and life opportunities I have available to me. I am not limited to one set path in life, I am free to alter my course and direction anytime I would like. With this in mind, I was excited to learn that your program includes an international business focus. This aligns well with my goal to build my career on a global scale as well as further my cultural horizons. The University of Victoria's Commerce program gives me the flexibility and choice to adjust my path. These aspects as well as my own mindset towards my career path will both contribute to my personal success. Each of these aspects makes up a part of who I am and what I value. I believe my independence, skill in mathematics, and my understanding of career pathways through travel will contribute to my eventual success in university and your Com program. My independence will aid in learning about entrepreneurship and the completion of independent work. My aptitude for math will be incredibly helpful for finance. Last but not least, being given the opportunity to travel gave me a much deeper understanding of my own personal goals and what I see for myself in terms of a career pathway. Right now, my personal goal is to go to university and as for my career pathway, going into a Business Commerce program is only the beginning. In the end, all I want is to live up to that seven-year-old girl's dream of a business bigger than selling elastic band bracelets during recess.

Q1: Please tell us about your educational goals, your interest in your chosen program(s), and your reasons for applying to the University of Waterloo. If you have applied to more than one program, please discuss your interest in each program. (900 characters limit) My intention with Engineering is about learning skills and growing my passions. The idea of innovating, designing, and researching nanomaterials is the basis of my educational goal towards the Nanotechnology Engineering program at the University of Waterloo. Ranging from effective medical accessories to dust-sized computer chips with a high-functioning system, these are the fascination of nanotechnology that always appeals to me. Being an engineer at Waterloo will help me make these ideas come to life. This is not only because of the prestigious co-operative opportunities given students to have hands-on experiences as well as building the solid foundation in technical and personal skills but also the characteristic of Waterloo in being one of the world-lead in innovation makes me believe in its potentiality to bring out the most extended capability of students when they study in Waterloo. EngineerQ1: Briefly explain why you are interested in engineering and particularly in the program to which you have applied. Comment, for example, on your interests and abilities; your career goals; exposure to engineering through school-related and other experiences; and discussions you have had with engineers, teachers, current or past Waterloo students. (900 characters limit) My interest in Nanotechnology Engineering roots in my passion for wanting to make the image of the future world authentic. Growing up in a developing country like Thailand had limited my chance of accessing new ideas in the world of science. However, during my middle school year, I had had a chance to attend a seminary presenting the novel idea of an innovative society constructed around the application of nanotechnology which greatly fascinated me. Since then, I have believed that nanotechnology would bring significant changes to today's society. And I could not wait to become one of those forefronts who brought this idea into practicality which being an engineer is a gateway to succeed in this passion. Since nanotechnology engineering is still a new science of the world, I wished that I could be a benefit in advancing its potentiality and creating more innovation for our society.

Q1: Please tell us about your educational goals, your interest in your chosen program(s), and your reasons for applying to the University of Waterloo. If you have applied to more than one program, please discuss your interest in each program. (900 characters limit) My intention with Engineering is about learning skills and growing my passions. The idea of innovating, designing, and researching nanomaterials is the basis of my educational goal towards the Nanotechnology Engineering program at the University of Waterloo. Ranging from effective medical accessories to dust-sized computer chips with a high-functioning system, these are the fascination of nanotechnology that always appeals to me. Being an engineer at Waterloo will help me make these ideas come to life. This is not only because of the prestigious co-operative opportunities given students to have hands-on experiences as well as building the solid foundation in technical and personal skills but also the characteristic of Waterloo in being one of the world-lead in innovation makes me believe in its potentiality to bring out the most extended capability of students when they study in Waterloo. EngineerQ1: Briefly explain why you are interested in engineering and particularly in the program to which you have applied. Comment, for example, on your interests and abilities; your career goals; exposure to engineering through school-related and other experiences; and discussions you have had with engineers, teachers, current or past Waterloo students. (900 characters limit) My interest in Nanotechnology Engineering roots in my passion for wanting to make the image of the future world authentic. Growing up in a developing country like Thailand had limited my chance of accessing new ideas in the world of science. However, during my middle school year, I had had a chance to attend a seminary presenting the novel idea of an innovative society constructed around the application of nanotechnology which greatly fascinated me. Since then, I have believed that nanotechnology would bring significant changes to today's society. And I could not wait to become one of those forefronts who brought this idea into practicality which being an engineer is a gateway to succeed in this passion. Since nanotechnology engineering is still a new science of the world, I wished that I could be a benefit in advancing its potentiality and creating more innovation for our society.

Programs: Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science I want to pursue a career in Mechanical Engineering at Waterloo because I want to bring the Aerospace Industry to Canada. Co-op Engineering at Waterloo is designed to provide experience in large multidisciplinary teams, problem-solving, and innovation, all of which I need to direct such a venture. The Engineering IDEAs Clinic, the Sedra Design Centre, and its Rocketry Team are of specific interest to me; the opportunity provided by these playgrounds validates that Mechanical Engineering at Waterloo is the next step in accomplishing my goals. Building on my passion for space, I am also interested in unknowns. Mathematical Physics and Computer Science programs empower me to take this path, equips me with the tools required to analyze data, and solve bizarre problems. The Institutes for Quantum Computing and Theoretical Physics allow me to become a modern explorer.

Programs: Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science I want to pursue a career in Mechanical Engineering at Waterloo because I want to bring the Aerospace Industry to Canada. Co-op Engineering at Waterloo is designed to provide experience in large multidisciplinary teams, problem-solving, and innovation, all of which I need to direct such a venture. The Engineering Ideas Clinic, the Serra Design Center, and its Rocketry Team are of specific interest to me; the opportunity provided by these playgrounds validates that Mechanical Engineering at Waterloo is the next step in accomplishing my goals. Building on my passion for space, I am also interested in unknowns. Mathematical Physics and Computer Science programs empower me to take this path, equips me with the tools required to analyze data, and solve bizarre problems. The Institutes for Quantum Computing and Theoretical Physics allow me to become a modern explorer.

Vietnamese Literature class... I was tired of copying the lecture from the board to my notebook without any discussions about the script or characters. Today some Japanese students would visit my school, so why did I still stuck to this desk and didn't come to see them? Looking at the grief and boredom of my classmates, an idea runs throughout my mind. A little post note, some secret ciphers, in only 10 minutes, I "organized" a team to escape the room. Utilizing the playtime, we sneaked out to the hall, pretended that we were going to buy breakfast. We entered the hall, looked at the stage, and in one second, my mind was blown. It was the first time I saw over 100 foreigners in their traditional costumes, their school uniforms, and enjoyed the Japanese sword show, the Japanese music in-the-real-life. I was amazed by their stories about their daily lives in Japan, their integrity in playing games, their calm manner when listening to my stories. Only 3 hours spent with them sparked in me a desire to explore the cultures in the world rather than any international relations lessons. The Culture Shows at Wellesley has been attracted me naturally. There would be the day I attend a multicultural organization to represent cultures on the stage no matter where I come from. It might be a week when all the culture shows occur respectively, and I would never blink one time at these shows. Representing my school to those people from Japan would never be a fear to me. I love presenting on the stage because I love inspiring people with my stories. My voice became silvery and forceful when talking and drew people to be around me. Stories had powerful impacts. At the Tanner Conference where the stories come together, I want to show my own. Due to my own interest in managing and business, I skipped the parties with my friends many times and didn't get along with them much. However, our relationships have improved since I walked onto the stage and started talking. Rather than saying what is obvious and available on the Internet, I found the intimate relations between myself and others to reach out to their hearts. Storytelling has connected me with my people. Any moment that allows me to connect is priceless, and I really treasure your Campus-wide brain parties.

Vietnamese Literature class... I was tired of copying the lecture from the board to my notebook without any discussions about the script or characters. Today some Japanese students would visit my school, so why did I still stick to this desk and didn't come to see them? Looking at the grief and boredom of my classmates, an idea runs throughout my mind. A little post note, some secret ciphers, in only 10 minutes, I "organized" a team to escape the room. Utilizing the playtime, we sneaked out to the hall, pretended that we were going to buy breakfast. We entered the hall, looked at the stage, and in one second, my mind was blown. It was the first time I saw over 100 foreigners in their traditional costumes, their school uniforms, and enjoyed the Japanese sword show, the Japanese music in-the-real-life. I was amazed by their stories about their daily lives in Japan, their integrity in playing games, their calm manner when listening to my stories. Only 3 hours spent with them sparked in me a desire to explore the cultures in the world rather than any international relations lessons. The Culture Shows at Wellesley has been attracted me naturally. There would be the day I attend a multicultural organization to represent cultures on the stage no matter where I come from. It might be a week when all the culture shows occur respectively, and I would never blink one time at these shows. Representing my school to those people from Japan would never be a fear to me. I love presenting on the stage because I love inspiring people with my stories. My voice became silvery and forceful when talking and drew people to be around me. Stories had powerful impacts. At the Tanner Conference where the stories come together, I want to show my own. Due to my own interest in managing and business, I skipped the parties with my friends many times and didn't get along with them much. However, our relationships have improved since I walked onto the stage and started talking. Rather than saying what is obvious and available on the Internet, I found the intimate relations between myself and others to reach out to their hearts. Storytelling has connected me with my people. Any moment that allows me to connect is priceless, and I really treasure your Campus-wide brain parties.

Your statement of purpose should consist of approximately 500 words and should provide an overview of your academic and personal experience, describing preparation for and commitment to further study at SCAD, as well as educational and professional goals and aspirations. My love for art is a magnificent thing. I don't only love it for the story that it's telling in the artwork but how it can take someone on a journey through imagery. I believe that everyone has a story to tell, that allows art to speak for itself with feelings and emotions, in different ways it can control every aspect of who we are. I really want to be an illustrator. I would always be excited to go to art classes to learn different types of techniques and perspectives. I didn't have my life figured out until I found art. Art guided me to the person I wanted to become. As I began to devote myself to progress my skills each and every day, I taught myself how to draw using YouTube tutorials and capturing a picture from the internet which allowed me to further take my career to the next level to succeed. I began to keep my art alive to make a way for the next generation. When I was born my mom found out that I had a learning disability. Throughout my life, I have always been different from other kids. It was hard for me to process information in my mind. It didn't come easy for me academically. My disabilities held me back in a lot of ways. I had to fight more than the rest of the students would and learned different ways to be successful. This was the part of my life that I couldn't control --- the hardships and challenges that I had to overcome. But, drawing was something that I could control to get inspired by other people. SCAD is the place where my disability wouldn't affect my life; where I will not be different from everyone else, and I could manage to deal with my learning disability to allow me to grow as an artist. As I was going through my teenage years, anxiety and depression were the toughest battles that I had to face. I never wanted to have anxiety. It made me worry about what I couldn't measure up to and the obstacles that I had to get through wouldn't define who I would become. I was always afraid of my anxiety getting the best of me. At night, I would make drawings when I was going through a hard time in my life. It was an outlet for me to let my mind go somewhere else that I can imagine. Upon my visit to Savannah with my family, I had the chance to see the building of SCAD. I noticed that people were displaying their artwork outside the school and that their art was beautiful. I could imagine myself growing and flourishing into an artist. That every obstacle that stood in my way motivates me to make my own coloring book company for people who experience and struggle with mental health.

Your statement of purpose should consist of approximately 500 words and should provide an overview of your academic and personal experience, describing preparation for and commitment to further study at SCAD, as well as educational and professional goals and aspirations. My love for art is a magnificent thing. I don't only love it for the story that it's telling in the artwork but how it can take someone on a journey through imagery. I believe that everyone has a story to tell, that allows art to speak for itself with feelings and emotions, in different ways it can control every aspect of who we are. Furthermore, I really want to be an illustrator. Furthermore, I would always be excited to go to art classes to learn different types of techniques and perspectives. Furthermore, I didn't have my life figured out until I found art. Art guided me to the person I wanted to become. As I began to devote myself to progress my skills each and every day, I taught myself how to draw using YouTube tutorials and capturing a picture from the internet which allowed me to further take my career to the next level to succeed. I began to keep my art alive to make a way for the next generation. When I was born my mom found out that I had a learning disability. Throughout my life, I have always been different from other kids. It was hard for me to process information in my mind. It didn't come easy for me academically. My disabilities held me back in a lot of ways. I had to fight more than the rest of the students would and learned different ways to be successful. This was the part of my life that I couldn't control --- the hardships and challenges that I had to overcome. But, drawing was something that I could control to get inspired by other people. SCAD is the place where my disability wouldn't affect my life; where I will not be different from everyone else, and I could manage to deal with my learning disability to allow me to grow as an artist. As I was going through my teenage years, anxiety and depression were the toughest battles that I had to face. I never wanted to have anxiety. It made me worry about what I couldn't measure up to and the obstacles that I had to get through wouldn't define who I would become. I was always afraid of my anxiety getting the best of me. At night, I would make drawings when I was going through a hard time in my life. It was an outlet for me to let my mind go somewhere else that I can imagine. Upon my visit to Savannah with my family, I had the chance to see the building of SCAD. I noticed that people were displaying their artwork outside the school and that their art was beautiful. I could imagine myself growing and flourishing into an artist. That every obstacle that stood in my way motivates me to make my own coloring book company for people who experience and struggle with mental health.

Throughout times of depression and adversities, my mother has always shown me her unconditional love and support. The bond I have with my mother is what is important to me. When I was eighteen years old, I was living in Edmonton alone. I had suffered a period of major depression and had no friends or family in the city to support me. I had told her that I had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital due to the severity of my depression, and about a couple of days later, to my surprise, she had shown up at the hospital where I had been admitted at. The experience of her encouragement gave me the inclination of adopting a supportive characteristic to the friends around me. Her support and love were key factors for me overcoming my depression and many more tribulations in my life.

Throughout times of depression and adversities, my mother has always shown me her unconditional love and support. The bond I have with my mother is what is important to me. When I was eighteen years old, I was living in Edmonton alone. I had suffered a period of major depression and had no friends or family in the city to support me. I had told her that I had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital due to the severity of my depression, and about a couple of days later, to my surprise, she had shown up at the hospital where I had been admitted at. The experience of her encouragement gave me the inclination of adopting a supportive characteristic to the surrounding friends. Her support and love were key factors for me overcoming my depression and many more tribulations in my life.

Since I was in ninth grade, I have known that I want to change the world through robotics. Due that, my biggest goal is to be the type of engineer who together with a team (it is very difficult to change the world alone) can implement solutions to problems of the real world. MIT is known for the good relations between their students and companies, and the amount of research resources that are available for the ones that take the initiative and work for them. MIT sandbox is the perfect chance for my goal of founding my own company not only due the funding, but also because of the mentoring it offers to entrepreneur students Having that opportunities will allows me to start my own company or work in one that aligns with my dreams.Robotics is my greatest passion, and although it has a lot of theoretical knowledge, in order to develop useful robots, it's necessary to have practical knowledge and apply it. Classes such as 2.009, 2.007 or 2.12 allows the students to be real world engineers. They prepare students with the knowledge and real experience to create successful products, develop real world solutions and some real robotic problems. With all these things, the team-work education MIT offers and the passion I have for robotics, I will be the kind of engineer that will change the world. a) Do you think i answer the question property?b) Do you think i align MIT with my goals or that i only described MIT?c) Are there grammar or syntax errors?Thank you so much

Since I was in ninth grade, I have known that I want to change the world through robotics. Do that, my biggest goal is to be the type of engineer who together with a team (it is very difficult to change the world alone) can implement solutions to problems of the real world. MIT is known for the good relations between their students and companies, and the amount of research resources that are available for the ones that take the initiative and work for them. MIT sandbox is the perfect chance for my goal of founding my own company not only due the funding, but also because of the mentoring it offers to entrepreneur students Having that opportunities will allow me to start my own company or work in one that aligns with my dreams. Robotics is my greatest passion, and although it has a lot of theoretical knowledge, in order to develop useful robots, it's necessary to have practical knowledge and apply it. Classes such as 2.009, 2.007 or 2.12 allows the students to be real world engineers. They prepare students with the knowledge and real experience to create successful products, develop real world solutions and some real robotic problems. With all these things, the team-work education MIT offers and the passion I have for robotics, I will be the kind of engineer that will change the world. a) Do you think I answer the question property?b) Do you think I align MIT with my goals or that I only described MIT?c) Are there grammar or syntax errors? Thank you so much

"When I keep quiet, stigma wins and, I can't let that happen" -Edwin.I was 14 years old when diagnosed with depression. Depression, a stigmatized topic; I believe the problem itself doesn't but, the struggle and success of defeating depression for three years now truly defines me. Speaking about my experience with depression, came the insecurities regarding my parent's faith in me. Fortunately, I did not let my grades degrade but the feeling of emptiness never left. I developed a certain irritation in interacting with people and used to get agitated because I was vexed with myself for such actions. As my comparatively degrading grades and change in my character from cheerful to gloomy was noticed by both my parents and school authorities, I was scheduled to attend a child psychologist at my school. I remember one fine morning he said to me," Remember Erina, there's always a reason for all of your feelings, if you focus on the cause, you will undoubtedly find the solution." Since that day, I have developed a certain insight and wisdom on tackling problems, that not only helped me resolve them but also make sure to untangle myself from complications by eliminating its cause. 'Painted Birds' by Fiona Bullen, not particularly the book to fight against depression; however, the book has made a tremendous impact on helping me gain my courage back. I am moved by the act of heroism portrayed by the protagonist and how she fought until the very end with remarkable bravery. I have learned not to panic when there's a problem but find out the cause to understand the problem because not knowing the 'why' and 'what' of a problem can drive people crazy. I have made mistakes and faced its consequences; I am well aware that I have victimized myself in many situations where I needed to be brave, regardless of them all, I am proud of myself today and I am very confident sharing my experience of depression as I am not victimizing myself anymore. I have learned, to face my lows and fill them with the warmth of strength, courage, and optimism. As in this moment of life, I contend with myself. The complexity, delicacy, and importance of psychological assistance to a suffering individual in every aspect of life fascinates me. Successfully overcoming my depression gave me a sense of hope, I know I am capable of dedicating myself to the strong will in pursuing my career in psychology and potentially make a difference in someone else's life. I am very optimistic about fulfilling my potential. I am a firm believer in psychotherapy, especially when it comes to adolescents. I believe that focusing on the cause is a better way to fight against depression rather than using medicine to exert an effect on the chemical makeup and neurological system. Supporting Goffman, Deleuze, and Rosen, I too believe that medication is just a concoction. I believe in analysis, validation, and vanquishing of the issue in such a manner that, the individual himself develops the skill to navigate through his troubles at any given time in the future too. The substantial lack of understanding of psychological, social, and neurological pathways involved in the development of depression in adolescents has driven me to study psychology and raise awareness in Nepal. I have come to learn the difference between hearing and listening. Thus, I don't simply want to hear what people have to say; I want to listen to them, I want to understand them, and if possible, I want to help them. Facilitate them with the sacred ground where they can be themselves and not feel judged.

"When I keep quiet, stigma wins and, I can't let that happen" -Edwin. I was 14 years old when diagnosed with depression. Depression, a stigmatized topic; I believe the problem itself doesn't but, the struggle and success of defeating depression for three years now truly defines me. Speaking about my experience with depression, came the insecurities regarding my parent's faith in me. Fortunately, I did not let my grades degrade but the feeling of emptiness never left. I developed a certain irritation in interacting with people and used to get agitated because I was vexed with myself for such actions. As my comparatively degrading grades and change in my character from cheerful to gloomy was noticed by both my parents and school authorities, I was scheduled to attend a child psychologist at my school. I remember one fine morning he said to me," Remember Erica, there's always a reason for all of your feelings, if you focus on the cause, you will undoubtedly find the solution." Since that day, I have developed a certain insight and wisdom on tackling problems, that not only helped me resolve them but also make sure to untangle myself from complications by eliminating its cause. 'Painted Birds' by Fiona Bullet, not particularly the book to fight against depression; however, the book has made a tremendous impact on helping me gain my courage back. I am moved by the act of heroism portrayed by the protagonist and how she fought until the very end with remarkable bravery. I have learned not to panic when there's a problem but find out the cause to understand the problem because not knowing the 'why' and 'what' of a problem can drive people crazy. Furthermore, I have made mistakes and faced its consequences; I am well aware that I have victimized myself in many situations where I needed to be brave, regardless of them all, I am proud of myself today, and I am very confident sharing my experience of depression as I am not victimizing myself anymore. Furthermore, I have learned, to face my lows and fill them with the warmth of strength, courage, and optimism. As At this moment of life, I contend with myself. The complexity, delicacy, and importance of psychological assistance to a suffering individual in every aspect of life fascinates me. Successfully overcoming my depression gave me a sense of hope, I know I am capable of dedicating myself to the strong will in pursuing my career in psychology and potentially make a difference in someone else's life. I am very optimistic about fulfilling my potential. I am a firm believer in psychotherapy, especially when it comes to adolescents. Furthermore, I believe that focusing on the cause is a better way to fight against depression rather than using medicine to exert an effect on the chemical makeup and neurological system. Supporting Goffman, Delete, and Rose, I too believe that medication is just a concoction. I believe in analysis, validation, and vanquishing of the issue in such a manner that, the individual himself develops the skill to navigate through his troubles at any given time in the future too. The substantial lack of understanding of psychological, social, and neurological pathways involved in the development of depression in adolescents has driven me to study psychology and raise awareness in Nepal. I have come to learn the difference between hearing and listening. Thus, I don't simply want to hear what people have to say; I want to listen to them, I want to understand them, and if possible, I want to help them. Facilitate them with the sacred ground where they can be themselves and not feel judged.

The people around me have always held top priority in my heart. It is only because of kindness received from my community that I am able to become the person I am today. Due to this, I try to reciprocate as possible, tailoring myself and my personal goals to meet others expectations. I've only recently come to recognize this trait as both a value and a detriment. Growing up in an environment that placed high emphasis on STEM, I based my goals around striving towards a STEM based career in Engineering. Out of fear of letting my community down, I suppressed my own interests and did what was expected of me. It was not until close introspection I realized that basing my self value on the perceptions of others was preventing me from defining my own value. While I was exceeding the expectations of others, I was letting myself down by relinquishing my own goals. In my senior year, I decided to shift focus and gear towards nursing, a field that resonated with me more on a personal level. Though questioned regarding this decision, I decided to move forward with confidence, directing my efforts in pursuing my own definition of success. To me, while earning the respect of others is important, what is more crucial is to never lose sight of my own values. I will always go the extra mile for those that need me, but will aim to never lose sight of matters regarding my own personal growth and development. Hi, any feedback is appreciated! I'm worried about this being too basic or lacking voice, so if a topic shift is necessary I will do so!

The people around me have always held top priority in my heart. It is only because of kindness received from my community that I am able to become the person I am today. Due to this, I try to reciprocate as possible, tailoring myself and my personal goals to meet others expectations. I've only recently come to recognize this trait as both a value and a detriment. Growing up in an environment that placed high emphasis on STEM, I based my goals around striving towards a STEM based career in Engineering. Out of fear of letting my community down, I suppressed my own interests and did what was expected of me. It was not until close introspection I realized that basing my self value on the perceptions of others was preventing me from defining my own value. While I was exceeding the expectations of others, I was letting myself down by relinquishing my own goals. In my senior year, I decided to shift focus and gear towards nursing, a field that resonated with me more on a personal level. Though questioned regarding this decision, I decided to move forward with confidence, directing my efforts in pursuing my own definition of success. To me, while earning the respect of others is important, what is more crucial is to never lose sight of my own values. I will always go the extra mile for those that need me, but will aim to never lose sight of matters regarding my own personal growth and development. Hi, any feedback is appreciated! I'm worried about this being too basic or lacking voice, so if a topic shift is necessary I will do so!

- Neuroscience major: I fall in love with Neuroscience after finding the connection between chemical interactions and the function of neurons in regard to the way of my brain thinking. In Chemistry, I love to think about it in form of a historical timeline, like a journey of chemicals in their "lives". With Neuroscience, the study of the structure and function of neurons appears the same way in my mind. I found a research opportunity in Wellesley offered by Ms. Barbara S. Beltz who passionate about serotonin and adult neurogenesis, which has immediately captivate me by the description "to understand the sequence of events leading to the production of new nerve cells and the regulatory processes that influence these events." I'm naturally attracted to this structural and process-centric thinking. Looking back to the past, in the time of choosing a science subject to apply for competitive high schools, I chose Chemistry because I wanted to attend STEM fields as a girl to prove my ability in front of boys. I used to choose that major in high school because of them, but now I will choose Neuroscience this time for myself. - Campus-wide brain parties I love presenting and exchanging ideas because I love telling stories. In each of my presentations, I don't think of each like the delivery of information, I think of each like a story that I'm telling my audiences. A story needs to be related to their lives, contained surprising ideas, and ended meaningfully. When I was telling those stories and excitement and enthusiasm emerged in my voice, I saw that people became fascinated. Sometimes they laughed, cried, proud, or dived into deep reflection. Stories had powerful impacts. At the Tanner Conference where the stories come together, I want to show my own. Not only telling my stories, but I could also see the possibilities of connecting two or more ideas to invent a new solution. I've spent hours and hours roaming through many study fields and life experiences and I'd love to listen to their stories too.

- Neuroscience major: I fall in love with Neuroscience after finding the connection between chemical interactions and the function of neurons in regard to the way of my brain thinking. In Chemistry, I love to think about it in form of a historical timeline, like a journey of chemicals in their "lives". With Neuroscience, the study of the structure and function of neurons appears the same way in my mind. I found a research opportunity in Wellesley offered by Ms. Barbara S. Belt who passionate about serotonin and adult neurogenesis, which has immediately captivate me by the description "to understand the sequence of events leading to the production of new nerve cells and the regulatory processes that influence these events." I'm naturally attracted to this structural and process-centric thinking. Looking back to the past, in the time of choosing a science subject to apply for competitive high schools, I chose Chemistry because I wanted to attend STEM fields as a girl to prove my ability in front of boys. I used to choose that major in high school because of them, but now I will choose Neuroscience this time for myself. - Campus-wide brain parties I love presenting and exchanging ideas because I love telling stories. In each of my presentations, I don't think of each like the delivery of information, I think of each like a story that I'm telling my audiences. A story needs to be related to their lives, contained surprising ideas, and ended meaningfully. When I was telling those stories and excitement and enthusiasm emerged in my voice, I saw that people became fascinated. Sometimes they laughed, cried, proud, or dived into deep reflection. Stories had powerful impacts. At the Tanner Conference where the stories come together, I want to show my own. Not only telling my stories, but I could also see the possibilities of connecting two or more ideas to invent a new solution. I've spent hours and hours roaming through many study fields and life experiences, and I'd love to listen to their stories too.

When I was 4 years old, I lived two lives. In one life I lived with my parents, teachers, and friends. Another life was a secret place where I was blending in the most amazing adventure with my soulmates. I was thrilled in my first time flying up to the blue sky with Sakura the CardCaptor and exploring the black hole in the universe with Optimus Prime. They led me to a brand new world that surpassed the detention of school and family, agitating the excitement of exploring this wonderful planet inside an inquisitive kid. My father used to be frightened when he saw me always sat at the corner of the room, and... didn't do anything. Don't like other kids in kindergarten who love to run out in the playground and make their parents angry by their crying sound, I was so silent. It was hard to tell people that you are in your own world when they can't listen to you. I used to reveal that secret world to my kindergarten teacher by saying: "I want to be an Explorer when I grow up". Unfortunately, "Explorer" was not a career in my teacher's booklet. She said no. "It's not right, your friends are drivers, teachers, now you will be a doctor". "No, teacher, I want to be....". Dazed but very conscious, I kept insisting on my intention. The inspector from the Department of Education would come that day, so she didn't want me to mess up in her model lecture. She glanced at me, speaking in a gruff voice that made all of us in terror. I kept silent. From that very young age, I went through sadness and puzzlement, yet I didn't surrender, just like Copernicus when he whispered "And yet it moves" after being forced to proclaim what was against his belief. My thinking was full of possibilities. Why do these things happen? Why not? How can we combine those ideas? Life is an amazing adventure when you question and test out the possibilities. The leaf is green because it is young; Doraemon could rewrite history because he has a time machine; however, it seemed irrational with this "impossibility". The day I walked alone into my high school which was isolated from my familiar surroundings, I knew it was the moment that called my name to live a life as stated in my belief since I was 4 years old. When I spoke in a confident manner to my classmates: "I want to be your monitor", I was excited yet terrified. It gave me goosebumps, while my breath became rushed and my mind went blank. I had never been a monitor before! How can we know what we can do if we never take action? No one knew that I grew from the deepest terror in my heart: the fear of being limited. While other students were sleeping freely after a long-hour lecture in the early morning, I was running from stair to stair, trying to contact the graphic designer of my club after I had missed ten calls from her. While others were passing their time in extra classes at night, I was laying in the bed, turning my back to the outside world, and crying after receiving the resignation letter from a member I loved. Every time I drew closer to the perfect me, I got more scars on my heart, and some of them would take a lifetime to forget. However, I was glad to have them in my life. An Explorer is willing to penetrate into the strange land in spite of being injured in seek of a solution to solve the obstacles for the following people. In her eyes, everything is new and she volunteers to be the pioneer to see what will happen. Nothing can stop me from adventuring. And that is who I am.

When I was 4 years old, I lived two lives. In one life I lived with my parents, teachers, and friends. Another life was a secret place where I was blending in the most amazing adventure with my soulmates. I was thrilled in my first time flying up to the blue sky with Sakura the Adaptor and exploring the black hole in the universe with Optimum Prime. They led me to a brand-new world that surpassed the detention of school and family, agitating the excitement of exploring this wonderful planet inside an inquisitive kid. My father used to be frightened when he saw me always sat at the corner of the room, and... didn't do anything. Don't like other kids in kindergarten who love to run out in the playground and make their parents angry by their crying sound, I was so silent. It was hard to tell people that you are in your own world when they can't listen to you. I used to reveal that secret world to my kindergarten teacher by saying: "I want to be an Explorer when I grow up". Unfortunately, "Explorer" was not a career in my teacher's booklet. She said no. "It's not right, your friends are drivers, teachers, now you will be a doctor". "No, teacher, I want to be....". Dazed but very conscious, I kept insisting on my intention. The inspector from the Department of Education would come that day, so she didn't want me to mess up in her model lecture. She glanced at me, speaking in a gruff voice that made all of us in terror. I kept silent. From that very young age, I went through sadness and puzzlement, yet I didn't surrender, just like Copernicus when he whispered "And yet it moves" after being forced to proclaim what was against his belief. My thinking was full of possibilities. Why do these things happen? Why not? How can we combine those ideas? Life is an amazing adventure when you question and test out the possibilities. The leaf is green because it is young; Daemon could rewrite history because he has a time machine; however, it seemed irrational with this "impossibility". The day I walked alone into my high school which was isolated from my familiar surroundings, I knew it was the moment that called my name to live a life as stated in my belief since I was 4 years old. When I spoke in a confident manner to my classmates: "I want to be your monitor", I was excited yet terrified. It gave me goosebumps, while my breath became rushed and my mind went blank. I had never been a monitor before! How can we know what we can do if we never take action? No one knew that I grew from the deepest terror in my heart: the fear of being limited. While other students were sleeping freely after a long-hour lecture in the early morning, I was running from stair to stair, trying to contact the graphic designer of my club after I had missed ten calls from her. While others were passing their time in extra classes at night, I was laying in the bed, turning my back to the outside world, and crying after receiving the resignation letter from a member I loved. Every time I drew closer to the perfect me, I got more scars on my heart, and some of them would take a lifetime to forget. However, I was glad to have them in my life. An Explorer is willing to penetrate into the strange land in spite of being injured in seek of a solution to solve the obstacles for the following people. In her eyes, everything is new, and she volunteers to be the pioneer to see what will happen. Nothing can stop me from adventuring. And that is who I am.

As I walked in the corridors of my school one afternoon during a break after a mock Model UN conference I noticed something odd. At every step, and as I rounded every corner, I found plastic bottles and sheets of paper littered on the floor. As the co-project manager for litter management in my school's environmental club I immediately got to work and organised events such as a successful paper collection drive, rallied for the addition of separate, dedicated recycling bins for plastic and paper, and eliminated the need for vending machines for plastic water bottles by encouraging the use of reusable bottles. When I set my mind to something I work towards accomplishing the goal as efficiently and as well as I possibly can. I always put in a lot of effort into my responsibilities ranging from academics to my relationships with all the people I am surrounded by. I try my best to stay optimistic even when things don't go my way, since every shortcoming is an opportunity and every failure is a stepping stone for me to grow into a well rounded human being.

As I walked in the corridors of my school one afternoon during a break after a mock Model UN conference I noticed something odd. At every step, and as I rounded every corner, I found plastic bottles and sheets of paper littered on the floor. As the co-project manager for litter management in my school's environmental club I immediately got to work and organized events such as a successful paper collection drive, rallied for the addition of separate, dedicated recycling bins for plastic and paper, and eliminated the need for vending machines for plastic water bottles by encouraging the use of reusable bottles. When I set my mind to something I work towards accomplishing the goal as efficiently and as well as I possibly can. I always put in a lot of effort into my responsibilities ranging from academics to my relationships with all the people I am surrounded by. I try my best to stay optimistic even when things don't go my way, since every shortcoming is an opportunity and every failure is a stepping stone for me to grow into a well-rounded human being.

When does a people is important for people? While I was taking my design course in high school, I recognized the purpose of the architecture as a key element for people's interaction and mobility. However, we can create a building with 30 floors or 250 floors, the most important is its capacity to resolve a determinate society problem. For me, Architecture is a process that involves elements like culture, people, environment, and landscape through a sustainable and inclusive place. The goal of how exactly is the interaction between people and space, is in the ability to build an inclusive space. For example, When I was walking in Bay of Luanda, I would see people practicing sport activities, looking at the nature, talking with each other or enjoying a book. Those activities are important to enrich the people's knowledge and life and best of all, the Bay of Luanda was a key element to link different people to experience the same moments though a connection to the downtown neighbourhood. when I returned to my community, I cannot enjoy those opportunities. However, I could not have a space to read a book or get together a drawing time with my friends through a calm environment, I created a library project last year with the goal to bring those moments to people in my community. One of the ways was to resolve the problem that in my community, most of children do not have activities outside classroom like play violine or read a book. I brough to my project a space where children can read a book, drawing or play violine. I see projects like that as a key point to increase the social life in my community. I am confident that at Cornell my ideas will be more sustainable and more impactive through a D+EA Minor. Best of all, I hope to be able to respond better to issues in my community through the experiences of the Cornell Connection, with the same purpose of my last practice. I hope at Cornell to increase my analysis whit design as a decisive element for my projects. Through the practices inside the disciplines like the ARCH Design, and enjoying the Cornell University Sustainable Design (CUSD). But for me, Cornell is not only architecture. I am excited to keep following my love for art in the Art Majors Organization (AMO) and now, sharing and teaching people with my international experiences that I will get in the Cornell Connection.

When does a people is important for people? While I was taking my design course in high school, I recognized the purpose of the architecture as a key element for people's interaction and mobility. However, we can create a building with 30 floors or 250 floors, the most important is its capacity to resolve a determinate society problem. For me, Architecture is a process that involves elements like culture, people, environment, and landscape through a sustainable and inclusive place. The goal of how exactly is the interaction between people and space, is in the ability to build an inclusive space. For example, When I was walking in Bay of Luanda, I would see people practicing sport activities, looking at the nature, talking with each other or enjoying a book. Those activities are important to enrich the people's knowledge and life and best of all, the Bay of Luanda was a key element to link different people to experience the same moments though a connection to the downtown neighborhood. When I returned to my community, I cannot enjoy those opportunities. However, I could not have a space to read a book or get together a drawing time with my friends through a calm environment, I created a library project last year with the goal to bring those moments to people in my community. One of the ways was to resolve the problem that in my community, most of the children do not have activities outside classroom like play violin or read a book. I brought to my project a space where children can read a book, drawing or play violin. I see projects like that as a key point to increase the social life in my community. Furthermore, I am confident that at Cornell my ideas will be more sustainable and more impactive through a D+EA Minor. Best of all, I hope to be able to respond better to issues in my community through the experiences of the Cornell Connection, with the same purpose of my last practice. I hope at Cornell to increase my analysis whit design as a decisive element for my projects. Through the practices inside the disciplines like the ARCH Design, and enjoying the Cornell University Sustainable Design (CUSP). But for me, Cornell is not only architecture. I am excited to keep following my love for art in the Art Majors Organization (AMO) and now, sharing and teaching people with my international experiences that I will get in the Cornell Connection.

Activity 1:One thing that makes me reminiscent of high school is my Debate club. Debating has amplified my articulation power and by dint of it, I have procured prizes in competitions. Besides, the college authority elected me as one representative of the college debate team in many competitions, including Television Debates. Activity 2:Due to being a government employee my father was posted from cities to cities whereas my family along with I always stayed in Dhaka for better education. Being the eldest son I always had the responsibility to take care of the academic side of my younger brother and do the groceries to help out my mother. Activity 3:Being an assistant house leader, I was in charge of the junior group of my house. As a mentor, I looked after their academics, mental stability, and overall well being. As the head of the junior community, I took indispensable steps to corroborate a healthy atmosphere all around the year. Activity 4:The assiduity towards the stage led me to cultural activities. In my senior classes, I led two screenplays on two different topics in the Current Affair Display competition in consecutive years. College authority awarded my house as champion in the first year and accorded me "The Best Presenter" in the following year. Activity 6-I participated in different team games like Cricket, Basketball, and Volleyball competitions in High School. As much as these competitions have contributed to the development of my physique and mind, these have also taught me different aspects of sportsmanship- comradeship being the most important of all those factors.

Activity 1:One thing that makes me reminiscent of high school is my Debate club. Debating has amplified my articulation power and by dint of it, I have procured prizes in competitions. Besides, the college authority elected me as one representative of the college debate team in many competitions, including Television Debates. Activity 2:Due to being a government employee my father was posted from cities to cities whereas my family along with I always stayed in Dhaka for better education. Being the eldest son I always had the responsibility to take care of the academic side of my younger brother and do the groceries to help out my mother. Activity 3:Being an assistant house leader, I was in charge of the junior group of my house. As a mentor, I looked after their academics, mental stability, and overall well-being. As the head of the junior community, I took indispensable steps to corroborate a healthy atmosphere all around the year. Activity 4:The assiduity towards the stage led me to cultural activities. In my senior classes, I led two screenplays on two different topics in the Current Affair Display competition in consecutive years. College authority awarded my house as champion in the first year and accorded me "The Best Presenter" in the following year. Activity 6-I participated in different team games like Cricket, Basketball, and Volleyball competitions in High School. As much as these competitions have contributed to the development of my physique and mind, these have also taught me different aspects of sportsmanship- comradeship being the most important of all those factors.

I've struggled with self - expression most of my life. A lot of the time, I was projecting my insecurities and misplaced my anger on people, which ultimately ended my friendship with the one person I loved and cared so much about. For months, I didn't leave my bed and isolated myself from everyone, mistaking it for solace. One day, I received my dad called, we usually didn't talk much but when I opened up to him, I realized that being able to tell someone that you're struggling felt relieving. It was time I asked myself, "do I evolve or repeat?". Consequently, I spent time reflecting on myself and establishing routines that give me this sense of stability and self-discipline, preventing me from slipping into depression every so often. Coming to terms with the fact that I'm still in a constant state of change allows me to strive to improve myself spiritually and intellectually. I was finally able to have a better understanding of myself as a person and reach out for help after years of internalizing the idea that I'm better on my own. Even though we're in a pandemic, I'm much better than I ever was.

I've struggled with self-expression most of my life. A lot of the time, I was projecting my insecurities and misplaced my anger on people, which ultimately ended my friendship with the one person I loved and cared so much about. For months, I didn't leave my bed and isolated myself from everyone, mistaking it for solace. One day, I received my dad called, we usually didn't talk much but when I opened up to him, I realized that being able to tell someone that you're struggling felt relieving. It was time I asked myself, "do I evolve or repeat?". Consequently, I spent time reflecting on myself and establishing routines that give me this sense of stability and self-discipline, preventing me from slipping into depression every so often. Coming to terms with the fact that I'm still in a constant state of change allows me to strive to improve myself spiritually and intellectually. I was finally able to have a better understanding of myself as a person and reach out for help after years of internalizing the idea that I'm better on my own. Even though we're in a pandemic, I'm much better than I ever was.

Thanks a lot! When I was 5 years old, I was a timid girl who usually sat in the corner and kept silent. However, I was hiding a big secret in my head. I wanted to be a female Pope. Becoming a female leader was my dream although sometimes it was considered bossy and ambitious. But nobody can deny that those women were very free in their choices and could live outside the bias. I admired Catherine the Great of the Russian Empire and other women in power. When I watched Chinese movies with my grandma, I loved the women characters who were good at martial art and could protect themselves and fought for what they love and believe. In reality, I could not see the women in my family tried to go against the dependent lives and live independently. My family, like other Vietnamese families, lower the value of women under the value of men. In all family gatherings, women are always the ones who cook and prepare food, while men are sitting in the living room and chatting with each other. I wonder "why". My mother tried to convince me that they are the traditions that show the beauty and gracefulness of women. However, all the things I can see was just that they let what called traditions confined them and their choices. Maybe among my aunts, my sisters, there was a woman who longed for a chat with other women or even just a relaxed time. It's not right or wrong when they chose to become housewives, but it's really wrong that they've never tried to question What is happening and explored their choices. I tried to protest for my right to choices from 5 years old through learning and activities. I wanted to live a purposeful life and never let people make a choice for me. I was very conscious of every decision and always ask: "Why do I do this?" I hate the feeling of becoming inactive, I chose to raise my voice and ask questions instead. When I face a challenge, I don't want to choose the easy part like girls around me, so I set my fear aside. I love challenges in a totally new environment. I even study in the bathroom when my roommates partied or spoke too loud, or went to the cyber coffee and finished my assignments between the gamers. No one knew that I grew from the deepest terror in my heart: the fear of being limited. When I spoke in a confident manner to my classmates: "I want to be your monitor", I was excited yet terrified. It gave me goosebumps, while my breath became rushed and my mind went blank. I had never been a monitor before! I chose to be a monitor, a team leader in high school and took a gap year to follow my passion for business. All the things I did in the past is to show the value of a girl that she is independent, ambitious, and talented like any boy. The journey I've gone through was hard and I was almost defeated sometimes when I saw that I was so lonely. Every time I drew closure to the perfect me, I got more scars on my heart. However, I was glad to have them in my life. Those scars, not like any ordinary bruises, have made me who I am.

Thanks a lot! When I was 5 years old, I was a timid girl who usually sat in the corner and kept silent. However, I was hiding a big secret in my head. I wanted to be a female Pope. Becoming a female leader was my dream, although sometimes it was considered bossy and ambitious. But nobody can deny that those women were very free in their choices and could live outside the bias. I admired Catherine the Great of the Russian Empire and other women in power. When I watched Chinese movies with my grandma, I loved the women characters who were good at martial art and could protect themselves and fought for what they love and believe. In reality, I could not see the women in my family tried to go against the dependent lives and live independently. My family, like other Vietnamese families, lower the value of women under the value of men. In all family gatherings, women are always the ones who cook and prepare food, while men are sitting in the living room and chatting with each other. I wonder "why". My mother tried to convince me that they are the traditions that show the beauty and gracefulness of women. However, all the things I can see was just that they let what called traditions confined them and their choices. Maybe among my aunts, my sisters, there was a woman who longed for a chat with other women or even just a relaxed time. It's not right or wrong when they chose to become housewives, but it's really wrong that they've never tried to question What is happening and explored their choices. I tried to protest for my right to choices from 5 years old through learning and activities. I wanted to live a purposeful life and never let people make a choice for me. Furthermore, I was very conscious of every decision and always ask: "Why do I do this?" I hate the feeling of becoming inactive, I chose to raise my voice and ask questions instead. When I face a challenge, I don't want to choose the easy part like girls around me, so I set my fear aside. I love challenges in a totally new environment. I even study in the bathroom when my roommates partied or spoke too loud, or went to the cyber coffee and finished my assignments between the gamers. No one knew that I grew from the deepest terror in my heart: the fear of being limited. When I spoke in a confident manner to my classmates: "I want to be your monitor", I was excited yet terrified. It gave me goosebumps, while my breath became rushed and my mind went blank. I had never been a monitor before! I chose to be a monitor, a team leader in high school and took a gap year to follow my passion for business. All the things I did in the past is to show the value of a girl that she is independent, ambitious, and talented like any boy. The journey I've gone through was hard, and I was almost defeated sometimes when I saw that I was so lonely. Every time I drew closure to the perfect me, I got more scars on my heart. However, I was glad to have them in my life. Those scars, not like any ordinary bruises, have made me who I am.

Please write the personal statement with a focus on what you learned from and felt during curricular andor extracurricular activities (up to three)to which you attached meaning and devoted yourself in high school. (within 1500 characters200words) I still remember the first time when I walked into the studio and felt the hot air in the packed small room. And I had not realized that it was the first step of a new adventure. In my first year of high school, I was forced to join the band extracurricular and I felt uneasy because I was not sure of my piano skill. However, that feeling suddenly disappeared when I started playing. Out of 15 participants, I was one of the 7 students selected for the band. The first team practice felt uncomfortable as I did not know anyone on the team and my skill was not as good. But as time went by, I got closer to my teammates and they helped me to be better. It can be said that I practiced harder than anyone else and even my teacher said that I improved the most. ' In the first competition, we succeed in getting in the top 3. Then, we came second in our second competition. We also won several competitions, even a prestigious competition in Jakarta. There are many troubles along the way, tears, feelings of insecurity, and lots of arguments. And through this journey, I experienced new things, visited new places, and got to know more people in the industry. Being in a team means that I have to be selfless, more careful, and responsible for my actions. I believe that with hard work and dedication, I can improve in anything as I did in music.

Please write the personal statement with a focus on what you learned from and felt during curricular ardor extracurricular activities (up to three)to which you attached meaning and devoted yourself in high school. (within 1500 characters200words) I still remember the first time when I walked into the studio and felt the hot air in the packed small room. And I had not realized that it was the first step of a new adventure. In my first year of high school, I was forced to join the band extracurricular and I felt uneasy because I was not sure of my piano skill. However, that feeling suddenly disappeared when I started playing. Out of 15 participants, I was one of the 7 students selected for the band. The first team practice felt uncomfortable as I did not know anyone on the team and my skill was not as good. But as time went by, I got closer to my teammates, and they helped me to be better. It can be said that I practiced harder than anyone else and even my teacher said that I improved the most. ' In the first competition, we succeed in getting in the top 3. Then, we came second in our second competition. We also won several competitions, even a prestigious competition in Jakarta. There are many troubles along the way, tears, feelings of insecurity, and lots of arguments. And through this journey, I experienced new things, visited new places, and got to know more people in the industry. Being in a team means that I have to be selfless, more careful, and responsible for my actions. I believe that with hard work and dedication, I can improve in anything as I did in music.

According to the database of the International Association of Universities, there are 18,400 universities in the world. Seeing this vast list, applicants immediately start to get lost and look for a suitable university for them, spending weeks and months on this. However, I chose the University. It is a unique opportunity to live in another country and immerse myself in a different culture and language. Students often remark that their classes are full of students from every nationality or ethnicity, and having access to and contact with so many cultural backgrounds makes the experience that much more thrilling. I will be able to hear live the legend of the white snake or about the Anjanas. Everyone will be able to feel and understand other cultures, another world. For example, I will be able to intern worldwide at WWF and help conserve natural resources or participate in "imagine science film." It is hard to understand how other people work, and it is ten times harder to understand how you work. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders and takes up much time, and you are in this state for years without even noticing it. I want to study why this is happening, and I want to know how to help people with this disease. I want to be useful to this world; With The Chaudhury Lab at New York University Abu Dhabi, I can try to find answers to these questions and help people. At the same time, I want to be more than just a student №345, and NYU AD could be my new home, which is exactly what every student is looking for away from their parents. NYU AD has a wide variety of clubs and events. On Monday after University, my future friends and I can go to the cake baking club, and on Friday, go for a bike ride along the Corniche. We will have the opportunity to create our clubs of interest-for example, a club for drawing mandalas. I can volunteer in DFWAC and support people victims of domestic violence and child abuse. NYUAD is a school for someone who likes to take risks, who wants to go to University to learn about the world instead of becoming the highest expert in their field. Who likes to step out of their comfort zone. Moreover, I am ready for it.

According to the database of the International Association of Universities, there are 18,400 universities in the world. Seeing this vast list, applicants immediately start to get lost and look for a suitable university for them, spending weeks and months on this. However, I chose the University. It is a unique opportunity to live in another country and immerse myself in a different culture and language. Students often remark that their classes are full of students from every nationality or ethnicity, and having access to and contact with so many cultural backgrounds makes the experience that much more thrilling. I will be able to hear live the legend of the white snake or about the Bananas. Everyone will be able to feel and understand other cultures, another world. For example, I will be able to intern worldwide at WWF and help conserve natural resources or participate in "imagine science film." It is hard to understand how other people work, and it is ten times harder to understand how you work. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders and takes up much time, and you are in this state for years without even noticing it. I want to study why this is happening, and I want to know how to help people with this disease. I want to be useful to this world; With The Chaudhary Lab at New York University Abu Dhabi, I can try to find answers to these questions and help people. At the same time, I want to be more than just a student №345, and NYU AD could be my new home, which is exactly what every student is looking for away from their parents. NYU AD has a wide variety of clubs and events. On Monday after University, my future friends and I can go to the cake baking club, and on Friday, go for a bike ride along the Cornice. We will have the opportunity to create our clubs of interest-for example, a club for drawing mandalas. I can volunteer in DFW AC and support people victims of domestic violence and child abuse. NY UAD is a school for someone who likes to take risks, who wants to go to University to learn about the world instead of becoming the highest expert in their field. Who likes to step out of their comfort zone. Moreover, I am ready for it.

In relation to your academic interest and personal experiences, please describe your motivation for your desired course. You may include information related to your preparation for the course and related academic achievements. Please state your goals while studying at Seoul National University as well as your study plan(4000 bytes limit) I will always remember the first Kpop music video I ever saw that left me knowing fashion was my future, but before then had never truly considered a career in the industry. I was blown away by the fact that it is common for men in South Korea to wear makeup, paint their nails and dress fashionably on a daily basis. A year later, I was astonished by the versatile designs from the Seoul Fashion week 2019 published in the Vogue magazine. How can someone be comfortable and fashionable at the same time? How can someone pull off baggy clothes so well? I fell in love with the Korean street fashion culture and knew that Korea was the place where I belong. There is a deep-rooted problem within the fashion industry: Gendered clothing. Why does pink refer to girls and blue refer to boys? Why do people shame boys for wearing pink and not girls for wearing blue? Manufacturing gender-neutral clothing is the key to the deconstruction of these gender stereotypes. I want to be a part of creating this new industry. I want to be the one that spots upcoming trends and brings them to life but in a genderless category. I want people to be aware of the fact that crop tops, dresses, skirts, high heels and many other clothing pieces are not limited to females only. Everyone is allowed to wear whatever they want to. Let us create a brand where there will be no gender, racial and size boundaries, it will be raw and real. "Fashion is all about appreciating it's true artistic aesthetic and busting all the myths" I enjoy a good amount of time throughout the day, watching Youtube videos and listening to podcasts about fashion: the industry's increasing influence feels unreal. Also, I have my own channel where I express my passion for fashion styling and daily lifestyle. Over the quarantine, I took online courses such as Korean language, Photo and Video editing, Fashion drawing, Luxury Brand Management, Digital marketing and Graphic design. Throughout these courses, I've learned and developed different techniques such as being able to draw basic fashion figures, edit photos and videos, and understand basic Korean. I had an opportunity to intern in a digital marketing startup which gave me the chance to practice my business skills. Once I get accepted to the school, my goals will be taking part in clubs, activities, internships and competitions as much as I can and learn from them. The curriculum taught at SNU will open many new doors on its own, but combined with the atmosphere of the city that is much safer for girls, I have a greater scope in career and future goals. A city that never sleeps will guide me to explore new areas of research in the fashion industry. Studying in a different country will help me become more independently active and create a functional network at a multilateral base. It will let me use my conceptual and quantitive skills, opening channels in the industry to work for the defined cause. There is nowhere better to be for me! I see myself as a responsible student who is organised and adaptable, and I firmly believe that I am academically suitable for this course. I will consider it as an honour to learn from outstanding professionals with sophisticated experiences in the real world and grow as a professional myself. I'm confident that I will live up to the high standards set by this prestigious university.

In relation to your academic interest and personal experiences, please describe your motivation for your desired course. You may include information related to your preparation for the course and related academic achievements. Please state your goals while studying at Seoul National University as well as your study plan(4000 bytes limit) I will always remember the first K-pop music video I ever saw that left me knowing fashion was my future, but before then had never truly considered a career in the industry. I was blown away by the fact that it is common for men in South Korea to wear makeup, paint their nails and dress fashionably on a daily basis. A year later, I was astonished by the versatile designs from the Seoul Fashion week 2019 published in the Vogue magazine. How can someone be comfortable and fashionable at the same time? How can someone pull off baggy clothes so well? I fell in love with the Korean street fashion culture and knew that Korea was the place where I belong. There is a deep-rooted problem within the fashion industry: Gendered clothing. Why does pink refer to girls and blue refer to boys? Why do people shame boys for wearing pink and not girls for wearing blue? Manufacturing gender-neutral clothing is the key to the deconstruction of these gender stereotypes. I want to be a part of creating this new industry. I want to be the one that spots upcoming trends and brings them to life but in a genderless category. Furthermore, I want people to be aware of the fact that crop tops, dresses, skirts, high heels and many other clothing pieces are not limited to females only. Everyone is allowed to wear whatever they want to. Let us create a brand where there will be no gender, racial and size boundaries, it will be raw and real. "Fashion is all about appreciating its true artistic aesthetic and busting all the myths" I enjoy a good amount of time throughout the day, watching YouTube videos and listening to podcasts about fashion: the industry's increasing influence feels unreal. Also, I have my own channel where I express my passion for fashion styling and daily lifestyle. Over the quarantine, I took online courses such as Korean language, Photo and Video editing, Fashion drawing, Luxury Brand Management, Digital marketing and Graphic design. Throughout these courses, I've learned and developed different techniques such as being able to draw basic fashion figures, edit photos and videos, and understand basic Korean. I had an opportunity to intern in a digital marketing startup which gave me the chance to practice my business skills. Once I get accepted to the school, my goals will be taking part in clubs, activities, internships and competitions as much as I can and learn from them. The curriculum taught at SNU will open many new doors on its own, but combined with the atmosphere of the city that is much safer for girls, I have a greater scope in career and future goals. A city that never sleeps will guide me to explore new areas of research in the fashion industry. Studying in a different country will help me become more independently active and create a functional network at a multilateral base. It will let me use my conceptual and quantities skills, opening channels in the industry to work for the defined cause. There is nowhere better to be for me! I see myself as a responsible student who is organized and adaptable, and I firmly believe that I am academically suitable for this course. I will consider it as an honor to learn from outstanding professionals with sophisticated experiences in the real world and grow as a professional myself. Furthermore, I'm confident that I will live up to the high standards set by this prestigious university.

To everyone I have ever met, I am outgoing, talkative and amiable, at least for the first thirty seconds. Being a girl in a society whereby the way you look people determine your capabilities, I have learned having those three adjectives being my only descriptor is not enough if I want to achieve my goals in life. As people get to know me, their description of me changes to passionate, hardworking, and ambitious, but what I am the proudest of is being described as persistent. In elementary school, when I first immigrated to Canada, everyone in my community, including my friends, treated me as if I did not have the capabilities to have higher-level thinking due to my language barrier. I showed I was persistent when I worked hard and improved my English skills to change their perception. In 2017 within the span of one year, I lost my grandmother, and my father was admitted into the ICU; these two events affected me very deeply. My grades began to slip, but when I realized if I wanted to help people like the doctors that helped my father, I persevered and brought my grades up. I continued with my persistent mindset as I was determined to help people even with the COVID-19 restrictions. By joining a volunteer project and organizing university information sessions, was my way of providing support to my community during these unprecedented times. This was a time where my persistence not only helped me but also helped others.

To everyone I have ever met, I am outgoing, talkative and amiable, at least for the first thirty seconds. Being a girl in a society whereby the way you look people determine your capabilities, I have learned to have those three adjectives being my only descriptor is not enough if I want to achieve my goals in life. As people get to know me, their description of me changes to passionate, hardworking, and ambitious, but what I am the proudest of is being described as persistent. In elementary school, when I first immigrated to Canada, everyone in my community, including my friends, treated me as if I did not have the capabilities to have higher-level thinking due to my language barrier. I showed I was persistent when I worked hard and improved my English skills to change their perception. In 2017 within the span of one year, I lost my grandmother, and my father was admitted into the ICU; these two events affected me very deeply. My grades began to slip, but when I realized if I wanted to help people like the doctors that helped my father, I persevered and brought my grades up. I continued with my persistent mindset as I was determined to help people even with the COVID-19 restrictions. By joining a volunteer project and organizing university information sessions, was my way of providing support to my community during these unprecedented times. This was a time when my persistence not only helped me but also helped others.

· Prompt 4: "Difficulty need not foreshadow despair or defeat. Rather achievement can be all the more satisfying because of obstacles surmounted."Attributed to William Hastie, Amherst Class of 1925, the first African-American to serve as a judge for the United States Court of Appeals All paths to success and ambition are filled with obstacles. No matter how small the goal is, the way leading to it is filled with obstacles, some small, and some humongous. It is a man's determination and dedication to achieve his goal that fuels his mind, body, and soul to overcome these obstacles and keep moving towards his goal. Ever since my childhood, I have been interested in politics, both national and international, and curious about the issues our world is facing. When I joined high school, I was exposed to activities such as MUNs and debates. However, the biggest obstacle in my path to becoming a successful debater and MUN delegate was my speech impediment, which caused me to stutter. I didn't allow this to deter me, and I did my first MUN in class 9. It went better than I had expected, and it gave a huge boost to my morale. I started doing more MUNs and debates, and by the time I reached class 12, I was made the school's co-curricular captain, and I was the school's most experienced MUNer. I feel pride in being a successful member of various MUN circuits all over the country because I overcame a huge roadblock on my path to realising this dream of mine. In the words of the French playwright Moliere, "The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. "Overcoming obstacles is what gives the person a great sense of achievement and content. One must persevere through hardships in order to realize one's dreams. Even if a person is unable to achieve his goals, he is able to calm his conscience by putting in his level best effort to overcome the obstacles. Often, the effort gives the person a greater sense of accomplishment than the goal.

· Prompt 4: "Difficulty need not foreshadow despair or defeat. Rather achievement can be all the more satisfying because of obstacles surmounted." Attributed to William Hastie, Amherst Class of 1925, the first African-American to serve as a judge for the United States Court of Appeals All paths to success and ambition are filled with obstacles. No matter how small the goal is, the way leading to it is filled with obstacles, some small, and some humongous. It is a man's determination and dedication to achieve his goal that fuels his mind, body, and soul to overcome these obstacles and keep moving towards his goal. Ever since my childhood, I have been interested in politics, both national and international, and curious about the issues our world is facing. When I joined high school, I was exposed to activities such as Runs and debates. However, the biggest obstacle in my path to becoming a successful debater and MUN delegate was my speech impediment, which caused me to stutter. I didn't allow this to deter me, and I did my first MUN in class 9. It went better than I had expected, and it gave a huge boost to my morale. I started doing more Runs and debates, and by the time I reached class 12, I was made the school's co-curricular captain, and I was the school's most experienced Miner. I feel pride in being a successful member of various MUN circuits all over the country because I overcame a huge roadblock on my path to realizing this dream of mine. In the words of the French playwright Moliere, "The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. "Overcoming obstacles is what gives the person a great sense of achievement and content. One must persevere through hardships in order to realise one's dreams. Even if a person is unable to achieve his goals, he is able to calm his conscience by putting in his level best effort to overcome the obstacles. Often, the effort gives the person a greater sense of accomplishment than the goal.

I have always found it hard to describe my passion in words. It all started when I came to the Velasquez and Zamora family as the most awaited baby. Both sides made it their mission to mold me into a multifaceted person. Velasquez's taught me the serious stuff -religion, science, politics- and also introduced me to alternative culture, like Tim Burton's cinematography or the history of indie rock. Zamora's instead showed me how to experience life to the fullest and learn from it. A myth says my Nonno has nine lives (like cats) because of his wild adventures, one including him being captured by MRTA terrorists for approximately three days. I also grew up hearing about my parents' different upbringings: my mom spent her childhood in the Peruvian jungle and my dad lived six years in Palo Alto while the hippie revolutionary movement started. Because I was their firstborn, my parents did a lot of research and decided the best way to raise me was to expose me to various activities and encourage me to learn beyond kindergarten hours. From analyzing objects in my microscope to making a restaurant menu for fun, I could never settle on one activity or even choosing my favorite color. As a matter of fact, my athletic phase included trying out at least ten sports! My father once thought I was gonna be a professional swimmer, cyclist and even a ping pong player. I also went overboard with virtual piano and guitar lessons. It helped that my parents never got upset when I wanted to switch activities. They seemed to enjoy -and secretly hate!- waking me up at 5 am to take me to a 5K race or an art exposition because they knew how much I loved being in my state of exploration. Reality kicked in when at school, kids started to hang out exclusively with those who shared their same interests, aesthetics and skills and became influenced by peer pressure. Though I never felt the need to encapsulate myself to a certain group, personality or style to fit it, I still found it hard to belong to various different groups when everyone was chasing popularity. It was especially hard to stay true to myself and my interests, knowing not many people in my class shared them. But when the popularity fever went down, my classmates were more open to meeting people outside their circles, and I had more flexibility to be part of different groups. Spending time with people who had different backgrounds, opinions and perspectives also played a big role in my becoming well rounded! As I started seeing my friends settle down and leave their exploration stages behind, I felt lost in the pursuit of my passion. I realized that for many, the trial phase ended when they stopped feeling excited about doing a certain activity or hobby, but I never experienced this feeling. Even if I was bad at an activity, I didn't want to move on from it because I enjoyed getting to know my strengths and weaknesses. For example, when my P.E teacher talked me into giving up marathons because my running time wasn't the best, I refused to follow suit because my goal wasn't to arrive first at the line, but to surpass myself in every race. For the longest time, I believed passions equated to excellence and proficiency and I let people's expectations lessen my desire to involve myself in activities for fun. Luckily, my parents set the groundwork for me to consider a passion anything I felt a connection to and made me lose track of time. I have also come to appreciate how there wouldn't be an Angelina without my everlasting curiosity for the unknown. I don't need to describe my passion in words. I prefer to just keep exploring!

I have always found it hard to describe my passion in words. It all started when I came to the Velasquez and Zamora family as the most awaited baby. Both sides made it their mission to mold me into a multifaceted person. Velasquez's taught me the serious stuff -religion, science, politics- and also introduced me to alternative culture, like Tim Burton's cinematography or the history of indie rock. Zamora's instead showed me how to experience life to the fullest and learn from it. A myth says my Nonno has nine lives (like cats) because of his wild adventures, one including him being captured by MRT terrorists for approximately three days. I also grew up hearing about my parents' different upbringings: my mom spent her childhood in the Peruvian jungle and my dad lived six years in Palo Alto while the hippie revolutionary movement started. Because I was their firstborn, my parents did a lot of research and decided the best way to raise me was to expose me to various activities and encourage me to learn beyond kindergarten hours. From analyzing objects in my microscope to making a restaurant menu for fun, I could never settle on one activity or even choosing my favorite color. As a matter of fact, my athletic phase included trying out at least ten sports! My father once thought I was going to be a professional swimmer, cyclist and even a ping pong player. I also went overboard with virtual piano and guitar lessons. It helped that my parents never got upset when I wanted to switch activities. They seemed to enjoy -and secretly hate!- waking me up at 5 am to take me to a 5K race or an art exposition because they knew how much I loved being in my state of exploration. Reality kicked in when at school, kids started to hang out exclusively with those who shared their same interests, aesthetics and skills and became influenced by peer pressure. Though I never felt the need to encapsulate myself to a certain group, personality or style to fit it, I still found it hard to belong to various different groups when everyone was chasing popularity. It was especially hard to stay true to myself and my interests, knowing not many people in my class shared them. But when the popularity fever went down, my classmates were more open to meeting people outside their circles, and I had more flexibility to be part of different groups. Spending time with people who had different backgrounds, opinions and perspectives also played a big role in my becoming well-rounded! As I started seeing my friends settle down and leave their exploration stages behind, I felt lost in the pursuit of my passion. I realized that for many, the trial phase ended when they stopped feeling excited about doing a certain activity or hobby, but I never experienced this feeling. Even if I was bad at an activity, I didn't want to move on from it because I enjoyed getting to know my strengths and weaknesses. For example, when my P. E teacher talked me into giving up marathons because my running time wasn't the best, I refused to follow suit because my goal wasn't to arrive first at the line, but to surpass myself in every race. For the longest time, I believed passions equated to excellence and proficiency, and I let people's expectations lessen my desire to involve myself in activities for fun. Luckily, my parents set the groundwork for me to consider a passion anything I felt a connection to and made me lose track of time. I have also come to appreciate how there wouldn't be an Angelina without my everlasting curiosity for the unknown. I don't need to describe my passion in words. Furthermore, I prefer to just keep exploring!

I am Howlader Mohammad Ibrahim, an exuberant boy who hankers after his dreams. I have always dreamt of being a happy person and if I speak candidly; this dream has been achieved by me so far. I believe that the world can be a better place if everyone is happy. I find happiness when the destitute find a place to live or starving people get some food. That's why I have committed myself to make others happy. My family members describe me as a genial boy who carries their dreams on his shoulder. My younger brother describes me as an elder brother who is solicitous about his welfare. My friends and others describe me as a flamboyant company who is a paragon in terms of friendship and benevolence. I always try to look beyond the imperfections of my life and be happy. And this is the quality of mine that I'm pretty much proud of. I want to fly high towards the sky, shouldering the dreams of my family. I want to spread happiness as much as I can. So I want to explore the world and help the people living in it. As George Sand said - "There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved." I am nowhere close to my destination till now, but I wish to go there tomorrow. And I swear to myself that no matter what happens, I will not stop until I have this tomorrow.

I am Holder Mohammad Ibrahim, an exuberant boy who hankers after his dreams. I have always dreamt of being a happy person and if I speak candidly; this dream has been achieved by me so far. Furthermore, I believe that the world can be a better place if everyone is happy. Furthermore, I find happiness when the destitute find a place to live or starving people get some food. That's why I have committed myself to make others happy. My family members describe me as a genial boy who carries their dreams on his shoulder. My younger brother describes me as an elder brother who is solicitous about his welfare. My friends and others describe me as a flamboyant company who is a paragon in terms of friendship and benevolence. I always try to look beyond the imperfections of my life and be happy. And this is the quality of mine that I'm pretty much proud of. I want to fly high towards the sky, shouldering the dreams of my family. I want to spread happiness as much as I can. So I want to explore the world and help the people living in it. As George Sand said - "There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved." I am nowhere close to my destination till now, but I wish to go there tomorrow. And I swear to myself that no matter what happens, I will not stop until I have this tomorrow.

For decades now, the standard of education in Nigeria, my home country has increasingly been dwindling and it does not look like any form of salvage is on the way given the current magnitude of the wreckage done on the educational sector. The emergence of COVID-19 has only fumed the flames as pupils and students have been rendered unoccupied, leaving them largely to their devices. Consequently, teenage crime rate has increased in recent months, as well as teenage pregnancy. Again, the female gender is at the receiving end, which raises questions on the issue of gender in Nigeria. According to the demographic health survey jointly conducted by the UNICEF in 2015, of the 262 million out of school children in the world, 10.5 million are in Nigeria; the number increased to 13.2 million at the end of the third quarter in 2019. These are children who either never enrolled or did not complete primary school education. However, I have been doing my bit as I organize afterschool and weekend extramural tutorials for children in these categories and also teaching mathematics online via the likes of Whatsapp, Telegram and Zoom app. I am committed to making sure that all children irrespective of their gender have access to quality education, gain the skills and knowledge for a life-long learning which is pivotal to fighting poverty, preventing diseases and building peaceful societies thereby actualizing the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development (SDG 4 and SDG 5). Studying Mathematics in an educationally topnotch country like Sweden will avail me the opportunity to have a panoramic view on issues such as quality education and gender equality. Through seminars with other global leaders and industry experts within the SI Alumni in my home country I will use my leadership skills to create networks and develop mutual learning process through which I will host workshops on innovation to promote quality and gender based education for a sustainable development. I would engage in an on-air teaching of mathematics at various television stations and also engage in writing columns in various newspaper and magazines, sensitizing fellow Nigerians on the need for all to be stakeholders in education, especially girl-child education, which will in the future set my home country on a lofty pedestal among nations of the world.

For decades now, the standard of education in Nigeria, my home country has increasingly been dwindling, and it does not look like any form of salvage is on the way given the current magnitude of the wreckage done on the educational sector. The emergence of COVID-19 has only fumed the flames as pupils and students have been rendered unoccupied, leaving them largely to their devices. Consequently, teenage crime rate has increased in recent months, as well as teenage pregnancy. Again, the female gender is at the receiving end, which raises questions on the issue of gender in Nigeria. According to the demographic health survey jointly conducted by the UNICEF in 2015, of the 262 million out of school children in the world, 10.5 million are in Nigeria; the number increased to 13.2 million at the end of the third quarter in 2019. These are children who either never enrolled or did not complete primary school education. However, I have been doing my bit as I organize after school and weekend extramural tutorials for children in these categories and also teaching mathematics online via the likes of WhatsApp, Telegram and Zoom app. I am committed to making sure that all children irrespective of their gender have access to quality education, gain the skills and knowledge for a life-long learning which is pivotal to fighting poverty, preventing diseases and building peaceful societies thereby actualizing the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development (SDG 4 and SDG 5). Studying Mathematics in an educationally topnotch country like Sweden will avail me the opportunity to have a panoramic view on issues such as quality education and gender equality. Through seminars with other global leaders and industry experts within the SI Alumni in my home country I will use my leadership skills to create networks and develop mutual learning process through which I will host workshops on innovation to promote quality and gender based education for a sustainable development. I would engage in an on-air teaching of mathematics at various television stations and also engage in writing columns in various newspaper and magazines, sensitizing fellow Nigerians on the need for all to be stakeholders in education, especially girl-child education, which will set my home country on a lofty pedestal among nations of the world.

I think Grade 7th in Junior High was the worst phase of my life. I was a new kid in the school, only had 1 friend whom I had known since elementary school but eventually left me for her new friends. Moreover, a classmate slandered me of cheating the physics test eventhough I didn't even pass the test. As a result, it became a buzz in the class and I was outcasted. The hardest challenge is when the teacher assigned a group work because I knew that I didn't have anyone to partner with. To put it simply, I was bullied because of she had woven a tissue of lies about me that day. I always felt like crying everytime I had to go to school and the gladdest when it's time to go home. Over time, I started encouraging myself to step outside my comfort zone and make friends. I got a small circle at last but one thing that I have realized is that my bully started to lose her friends. People around her became aware that she was a negative influence because she badmouthed others a lot, even her own best friend who had accompany her since day one. Therefore, I have learned that words hold so much power. "Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of other." - Napoleon Hill Thank you in advance!

I think Grade 7th in Junior High was the worst phase of my life. I was a new kid in the school, only had 1 friend whom I had known since elementary school but eventually left me for her new friends. Moreover, a classmate slandered me of cheating the physics test even though I didn't even pass the test. As a result, it became a buzz in the class and I was outcasted. The hardest challenge is when the teacher assigned a group work because I knew that I didn't have anyone to partner with. To put it simply, I was bullied because she had woven a tissue of lies about me that day. I always felt like crying every time I had to go to school and the gladdest when it's time to go home. Over time, I started encouraging myself to step outside my comfort zone and make friends. I got a small circle at last but one thing that I have realized is that my bully started to lose her friends. People around her became aware that she was a negative influence because she badmouthed others a lot, even her own best friend who had accompanied her since day one. Therefore, I have learned that words hold so much power. "Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of other." - Napoleon Hill Thank you in advance!

My interest in the sciences has only increased throughout high school. Solving competitive problems, going for academic camps, and participating in maths and physics crusades, my classmates always considered me a disciplined learner. Active interaction and guiding with challenging concepts made me a leader figure in the class, which eventually titled me with a school post holder: Sports President. Due to the enthusiastic involvement in the school's football team and sports day, I came under the impression of the sports faculty, which got me recommended for the post. At home, I am described as an obedient and responsible child. As an extroverted elder brother, I ensure that I successfully inspire my brother. Doing so, I also spend a lot of time with my friends through sports and festive events. I am most proud of the balance in my life. Indulging in various activities, I affirm that my utmost focus and commitment are dedicated to my studies. Studying is primarily crucial at school, but that does not limit me from indulging in clubs, cultural events, public speaking, athletics, and other voluntary contributions. While doing so, I meet new people, interact, and collaborate for incredible results. Belonging to a group of talented and passionate enthusiasts, I feel motivated to work on projects and challenges. An example of such activity has been innovation challenges: involving science and technology to revolutionize a field, keeping its implementation, commerce, and sustainability in mind. Performing as a team always develops me as a team player. I am an international student. Please let me know what improvements should I make. Thanks

My interest in the sciences has only increased throughout high school. Solving competitive problems, going for academic camps, and participating in math and physics crusades, my classmates always considered me a disciplined learner. Active interaction and guiding with challenging concepts made me a leader figure in the class, which eventually titled me with a school post holder: Sports President. Due to the enthusiastic involvement on the school's football team and sports day, I came under the impression of the sports faculty, which got me recommended for the post. At home, I am described as an obedient and responsible child. As an extroverted elder brother, I ensure that I successfully inspire my brother. Doing so, I also spend a lot of time with my friends through sports and festive events. I am most proud of the balance in my life. Indulging in various activities, I affirm that my utmost focus and commitment are dedicated to my studies. Studying is primarily crucial at school, but that does not limit me from indulging in clubs, cultural events, public speaking, athletics, and other voluntary contributions. While doing so, I meet new people, interact, and collaborate for incredible results. Belonging to a group of talented and passionate enthusiasts, I feel motivated to work on projects and challenges. An example of such activity has been innovation challenges: involving science and technology to revolutionize a field, keeping its implementation, commerce, and sustainability in mind. Performing as a team always develops me as a team player. I am an international student. Please let me know what improvements should I make. Thanks

The word count needed is 300, and this essay already have a just right 300 words. Please give feedback, about anything about the essay (including grammars). Thank you very much. Essay starts after this line. One day when I was still at year 11, my father taught me about getting scholarships overseas. I never seriously thought about that, until my friend introduced me with NTU. Since that day, I started to think and dream about studying at NTU. Another time after that event, some unmentionable problems struck me. I was depressed and lost my spirit because of that, for several days. I am desperate with myself and my dreams, including to study at NTU. However, one simple incident had awaken my spirits again and took me out from my misery. That night, I was having a night ride with my friend to my other friends' home. This friend that was riding with me, he is the one that introduced me to NTU. While we were riding through a place that was new to me, the incident happened. My bike got a flat tire. Seems simple, but having a flat tire at a strange place after the sun goes down had turned this into a difficult situation. After realizing our vehicle isn't in condition to ride, we proceed by walking while leading the bike. The locals told us there is a tire repair shop ahead, so we continued walking. While walking, we talked and I stated that if the shop can help us that is merely because God has lent us His Hands. And if He had done that, He certainly had comforted me with His Blessings. Turns out the repair shop can fix the flat tire, and we can continue our ride. The incident had me learnt that we should always trust our fate, thus making me think positively about everything that had happened and going to happen. And finally, I have my courage again and feeling ready for NTU admissions. Thank God for everything. This line ends the essay. Things that are bothering me with this essay:- I wonder if i have some grammatical errors- From this forum, usually this kind of NTU essay have the structure of "explain yourself before the event, explain the event and how it had changed you to be better, and explain present yourself." I wonder if this essay is too focused with the event itself and not the changes - Perhaps other things that I'm not aware of This is my first time writing such serious essay, so I didn't have the experience and stuff. Every feedback is appreciated, thank you everyone!

The word count needed is 300, and this essay already have a just right 300 words. Please give feedback, about anything about the essay (including grammars). Thank you very much. Essay starts after this line. One day when I was still at year 11, my father taught me about getting scholarships overseas. I never seriously thought about that, until my friend introduced me with ITU. Since that day, I started to think and dream about studying at ITU. Another time after that event, some unmentionable problems struck me. I was depressed and lost my spirit because of that, for several days. I am desperate with myself and my dreams, including to study at ITU. However, one simple incident had awakened my spirits again and took me out from my misery. That night, I was having a night ride with my friend to my other friends' home. This friend that was riding with me, he is the one that introduced me to ITU. While we were riding through a place that was new to me, the incident happened. My bike got a flat tire. Seems simple, but having a flat tire at a strange place after the sun goes down had turned this into a difficult situation. After realizing our vehicle isn't in condition to ride, we proceed by walking while leading the bike. The locals told us there is a tire repair shop ahead, so we continued walking. While walking, we talked, and I stated that if the shop can help us that is merely because God has lent us His Hands. And if He had done that, He certainly had comforted me with His Blessings. Turns out the repair shop can fix the flat tire, and we can continue our ride. The incident had me learned that we should always trust our fate, thus making me think positively about everything that had happened and going to happen. And finally, I have my courage again and feeling ready for ITU admissions. Thank God for everything. This line ends the essay. Things that are bothering me with this essay:- I wonder if I have some grammatical errors-From this forum, usually this kind of ITU essay have the structure of "explain yourself before the event, explain the event and how it had changed you to be better, and explain present yourself." I wonder if this essay is too focused with the event itself and not the changes - Perhaps other things that I'm not aware of This is my first time writing such serious essay, so I didn't have the experience and stuff. Every feedback is appreciated, thank you everyone!

"You're such a mom." says my best friend, Alena as I put her baby sister to sleep. So, I guess my friends would describe me as a big carebear. I think this comes from my ineluctable need to show affection. This is my most evident feature- to have a big heart and tend for people. I come from a background that deems it necessary to not show emotion. To be practical, and work with the mind. But I like to challenge this unconventional thinking. So what if we work with both heart and mind? This is how I function. We had a science competition recently, and at least 50-60 students had participated in it. While everyone chose traditional topics, like the working of robots or the generation of electricity, I wanted to appeal to the heart, that suggested I do something that not only educates but also influences. I decided to do my project on marijuana. Yes, the forbidden marijuana. Did you know that marijuana could be used to kill cancer cells? I didn't. I must say, that the research I did was something I was most proud of. I'm proud of it because I chose to be different that evening. I chose to bring a taboo topic to life and deliver it in its uncustomary positive sense. I chose to fuel my inquisitiveness with the twin motive of changing perspective. As humans, we tend to overlook the positives and focus on the negatives, and I wanted to change this. We did not end up winning that night, but I'm sure I impressed my judge and my fellow contestants with the facts I brought to the table. Personally, I feel like the intro of this paragraph and the ending do not match. What do you think?

"You're such a mom." says my best friend, Alena as I put her baby sister to sleep. So, I guess my friends would describe me as a big care bear. I think this comes from my ineluctable need to show affection. This is my most evident feature- to have a big heart and tend for people. I come from a background that deems it necessary to not show emotion. To be practical, and work with the mind. But I like to challenge this unconventional thinking. So what if we work with both heart and mind? This is how I function. We had a science competition recently, and at least 50-60 students had participated in it. While everyone chose traditional topics, like the working of robots or the generation of electricity, I wanted to appeal to the heart, that suggested I do something that not only educates but also influences. I decided to do my project on marijuana. Yes, the forbidden marijuana. Did you know that marijuana could be used to kill cancer cells? I didn't. I must say, that the research I did was something I was most proud of. Furthermore, I'm proud of it because I chose to be different that evening. Furthermore, I chose to bring a taboo topic to life and deliver it in its uncustomary positive sense. Furthermore, I chose to fuel my inquisitiveness with the twin motive of changing perspective. As humans, we tend to overlook the positives and focus on the negatives, and I wanted to change this. We did not end up winning that night, but I'm sure I impressed my judge and my fellow contestants with the facts I brought to the table. Personally, I feel like the intro of this paragraph and the ending do not match. What do you think?

Growing up, I crafted mirrors. Wood and canvas looking glasses, small hand mirrors of sketchbook-bound paper: my mirrors always strayed from the typical composition of glass and metal, making it difficult to even perceive them as mirrors in the first place. For years, I simply recognized them to be what they were to the common eye: art. The key conflict of my childhood that shaped my personality was my struggle with social integration. After moving back to America from China, I molded myself into a blank slate to overcome cultural differences. My single defining interest, drawing, remained undeterred despite my self-consciousness, but even that expressed dissatisfaction. Ripped and crumpled paper that litter sketchbooks from uncontrolled erasure strokes portray frustrations. Acrylic landscapes stack together inside drawers in shame of unoriginality. Sticky notes of diverse characters and individuality bury within textbook pages in fear of judgement. Each rendered painting and lunchtime doodle was a reflection of my will to express myself, but my lack of confidence rendered my expression as silent. The summer going into high school, I stumbled upon a realm of mirrors: an online art forum. Despite my reluctance with social interaction, I was compelled to submit a piece of my work. The feedback I received was unexpected; along with welcomes and constructive criticism, I was contacted by many to simply connect interests. I was amazed by the contact within such a diverse community simply through sharing artwork and I decided to further explore this form of sharing. With the constant flow of support from different artists, I developed a more confident perspective on my abilities and began seeking ways to support others as well. By creating art-related contests and activities, I was granted a leader role in the community in which I've thrived and increased the population to over eleven thousand young artists. I began participating in volunteer work more often, encouraging children to express their own creativity through collaborative art sessions. I was reached out to by my local library to design and illustrate for their website and events, granting valuable experience with an employer. I contributed to multiple world building projects with other artists, creating stories and researching design. Shuffling through archives of old art years later with new perspectives on both myself and the world, I finally recognize my reflection. Rather than noting the inexperience showcased with every rough line and scratchy color, I am exposed to a record of self-discovery and improvement. What was once a way to pass time molded into a medium in which I can drive for a future career and make connections with those I meet. My mirrors, crafted with paper and canvas rather than glass and metal, make it difficult to visualize appearances, but they reveal more than the first glance or surface image. They display character. And even after recognizing my self-discovery, I remain determined to expand my perception. I strive to continuously create and reflect back, to grow off myself -- and knowing that every artist is a mirror-crafter -- to inspire others to reflect off my work just as much as I have reflected off theirs.

Growing up, I crafted mirrors. Wood and canvas looking glasses, small hand mirrors of sketchbook-bound paper: my mirrors always strayed from the typical composition of glass and metal, making it difficult to even perceive them as mirrors in the first place. For years, I simply recognized them to be what they were to the common eye: art. The key conflict of my childhood that shaped my personality was my struggle with social integration. After moving back to America from China, I molded myself into a blank slate to overcome cultural differences. My single defining interest, drawing, remained undeterred despite my self-consciousness, but even that expressed dissatisfaction. Ripped and crumpled paper that litter sketchbooks from uncontrolled erasure strokes portray frustrations. Acrylic landscapes stack together inside drawers in shame of originality. Sticky notes of diverse characters and individuality bury within textbook pages in fear of judgement. Each rendered painting and lunchtime doodle was a reflection of my will to express myself, but my lack of confidence rendered my expression as silent. The summer going into high school, I stumbled upon a realm of mirrors: an online art forum. Despite my reluctance with social interaction, I was compelled to submit a piece of my work. The feedback I received was unexpected; along with welcomes and constructive criticism, I was contacted by many to simply connect interests. I was amazed by the contact within such a diverse community simply through sharing artwork and I decided to further explore this form of sharing. With the constant flow of support from different artists, I developed a more confident perspective on my abilities and began seeking ways to support others as well. By creating art-related contests and activities, I was granted a leader role in the community in which I've thrived and increased the population to over eleven thousand young artists. I began participating in volunteer work more often, encouraging children to express their own creativity through collaborative art sessions. I was reached out to by my local library to design and illustrate for their website and events, granting valuable experience with an employer. Furthermore, I contributed to multiple world building projects with other artists, creating stories and researching design. Shuffling through archives of old art years later with new perspectives on both myself and the world, I finally recognize my reflection. Rather than noting the inexperience showcased with every rough line and scratchy color, I am exposed to a record of self-discovery and improvement. What was once a way to pass time molded into a medium in which I can drive for a future career and make connections with those I meet. My mirrors, crafted with paper and canvas rather than glass and metal, make it difficult to visualize appearances, but they reveal more than the first glance or surface image. They display character. And even after recognizing my self-discovery, I remain determined to expand my perception. I strive to continuously create and reflect back, to grow off myself -- and knowing that every artist is a mirror-crafter -- to inspire others to reflect off my work just as much as I have reflected off theirs.

Please help me with this and some guidance to perfect this. Thank you so much! There were great gusts of cold air blowing in as I walked under a curtain of darkness that draped the sky, starless. I could not focus. A single soul used to exist inside me. 2017 was a defining year to remember. Upon my optimistic vision about a new life, however, something happened in a way that I had not expected. I was bullied by a group of "friends" I spent my summer looking forward to meeting. I stood alone, looking at each of them slowly coming at me, then spit out an insult. I would ask them why, but they never answered. Everyday weighed upon me like a battle, and I was the only one who kept fighting. Mentally and physically, I was exhausted. I reached out for help from friends and even teachers. I felt like I was standing in the dark, but no one voluntarily pulled me out in the light. I was overwhelmed by a feeling of helplessness that resided in me, started to grow, and encompassed me entirely. When I was seven, I saw a smaller girl than I stood in the sun for many hours asking for money, hands in hands with her little brother. When I was twelve, I saw my mom on the phone, crying. After that I knew my grandma was hospitalized. She was a woman of struggle, who used to be very healthy just like yesterday, who now developed severe lung disease and was gasping for life. I could not help but resentful of my oblivion and helplessness. I saw my mom break down for the first time, except for the couraging words, I could not do anything else. The feeling of helplessness, I feared it. It did not go away but haunted me like a ghost. She passed away. I had not properly said goodbye. I refused to let go of my grandmother, to accept the death I had not seen coming. I did not cry; I wanted to be the strong one, to be the one whom my mom could seek comfort and solace. A lot of things were racing through my mind. I lived in despair and neglected my beloved ones; I did not realize how much I had lost. Deep regrets and resentment with myself led me to the realization that later granted me freedom. I did not want to dwell on the past, to live a life directed by the others. I did not want to live in despair or regret. I did not want the feeling of helplessness to trap me in the world of the impossible. Therefore, I needed to take action. I started to take defense for myself, criticized those who bullied me, and the bystanders' apathy. It was a long time, and I was still the only one who kept fighting in the battle. I got my first win! From the desperate efforts to the determined goals, the bullied were kept in detention. I got my very first friends who could not stand such blindness resurfacing but stood up for me. I started to open up; it took me a long time to relieve the pain of loss. From my grandmother, I collected the memory of her life, her optimism, and her kindness. I collected her years of agony and suffering, years of never giving up. From my grandmother, I learned about life, to cherish every moment, and to beat the fear of helplessness. Even under the expanse of darkness, I found my galaxy in which every aspect of me shines like a star. I, too, deserve the night sky.

Please help me with this and some guidance to perfect this. Thank you so much! There were great gusts of cold air blowing in as I walked under a curtain of darkness that draped the sky, starless. I could not focus. A single soul used to exist inside me. 2017 was a defining year to remember. Upon my optimistic vision about a new life, however, something happened in a way that I had not expected. I was bullied by a group of "friends" I spent my summer looking forward to meeting. I stood alone, looking at each of them slowly coming at me, then spit out an insult. Furthermore, I would ask them why, but they never answered. Every day weighed upon me like a battle, and I was the only one who kept fighting. Mentally and physically, I was exhausted. I reached out for help from friends and even teachers. I felt like I was standing in the dark, but no one voluntarily pulled me out in the light. Furthermore, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of helplessness that resided in me, started to grow, and encompassed me entirely. When I was seven, I saw a smaller girl than I stood in the sun for many hours asking for money, hands in hands with her little brother. When I was twelve, I saw my mom on the phone, crying. After that I knew my grandma was hospitalized. She was a woman of struggle, who used to be very healthy just like yesterday, who now developed severe lung disease and was gasping for life. I could not help but resentful of my oblivion and helplessness. I saw my mom break down for the first time, except for the encouraging words, I could not do anything else. The feeling of helplessness, I feared it. It did not go away but haunted me like a ghost. She passed away. I had not properly said goodbye. I refused to let go of my grandmother, to accept the death I had not seen coming. Furthermore, I did not cry; I wanted to be the strong one, to be the one whom my mom could seek comfort and solace. A lot of things were racing through my mind. I lived in despair and neglected my beloved ones; I did not realize how much I had lost. Deep regrets and resentment with myself led me to the realization that later granted me freedom. I did not want to dwell on the past, to live a life directed by the others. I did not want to live in despair or regret. Furthermore, I did not want the feeling of helplessness to trap me in the world of the impossible. Therefore, I needed to take action. I started to take defense for myself, criticized those who bullied me, and the bystanders' apathy. It was a long time, and I was still the only one who kept fighting in the battle. I got my first win! From the desperate efforts to the determined goals, the bullied were kept in detention. I got my very first friends who could not stand such blindness resurfacing but stood up for me. I started to open up; it took me a long time to relieve the pain of loss. From my grandmother, I collected the memory of her life, her optimism, and her kindness. I collected her years of agony and suffering, years of never giving up. From my grandmother, I learned about life, to cherish every moment, and to beat the fear of helplessness. Even under the expanse of darkness, I found my galaxy in which every aspect of me shines like a star. I, too, deserve the night sky.

It was my second day on the job, and I was situated in one of the busiest stations throughout the entirety of the PNE fair. As a ticket seller, I knew that the lines could get long, but this line stretched far beyond what I thought was reasonable. As my coworker and I pulled our curtains up, we both realized that to satisfy the crowd of customers ahead of us, we would need to figure something out. In the moments between speaking to customers, I would discuss strategies to increase our efficacy. We delegated tasks: she would handle refilling each of our payment terminal's receipt paper, I would be responsible for breaking our change; she was responsible for making sure our workspace wasn't cluttered, I would be in charge of collecting and packaging paper tickets for storage. Even during brief moments of downtime, we would help each other. As the crowd cleared, I noted that only one or two customers complained about the line. During my time in that ticket booth, the importance of efficient communication and collaboration with others was ingrained inside me, as I shudder to think what would have happened if I didn't speak up that day.

It was my second day on the job, and I was situated in one of the busiest stations throughout the entirety of the PNE fair. As a ticket seller, I knew that the lines could get long, but this line stretched far beyond what I thought was reasonable. As my coworker and I pulled our curtains up, we both realized that to satisfy the crowd of customers ahead of us, we would need to figure something out. In the moments between speaking to customers, I would discuss strategies to increase our efficacy. We delegated tasks: she would handle refilling each of our payment terminal's receipt paper, I would be responsible for breaking our change; she was responsible for making sure our workspace wasn't cluttered, I would be in charge of collecting and packaging paper tickets for storage. Even during brief moments of downtime, we would help each other. As the crowd cleared, I noted that only one or two customers complained about the line. During my time in that ticket booth, the importance of efficient communication and collaboration with others was ingrained inside me, as I shudder to think what would have happened if I didn't speak up that day.

In 2013, my mother moved myself and my brother from a small town in Moscow to Vancouver Island, Nanaimo. I was pulled away from my Lyceum, my friends, and my ballet troupe; all things that defined me as a Russian teen. It was incredibly difficult to fit in with Canadian teenagers, especially since I did not speak English. In my first year, I was enrolled a year behind my peers, which made me very frustrated and alienated. I spent the year practicing English in all ways I could; I translated books and movies, overcame my fear of making new friends, and conversed with teachers. I worked only pronunciation and writing with my drama teacher and peers everyday. I felt very vulnerable because I was bullied for my accent, but I always remembered how hard my mother studied English in Moscow. I wanted to make her proud and after all my hard work, I was advanced to the next grade and successfully completed my proficiency tests. I learned how important it is to feel accepted and that hard work always pays off. I no longer have an accent and I have kept up my ambition to never give up.

In 2013, my mother moved myself and my brother from a small town in Moscow to Vancouver Island, Nanaimo. I was pulled away from my Lyceum, my friends, and my ballet troupe; all things that defined me as a Russian teen. It was incredibly difficult to fit in with Canadian teenagers, especially since I did not speak English. In my first year, I was enrolled a year behind my peers, which made me very frustrated and alienated. I spent the year practicing English in all ways I could; I translated books and movies, overcame my fear of making new friends, and conversed with teachers. I worked only pronunciation and writing with my drama teacher and peers every day. Furthermore, I felt very vulnerable because I was bullied for my accent, but I always remembered how hard my mother studied English in Moscow. Furthermore, I wanted to make her proud and after all my hard work, I was advanced to the next grade and successfully completed my proficiency tests. Furthermore, I learned how important it is to feel accepted and that hard work always pays off. Furthermore, I no longer have an accent and I have kept up my ambition to never give up.

Panic set in as I stared at the empty zoom waiting room. What if no one showed up? Through weeks of work to create my school's first Black Student Union (BSU), I never considered what I would do if no one came. Then a notification appeared, followed by another. As my screen filled with the beautiful brown faces of my peers and teachers, I sighed a breath of relief. I decided to start the BSU after I was tormented by a racist student in my grade. His words were so vile and demeaning that they would have been right at home in a Jim Crow Caricature of slaves. Yet I didn't allow them to make me bitter or insecure; instead, I developed a hunger to change the environment that hurt me. I spent countless hours forming a community where my black peers and teachers could finally feel safe. Emails. Mission Statements. Meetings. Conferences. All this while trying to balance a job, a rigorous course load, leading other clubs, and just being a normal teenager. Then one of my classmates reached out with ideas for the Black Student Union and offered to co-lead the club with me. Immediately my mind shut it down. I thought that in order to be a good leader I needed to do everything alone. Then I took a moment to reflect and consider what was best for the BSU. I am so passionate about everything I love that I often get swept up in the moment. I was so eager to participate and share my ideas that I forgot to take a second to listen and reflect. I have since learned that the best leaders are not afraid to ask for help. As the co-president of the BSU, I have collaborated with my peers to develop a comprehensive Afro-Caribbean history curriculum that is being adopted by the humanities department. We have organized anti-racism programs for the 5th-12th grades and we are planning activities that can become traditions long after I have graduated. By incorporating my peer's opinions I gain a new perspective that allows me to understand each issue from a wider lens.

Panic set in as I stared at the empty zoom waiting room. What if no one showed up? Through weeks of work to create my school's first Black Student Union (BSU), I never considered what I would do if no one came. Then a notification appeared, followed by another. As my screen filled with the beautiful brown faces of my peers and teachers, I sighed a breath of relief. I decided to start the BSU after I was tormented by a racist student in my grade. His words were so vile and demeaning that they would have been right at home in a Jim Crow Caricature of slaves. Yet I didn't allow them to make me bitter or insecure; instead, I developed a hunger to change the environment that hurt me. I spent countless hours forming a community where my black peers and teachers could finally feel safe. Emails. Mission Statements. Meetings. Conferences. All this while trying to balance a job, a rigorous course load, leading other clubs, and just being a normal teenager. Then one of my classmates reached out with ideas for the Black Student Union and offered to co-lead the club with me. Immediately my mind shut it down. I thought that in order to be a good leader I needed to do everything alone. Then I took a moment to reflect and consider what was best for the BSU. I am so passionate about everything I love that I often get swept up at the moment. I was so eager to participate and share my ideas that I forgot to take a second to listen and reflect. Furthermore, I have since learned that the best leaders are not afraid to ask for help. As the co-president of the BSU, I have collaborated with my peers to develop a comprehensive Afro-Caribbean history curriculum that is being adopted by the humanities department. We have organized anti-racism programs for the 5th-12th grades, and we are planning activities that can become traditions long after I have graduated. By incorporating my peer's opinions I gain a new perspective that allows me to understand each issue from a wider lens.

Owning to unfortunate incidents happened these years, for instance,the outbreak of COVID-19, lots of people die from unpredictable accidents and so on. I realized that there is nothing important than a living life. Having seen a film talking about a Syrian refugee, who spent all her properties just for getting a ship ticket to a safer country. In the end, the boat sank and there was only one person survived, and that was her. Feeling shocked, I started to think about this question: Why can't people live in a peaceful world and a serene life? In the Middle East Asia, wars, fights, terrorist attacks happen every day. People are in exile and seeing their families disappear. But why this happened.John Lennon once said, "Everything will be okay in the end, if it's not okay, it's not the end." To them, the day would never com. Human beings chase wealth, fames and profits, but sacrifice safety and security. This is what I want to change. Avicii's Dad once told him: "One day you'll leave this world behind, so live a life you will remember." Not preferring putting ourselves into sorrow, because we're the angle assigned by God. Put down the enmity and get rid of hostility, embrace everything beside you no matter it's terrible or not. Then, we can make a better world.

Owning to unfortunate incidents happened these years, for instance, the outbreak of COVID-19, lots of people die from unpredictable accidents and so on. I realized that there is nothing important than a living life. Having seen a film talking about a Syrian refugee, who spent all her properties just for getting a ship ticket to a safer country. In the end, the boat sank and there was only one person survived, and that was her. Feeling shocked, I started to think about this question: Why can't people live in a peaceful world and a serene life? In the Middle East Asia, wars, fights, terrorist attacks happen every day. People are in exile and seeing their families disappear. But why this happened. John Lennon once said, "Everything will be okay in the end, if it's not okay, it's not the end." To them, the day would never come. Human beings chase wealth, games and profits, but sacrifice safety and security. This is what I want to change. Avicii's Dad once told him: "One day you'll leave this world behind, so live a life you will remember." Not preferring putting ourselves into sorrow, because we're the angle assigned by God. Put down the enmity and get rid of hostility, embrace everything beside you no matter it's terrible or not. Then, we can make a better world.

'' Oh my f* god, she's wearing the pink underwear''''You are such a slut'''' Why don't you shave your hair?''''Can you shut your mouth up? '' This is what I called the ''normal'' conversation. Literally, normal, as I heard it every day. In 9th grade, at a new school, I got bullied by a group of boys in my class. That was probably the most terrible thing I have ever experienced during my 17-year-of-existence. Everyday weighed upon me like a battle. Mentally and physically, I was completely exhausted. I would spend hours thinking about insecurity and tried to unhealthily suppress it to seek the attention of those who bullied me. I became excessively obsessed with how people perceived me and did everything in my power to fill the emptiness inside me with others' approval. But that was not all. There were great gusts of cold air blowing in. A candle is blown out, was it the signal of the end of something? I'm not sure. The worst thing was not the fact that I was bullied but people's apathy that hurt me the most. I got attacked by those insulting words. EVERYDAY. From a carefree 13-year-old who alwaýs dreamt about the magical world in Ghibli movies, she was afraid of this world and lost her faith in the people. She sought help from her classmates and even the teacher who thought that they were just the mischievous boys. No one was out there to help her. She once cried her eyes out when watching ''Miracle in Cell No. 7'' when the mentally challenged father decided to sacrifice for the well-being of his daughter after being forced to confess his guilt although he did not commit. He was defenseless, he had no other choice because he was the people whose voice was not heard. I used to be empathetic but had never thought that one day, I would deeply relate to. All the things that happened were the cause that rooted in my biggest fear: it's the apathy - a social disease that needs more serious attention. Things just got worse over time. But one day, they crossed the line. They insulted my family. And that was my limit. I couldn't stand more. I stood up and sprung to my self-defense. I criticized them for bullying me, for insulting me and my family, for neglecting one's life. I also criticized the other, and even myself for not having the confidence to stand up. That burst of anger fueled my courage. I was made sharply aware of how bullying has been happening terribly everywhere but still, no one comes up with any effective measures and how the apathy has been more and more apparent and intense. And that someone must take action to stop this from happening. It was only a moment of realization but crucial enough for me to acknowledge its existence. I did not have that power to completely change the whole situation. But I was proud of myself for standing up for me and also for another girl in my class who was also bullied. I may not be certain of my future but I know for sure what I want to serve and want to change. I want to be the voice of the ignored, of the underprivileged, and the unheard. I want to change the way people perceive this world, about the sufferings of the people they treat with disrespect. I will fight against ignorance, discrimination, and prejudice. With me, the world is no more different than a candle. Love, passion, strength,... Together, we could keep the flame burning. But even if it is blown out, it is not the end. Looking up to the sky, there are millions of stars twinkling. Everyone has and deserves the night sky.

'' Oh my f* god, she's wearing the pink underwear''''You are such a slut'''' Why don't you shave your hair?'''' Can you shut your mouth up? '' This is what I called the ''normal'' conversation. Literally, normal, as I heard it every day. In 9th grade, at a new school, I got bullied by a group of boys in my class. That was probably the most terrible thing I have ever experienced during my 17-year-of-existence. Every day weighed upon me like a battle. Mentally and physically, I was completely exhausted. I would spend hours thinking about insecurity and tried to unhealthily suppress it to seek the attention of those who bullied me. I became excessively obsessed with how people perceived me and did everything in my power to fill the emptiness inside me with others' approval. But that was not all. There were great gusts of cold air blowing in. A candle is blown out, was it the signal of the end of something? I'm not sure. The worst thing was not the fact that I was bullied but people's apathy that hurt me the most. I got attacked by those insulting words. Every day. From a carefree 13-year-old who always dreamt about the magical world in Ghibli movies, she was afraid of this world and lost her faith in the people. She sought help from her classmates and even the teacher who thought that they were just the mischievous boys. No one was out there to help her. She once cried her eyes out when watching ''Miracle in Cell No. 7'' when the mentally challenged father decided to sacrifice for the well-being of his daughter after being forced to confess his guilt, although he did not commit. He was defenseless, he had no other choice because he was the people whose voice was not heard. I used to be empathetic but had never thought that one day, I would deeply relate to. All the things that happened were the cause that rooted in my biggest fear: it's the apathy - a social disease that needs more serious attention. Things just got worse over time. But one day, they crossed the line. They insulted my family. And that was my limit. I couldn't stand more. I stood up and sprung to my self-defense. Furthermore, I criticized them for bullying me, for insulting me and my family, for neglecting one's life. Furthermore, I also criticized the other, and even myself for not having the confidence to stand up. That burst of anger fueled my courage. I was made sharply aware of how bullying has been happening terribly everywhere but still, no one comes up with any effective measures and how the apathy has been more and more apparent and intense. And that someone must take action to stop this from happening. It was only a moment of realization but crucial enough for me to acknowledge its existence. I did not have that power to completely change the whole situation. But I was proud of myself for standing up for me and also for another girl in my class who was also bullied. I may not be certain of my future, but I know for sure what I want to serve and want to change. I want to be the voice of the ignored, of the underprivileged, and the unheard. Furthermore, I want to change the way people perceive this world, about the sufferings of the people they treat with disrespect. Furthermore, I will fight against ignorance, discrimination, and prejudice. With me, the world is no more different from a candle. Love, passion, strength, ... Together, we could keep the flame burning. But even if it is blown out, it is not the end. Looking up to the sky, there are millions of stars twinkling. Everyone has and deserves the night sky.

I have followed Alice down the rabbit hole many times before. The earliest instance was while I was in elementary school. I had grown tired of staying in my room, staring at the ceiling, so instead, I shrunk myself down and walked through a large, rectangular portal. At first, I was temporarily amazed when I landed in a bathtub full of marshmallows. No one else was around me except for a talking Chesire cat I named Imagination. After having a friendly conversation with her, I learnt that she too had chanced upon this door after chasing an invisible rat . Imagination and I instantly bonded and proceeded on our numerous adventures together in Wonderland. I travelled with her to the Boro Grove, carefully avoiding the perfumed flowers so we wouldn't grow into trees, and the Whispering woods in search of the forget me knot plant I hoped to give my friend, Color the Unicorn, as a birthday present. These adventures have made me fall in love with Imagination and understand her importance. To me she was in the form of a cat but many others might have met her in different forms such as invisible friends when they were children. Imagination was my friend who added color to the dull perspective of life. Without her, I would not have dreamt of such wonders nor would I have conceptualized a better world I aspire to build. Imagination is the root of my ideas that I someday hope to make realities.

I have followed Alice down the rabbit hole many times before. The earliest instance was while I was in elementary school. I had grown tired of staying in my room, staring at the ceiling, so instead, I shrunk myself down and walked through a large, rectangular portal. At first, I was temporarily amazed when I landed in a bathtub full of marshmallows. No one else was around me except for a talking Cheshire cat I named Imagination. After having a friendly conversation with her, I learned that she too had chanced upon this door after chasing an invisible rat. Imagination and I instantly bonded and proceeded on our numerous adventures together in Wonderland. I travelled with her to the Born Grove, carefully avoiding the perfumed flowers, so we wouldn't grow into trees, and the Whispering woods in search of to forget me knot plant I hoped to give my friend, Color the Unicorn, as a birthday present. These adventures have made me fall in love with Imagination and understand her importance. To me, she was in the form of a cat, but many others might have met her in different forms such as invisible friends when they were children. Imagination was my friend who added color to the dull perspective of life. Without her, I would not have dreamt of such wonders nor would I have conceptualized a better world I aspire to build. Imagination is the root of my ideas that I someday hope to make realities.

From a young age, I had always been curious, analytical, but also shy. As a child, I would always have questions racing through my mind; however, I would always be too afraid to raise my hand or ask the teacher for help in fear of being reprimanded. This fear worsened to the point that I constantly felt trapped and unable to progress, both academically and socially. In grade 8, I was pulled aside after I did poorly on a test; my teacher sternly told me that I needed to ask for help if there was something that I did not understand. This incident led me to the realization that I had to do something about my social anxiety, that I needed to overcome it, otherwise, I would never be able to improve. From that day forward, whenever I struggled with content that was being taught, I would suck up the courage and ask teachers for clarification, which led to my grades significantly improving. Another thing that helped me most when overcoming my anxiety was reaching out to my friends. Although I had few, the ones that I did reach out to, were all extremely supportive. They would help me when I struggled, as well as introduce me to their friends, which allowed me to create meaningful connections throughout the years. Although I am still shy, I am extremely proud of overcoming my social anxiety, as well as how I constantly strive to improve. I just finished writing this draft. Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)

From a young age, I had always been curious, analytical, but also shy. As a child, I would always have questions racing through my mind; however, I would always be too afraid to raise my hand or ask the teacher for help in fear of being reprimanded. This fear worsened to the point that I constantly felt trapped and unable to progress, both academically and socially. In grade 8, I was pulled aside after I did poorly on a test; my teacher sternly told me that I needed to ask for help if there was something that I did not understand. This incident led me to the realization that I had to do something about my social anxiety, that I needed to overcome it, otherwise, I would never be able to improve. From that day forward, whenever I struggled with content that was being taught, I would suck up the courage and ask teachers for clarification, which led to my grades significantly improving. Another thing that helped me most when overcoming my anxiety was reaching out to my friends. Although I had few, the ones that I did reach out to, were all extremely supportive. They would help me when I struggled, as well as introduce me to their friends, which allowed me to create meaningful connections throughout the years. Although I am still shy, I am extremely proud of overcoming my social anxiety, as well as how I constantly strive to improve. I just finished writing this draft. Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)

I like to consider myself as a multi-faceted individual, demonstrating various aspects of my character to different people, which ultimately ties in all together to define who I am. For instance, my parents would describe me as bold and determined, someone who is not hesitant to speak up their mind and engage in discussions. This was evident through my active participation in numerous community clubs, student council, and Model United Nations conferences. My closest friends would describe me as mindful and caring; I am the problem solver of the group because of my ability to stay calm and logical, even in the most chaotic times. Outside of my school community, my employers and co-workers would say that I am hardworking and determined. Being the youngest of my group of co-workers, I have had to work harder to prove myself and keep up with the rest but I was persistent to do so. Something that I am most proud of is my capacity to adjust to new environments and take on different challenges. As someone who has moved to several different countries throughout my childhood, each with its unique system and culture, I used to find it extremely challenging to socialize with others and fit in, and my mental health was struggling. However, I have gradually worked on myself, personally and academically, and continue to do so by capturing the positive aspects of experiences and pushing myself out of my comfort zone at home, in school, and within the community itself. Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.

I like to consider myself as a multi-faceted individual, demonstrating various aspects of my character to different people, which ultimately ties in all together to define who I am. For instance, my parents would describe me as bold and determined, someone who is not hesitant to speak up their mind and engage in discussions. This was evident through my active participation in numerous community clubs, student council, and Model United Nations conferences. My closest friends would describe me as mindful and caring; I am the problem solver of the group because of my ability to stay calm and logical, even in the most chaotic times. Outside my school community, my employers and co-workers would say that I am hardworking and determined. Being the youngest of my group of co-workers, I have had to work harder to prove myself and keep up with the rest, but I was persistent to do so. Something that I am most proud of is my capacity to adjust to new environments and take on different challenges. As someone who has moved to several countries throughout my childhood, each with its unique system and culture, I used to find it extremely challenging to socialize with others and fit in, and my mental health was struggling. However, I have gradually worked on myself, personally and academically, and continue to do so by capturing the positive aspects of experiences and pushing myself out of my comfort zone at home, in school, and within the community itself. Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.

please let me know how i can improve this essay as well as reduce the word count because i am over the limit. Also is my voice heard in the essay I took the initiative to hold the first Black History month event at my school in order to create an environment that encourages diversity and appreciates the differences of students. The Black History Month event was a cultural event that would minimize stereotypes and provide students with more knowledge about the contributions of Black people. It is vital for students to know and appreciate Black history, as Canadians strive to build a better society that is inclusive and knowledgeable of various cultures. To hold the event, I went to the student council to pitch my idea of the event and asked for funding to buy necessary items. Afterwards, I went to the principal to receive permission to hold the event in the streets of the school and collaborated with COLORS (a multicultural club) after the event was approved. I led a team of eight students from different grades to assist me in the planning of the event and provide me with their suggestions. I contacted various cultural organizations in my community such as the Multicultural Association for collaboration and provisions of some items. Furthermore, I planned with my team that it would be a three-day event where we educated students about Black history through presentations and included different types of Black dishes each day as souvenirs for students. After deciding the dates of the event, I then reached out to several people who were going to prepare the meals for the events and negotiated the price of the dishes. I chose the vendor with the most affordable price to have enough money to purchase the remaining items with a limited budget. My team and I advertised the event by announcing it on the school daily announcements, putting up posters, utilizing social media and word of mouth. I delegated different roles to each member of the team including myself. The event took place in February and was a great success because both teachers and students came to the booth eager to learn and had positive reviews afterwards. The organization of the event granted me leadership, public speaking, multitasking, creativity, problem-solving, negotiating and budgeting skills. I demonstrated my responsibility by not going over the budget given and planning a successful event. My efforts motivated other students and serves as a good example for my team members who will take over after I leave for university.

Please let me know how I can improve this essay as well as reduce the word count because I am over the limit. Also is my voice heard in the essay I took the initiative to hold the first Black History month event at my school in order to create an environment that encourages diversity and appreciates the differences of students. The Black History Month event was a cultural event that would minimize stereotypes and provide students with more knowledge about the contributions of Black people. It is vital for students to know and appreciate Black history, as Canadians strive to build a better society that is inclusive and knowledgeable of various cultures. To hold the event, I went to the student council to pitch my idea of the event and asked for funding to buy necessary items. Afterwards, I went to the principal to receive permission to hold the event in the streets of the school and collaborated with COLORS (a multicultural club) after the event was approved. I led a team of eight students from different grades to assist me in the planning of the event and provide me with their suggestions. I contacted various cultural organizations in my community such as the Multicultural Association for collaboration and provisions of some items. Furthermore, I planned with my team that it would be a three-day event where we educated students about Black history through presentations and included different types of Black dishes each day as souvenirs for students. After deciding the dates of the event, I then reached out to several people who were going to prepare the meals for the events and negotiated the price of the dishes. I chose the vendor with the most affordable price to have enough money to purchase the remaining items with a limited budget. My team and I advertised the event by announcing it on the school daily announcements, putting up posters, utilizing social media and word of mouth. I delegated different roles to each member of the team including myself. The event took place in February and was a great success because both teachers and students came to the booth eager to learn and had positive reviews afterwards. The organization of the event granted me leadership, public speaking, multitasking, creativity, problem-solving, negotiating and budgeting skills. I demonstrated my responsibility by not going over the budget given and planning a successful event. My efforts motivated other students and serves as a good example for my team members who will take over after I leave for university.

I have always fancied becoming an entrepreneur. The mere idea of helping others through my work puts me in a state of sheer excitement. This dream of mine manifested itself in May 2020 when COVID-19 was on the rise and hand-sanitizers were in great demand. Owing to the increased demand, the production of hand-sanitizers reached a point where the local-industry could no longer sustain it. Besides that, the Government had also capped the prices of hand-sanitizers below the minimum retail price. Pharmaceutical companies were facing several challenges ranging from the increased cost of inputs to lower selling margins. Desperate for some revenue, the market grew fraudulent and started adding illicit chemicals like methanol, which was not only inexpensive but also declared toxic by the FDA. My father narrated me the "Sanitizer-Saga" as he was himself manufacturing hand-sanitizers but had to incur losses as he was selling officially sanctioned, export-grade hand-sanitizers making them relatively costlier. The unawareness of consumers and the profound cupidity that reigned in the market stunned me. The entire issue also made little sense to me as things were working in the opposite direction. I concluded there were several challenges, and it was time to satisfy a long-desired dream. I resolved to sell hand-sanitizers with the help of my dad, my main impetus being never to compromise quality for quantity. Next, I assembled a team of three friends, and together, we ventured out into the unknown. I managed the creative side of our business as I designed the graphics that also included the labeling of our products, moreover did all the copywriting work as well. I was also responsible for collecting samples, passing on the orders, and delivering consignments. After finalizing everything, we made a list of potential clients who would buy from us in bulk and distributed the phone calls equally. I explained how our product was toxic-free and has an export-quality rating but got laughed at for quoting a high price. It was not a month before persistingly cold calling prospects and desperately pivoting our strategies when our persistence bore fruit as we received a green light from a vendor who decided to meet us. We presented him our samples; after some negotiations, we received an order of 500 units worth $800, which duly shipped. Sure, that was exhilarating, but knowing that people will consume a quality product rather than a toxic one made me even happier. The vendor told us that customers liked our hand-sanitizers and gave us a repeat-order, but we had to call off the project by then because dad had limited the production of sanitizers, thus, we could no longer benefit from his economies of scale. I believed in my product; I knew I could have helped more people. The fact that I could no longer continue made me feel helpless. I expressed the same to my family, to which they asked me, "What if you never started?" The question was so ordinary yet so profound it took my anxiety away. If I had never started, the people who eventually bought our product would have settled for a cheaper, perhaps noxious product. Above everything else, in a country of 1.3 billion people, I did not let the quality of hand-sanitizers be a matter of concern for at least 500. I felt appreciated because my existence could - at least moderately - improve the quality of a few people's lives. Over time, I have realized that there is no greater joy than helping others. On a planet where suffering precedes happiness, it is better to change things for the better than make things for the worse.

I have always fancied becoming an entrepreneur. The mere idea of helping others through my work puts me in a state of sheer excitement. This dream of mine manifested itself in May 2020 when COVID-19 was on the rise and hand-sanitizers were in great demand. Owing to the increased demand, the production of hand-sanitizers reached a point where the local-industry could no longer sustain it. Besides that, the Government had also capped the prices of hand-sanitizers below the minimum retail price. Pharmaceutical companies were facing several challenges ranging from the increased cost of inputs to lower selling margins. Desperate for some revenue, the market grew fraudulent and started adding illicit chemicals like methanol, which was not only inexpensive but also declared toxic by the FDA. My father narrated me the "Sanitizer-Saga" as he was himself manufacturing hand-sanitizers but had to incur losses as he was selling officially sanctioned, export-grade hand-sanitizers making them relatively costlier. The unawareness of consumers and the profound cupidity that reigned in the market stunned me. The entire issue also made little sense to me as things were working in the opposite direction. I concluded there were several challenges, and it was time to satisfy a long-desired dream. I resolved to sell hand-sanitizers with the help of my dad, my main impetus being never to compromise quality for quantity. Next, I assembled a team of three friends, and together, we ventured out into the unknown. I managed the creative side of our business as I designed the graphics that also included the labeling of our products, moreover did all the copywriting work as well. I was also responsible for collecting samples, passing on the orders, and delivering consignments. After finalizing everything, we made a list of potential clients who would buy from us in bulk and distributed the phone calls equally. I explained how our product was toxic-free and has an export-quality rating but got laughed at for quoting a high price. It was not a month before persistently cold calling prospects and desperately pivoting our strategies when our persistence bore fruit as we received a green light from a vendor who decided to meet us. We presented him our samples; after some negotiations, we received an order of 500 units worth $800, which duly shipped. Sure, that was exhilarating, but knowing that people will consume a quality product rather than a toxic one made me even happier. The vendor told us that customers liked our hand-sanitizers and gave us a repeat-order, but we had to call off the project by then because dad had limited the production of sanitizers, thus, we could no longer benefit from his economies of scale. I believed in my product; I knew I could have helped more people. The fact that I could no longer continue made me feel helpless. I expressed the same to my family, to which they asked me, "What if you never started?" The question was so ordinary yet so profound it took my anxiety away. If I had never started, the people who eventually bought our product would have settled for a cheaper, perhaps noxious product. Above everything else, in a country of 1.3 billion people, I did not let the quality of hand-sanitizers be a matter of concern for at least 500. I felt appreciated because my existence could - at least moderately - improve the quality of a few people's lives. Over time, I have realized that there is no greater joy than helping others. On a planet where suffering precedes happiness, it is better to change things for the better than make things for the worse.

Growing up as a skinny, gay Asian kid, I was bullied. My bullies, like many others, have a way of making me feel as if no one would ever stand up for me. As I matured, however, this feeling led me to grow into a leader that is not afraid to stand up for myself. Perhaps this is why friends compare me to Michelle Obama - a flattering comparison, I must admit, but a true one. Many in the community that I have worked with say that, like her, I am not afraid to stand up and take initiatives in positions of leadership; and when I do, I sharply analyze the situations around me and their potential underlying issues, then step up and take action to address them. My desire to stand up transformed into action when I joined Student Council. Today, as a Student Council Exec, I am proud to say that my job is all about stepping up to act. For instance, after leading a recent poster-making session, I quickly realized that our pre-COVID poster-making format was unsafe. I immediately contacted my fellow execs and proposed a new format: one where students divide up the poster workload across the building. Many similar experiences at Student Council enabled me to transform a courage to stand up into an initiative-taking action blueprint: if I see something wrong, I make a plan, and fix it - a principle I now proudly encompass as a leader. This is quite an early draft so please please scrutinize! @holt i know you always have some amazing insights so if you can please chime in :) anyone else please also just absolutely bash me as u see fit! Thank you all so much!!!!

Growing up as a skinny, gay Asian kid, I was bullied. My bullies, like many others, have a way of making me feel as if no one would ever stand up for me. As I matured, however, this feeling led me to grow into a leader that is not afraid to stand up for myself. Perhaps this is why friends compare me to Michelle Obama - a flattering comparison, I must admit, but a true one. Many in the community that I have worked with say that, like her, I am not afraid to stand up and take initiatives in positions of leadership; and when I do, I sharply analyze the situations around me and their potential underlying issues, then step up and take action to address them. My desire to stand up transformed into action when I joined Student Council. Today, as a Student Council Exec, I am proud to say that my job is all about stepping up to act. For instance, after leading a recent poster-making session, I quickly realized that our pre-COVID poster-making format was unsafe. I immediately contacted my fellow execs and proposed a new format: one where students divide up the poster workload across the building. Many similar experiences at Student Council enabled me to transform a courage to stand up into an initiative-taking action blueprint: if I see something wrong, I make a plan, and fix it - a principle I now proudly encompass as a leader. This is quite an early draft, so please scrutinize! @holt I know you always have some amazing insights so if you can please chime in :) anyone else please also just absolutely bash me as u see fit! Thank you all so much!!!!

The stressful experience of working early morning shifts, dealing with impatient customers, and being unable to find success at my McDonald's job in Port Moody was a challenge that I had to overcome. It was hard adapting to my first job. I felt helpless when customers would yell at me with profanities, throw hot coffees at me and criticize me loudly for my poor work in the kitchen and customer service. I take pride in my work, and these failures drove me to eagerly improve my skills. In the following months, I perceived the way experienced employees worked and noted small details upon it. Throughout these months I learned to maintain my values while protecting the company's reputation. I overcame my fear of dealing with rude customers by remaining calm and notifying the manager. Most importantly, I learned to balance my schedule so I can work early morning shifts and still exceed in school. The power of initiating in bettering myself reflected as my confidence and skill improved at work. As a result of my initiative, I found further success as an employee and a student. This is the best attempt I have had to answer this question. Please leave me suggestions and tips below, it would mean a lot to me.

The stressful experience of working early morning shifts, dealing with impatient customers, and being unable to find success at my McDonald's job in Port Moody was a challenge that I had to overcome. It was hard adapting to my first job. I felt helpless when customers would yell at me with profanities, throw hot coffees at me and criticize me loudly for my poor work in the kitchen and customer service. I take pride in my work, and these failures drove me to eagerly improve my skills. In the following months, I perceived the way experienced employees worked and noted small details upon it. Throughout these months I learned to maintain my values while protecting the company's reputation. I overcame my fear of dealing with rude customers by remaining calm and notifying the manager. Most importantly, I learned to balance my schedule, so I can work early morning shifts and still exceed in school. The power of initiating in bettering myself reflected as my confidence and skill improved at work. As a result of my initiative, I found further success as an employee and a student. This is the best attempt I have had to answer this question. Please leave me suggestions and tips below, it would mean a lot to me.

Taking initiative is important for a meaningful and interesting life. In order to understand society and the world around us, we have to subject ourselves to different experiences and adversities. By always sticking to the familiar and not taking risks, one can become every sheltered and lack valuable social or life skills. When I was younger, I was terrified of trying new things because I feared failure and rejection. However, by not broadening my horizons, I felt that I was not progressing as a person and lacked a purpose in life. In middle school, I finally challenged myself to do something out of my comfort zone: run for class president. Though I was unsuccessful in acquiring the position, I felt like I succeeded because I was able to learn a substantial lesson from the experience: It is necessary to be indifferent to success or failure and I instead should focus on how I can better myself. It is critical to not be discouraged by failures and persevere and since then, I began to immerse myself in different experiences and take initiative to grasp any opportunities that are presented to me. Taking various initiatives in life matters to me because it allows me to learn valuable lessons that can be useful in my later life. By pursuing a variety of experiences, I can constantly improve and grow as an individual. Please let me know if I have answered the question correctly. Thank you in advance for any feedback!

Taking initiative is important for a meaningful and interesting life. In order to understand society and the world around us, we have to subject ourselves to different experiences and adversities. By always sticking to the familiar and not taking risks, one can become every sheltered and lack valuable social or life skills. When I was younger, I was terrified of trying new things because I feared failure and rejection. However, by not broadening my horizons, I felt that I was not progressing as a person and lacked a purpose in life. In middle school, I finally challenged myself to do something out of my comfort zone: run for class president. Though I was unsuccessful in acquiring the position, I felt like I succeeded because I was able to learn a substantial lesson from the experience: It is necessary to be indifferent to success or failure and I instead should focus on how I can better myself. It is critical to not be discouraged by failures and persevere and since then, I began to immerse myself in different experiences and take initiative to grasp any opportunities that are presented to me. Taking various initiatives in life matters to me because it allows me to learn valuable lessons that can be useful in my later life. By pursuing a variety of experiences, I can constantly improve and grow as an individual. Please let me know if I have answered the question correctly. Thank you in advance for any feedback!

Thanks! -------------------Response----------------------Through the pitter-patter of rain battering the canopy, among the joyous laughter of celebrations, I unraveled the mystery of my true calling. In the summer of 2018, I laid at home aimlessly, still unclear of my future after high school graduation. The only clue I had in my search for my calling was my desire to survive, and help others. Without anything to do during my summer break before community college, my excitement was uncontained when my dear mother invited me to join a medical mission to Nigeria. Through the efforts of my mentors and I, we successfully created and launched a 3-day educational workshop on stroke for the locals. During my time there, I was treated like a tourist and was able to see the local healthcare system. Though the essentials for a clinic are there, the clinics are understaffed for the volume of cases. On the last day of the workshop, I thought that when more people have access to higher quality and specialized care, they can care a bit more about the higher steps of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. During the celebratory party that night, underneath the heavy downpour of the rainy season, one of my colleagues handed me a glass of champagne. That's when it finally sunk in that I was legally allowed to drink, at least in Nigeria. I was finally an adult! Adults don't wait for others to solve problems for them, and neither should I. I decided to pursue this dream of helping to improve healthcare. After all, it fits the two criteria of what I could see myself doing. When I came back to the States, I soon realized that an adult's greatest weakness was an enemy I have yet to conquer: accountability. During my years in community college, as my limits were further tested, I gradually lost my grip to hold myself accountable. I felt aimless, hopeless, and frustrated. I constantly sought the easy way out of stress, and it changed me for the worse. COVID-19 blindsided the world, and I was caught off guard along with everyone else by the transition to online classrooms. Though the pandemic cursed everyone I know, miraculously, it gave me a gift. Through the news, I saw the same scene I saw in Nigeria, and I was able to see my dream again. I evaluated what I have become, and finally came face-to-face with my worst enemy. During Fall 2020, I've sought to hold myself more accountable and continue to do so. I am proud of my entire experience so far, such as leading my club, acing classes, and even failing some classes. Each part of my journey in community college has taught me an important lesson in accountability. Through thick and thin, I will continue to hold myself accountable, even after I'm living in the future I once saw.

Thanks! -------------------Response----------------------Through the pitter-patter of rain battering the canopy, among the joyous laughter of celebrations, I unraveled the mystery of my true calling. In the summer of 2018, I laid at home aimlessly, still unclear of my future after high school graduation. The only clue I had in my search for my calling was my desire to survive, and help others. Without anything to do during my summer break before community college, my excitement was uncontained when my dear mother invited me to join a medical mission to Nigeria. Through the efforts of my mentors and I, we successfully created and launched a 3-day educational workshop on stroke for the locals. During my time there, I was treated like a tourist and was able to see the local healthcare system. Though the essentials for a clinic are there, the clinics are understaffed for the volume of cases. On the last day of the workshop, I thought that when more people have access to higher quality and specialized care, they can care a bit more about the higher steps of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. During the celebratory party that night, underneath the heavy downpour of the rainy season, one of my colleagues handed me a glass of champagne. That's when it finally sunk in that I was legally allowed to drink, at least in Nigeria. I was finally an adult! Adults don't wait for others to solve problems for them, and neither should I. I decided to pursue this dream of helping to improve healthcare. After all, it fits the two criteria of what I could see myself doing. When I came back to the States, I soon realized that an adult's greatest weakness was an enemy I have yet to conquer: accountability. During my years in community college, as my limits were further tested, I gradually lost my grip to hold myself accountable. I felt aimless, hopeless, and frustrated. I constantly sought the easy way out of stress, and it changed me for the worse. COVID-19 blindsided the world, and I was caught off guard along with everyone else by the transition to online classrooms. Though the pandemic cursed everyone I know, miraculously, it gave me a gift. Through the news, I saw the same scene I saw in Nigeria, and I was able to see my dream again. I evaluated what I have become, and finally came face-to-face with my worst enemy. During Fall 2020, I've sought to hold myself more accountable and continue to do so. I am proud of my entire experience so far, such as leading my club, acing classes, and even failing some classes. Each part of my journey in community college has taught me an important lesson in accountability. Through thick and thin, I will continue to hold myself accountable, even after I'm living in the future I once saw.

Different people have different portrayals of a person's personality based on their experiences. For instance, my parents would describe me as independent and a critical thinker. As a child, my mom would always tell me to "look at the big picture" and to "approach problems from different angles". Growing up, I have always been able to analyze obstacles that I am faced with solve them on my own. Though I value other people's input, I have the capabilities to handle my own problems without relying on others. Furthermore, when I asked my best friend to describe me, she said that I was a thoughtful and caring person; I always go above and beyond in everything that I do and my efforts are evident. I have a big heart as I'm always there for my friends for support and I go out of my way to check up on them or make sure that everyone feels included. Having good time management is something I'm proud of. Academics aside, much of my time was devoted to extracurriculars, sports, tutor classes, volunteering and my daily dog-walking responsibilities. Juggling everything at once can be overwhelming and this caused me to be stressed and have panic attacks out of anxiety. Work kept piling up and I was at a breaking point and on the verge of crashing like a car pushed to the tip of a cliff. However, I was able to overcome this by remaining calm and focusing on everything one at a time. Thank you in advance for any feedback or suggestions!Jennie

Different people have different portrayals of a person's personality based on their experiences. For instance, my parents would describe me as independent and a critical thinker. As a child, my mom would always tell me to "look at the big picture" and to "approach problems from different angles". Growing up, I have always been able to analyze obstacles that I am faced with solve them on my own. Though I value other people's input, I have the capabilities to handle my own problems without relying on others. Furthermore, when I asked my best friend to describe me, she said that I was a thoughtful and caring person; I always go above and beyond in everything that I do, and my efforts are evident. I have a big heart as I'm always there for my friends for support and I go out of my way to check up on them or make sure that everyone feels included. Having good time management is something I'm proud of. Academics aside, much of my time was devoted to extracurriculars, sports, tutor classes, volunteering and my daily dog-walking responsibilities. Juggling everything at once can be overwhelming and this caused me to be stressed and have panic attacks out of anxiety. Work kept piling up, and I was at a breaking point and on the verge of crashing like a car pushed to the tip of a cliff. However, I was able to overcome this by remaining calm and focusing on everything one at a time. Thank you in advance for any feedback or suggestions! Jennie

As a teenager, being asked to describe yourself can be the easiest question to answer. It can also be the hardest. On several occasions, I have been driven to sit down and decide who I want to be. But I have not given much thought to who I am right now. Not because I do not have a character. But owing to the fact that it is difficult to cram multiple facets of a human being's character into one word, or sentence, or even essay. The majority of my teachers would describe me as extremely opinionated and I always seek an opportunity to voice these opinions. In my opinion, this is one of the reasons I excel at debating. Most of my family members view me as a bookworm. I love to read books and write books. My all-time favourite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen closely followed by the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyers. My friends would describe me as the mother of the group. I have an especially protective instinct when it comes to my friends and I always advise them. I am especially proud of the relationships I have forged with people everywhere I find myself and my ability to express my opinions. Any and all feedback is welcome.

As a teenager, being asked to describe yourself can be the easiest question to answer. It can also be the hardest. On several occasions, I have been driven to sit down and decide who I want to be. But I have not given much thought to who I am right now. Not because I do not have a character. But owing to the fact that it is difficult to cram multiple facets of a human being's character into one word, or sentence, or even essay. The majority of my teachers would describe me as extremely opinionated and I always seek an opportunity to voice these opinions. In my opinion, this is one of the reasons I excel at debating. Most of my family members view me as a bookworm. I love to read books and write books. My all-time favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen closely followed by the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyers. My friends would describe me as the mother of the group. I have an especially protective instinct when it comes to my friends and I always advise them. I am especially proud of the relationships I have forged with people everywhere I find myself and my ability to express my opinions. Any and all feedback are welcome.

"The most important thing to me is family. This is because family members are the people that a person can trust the most in their life. Just as a tall and mighty building will need a strong foundation, I need my family as a foundation for me to build upon and achieve my goals. I believe that behind every successful person there is a lot of people behind the scene who is responsible for their success. I am very reliant on my family; they are the reason why I am here today. Everything that I have achieved, done or made would never be possible without the people who are unconditionally watching my back ever since I was born. However, I will acknowledge the fact my family is a caring and supporting one; and I am not naive to the fact that it is not the case for everyone. Some grow up in troubled households which push them into a life of crime and let whatever potential they might have to go to waste. Therefore, I believe that a strong and loving family requires stability, a strong sense of belonging in the community, and the willingness to make the world a safer and better place for future generations. Conclusively, the idea of family is a personification of love and caring, an important factor behind a person's future, and is the centerpiece of everything that I hold dear in my heart." Thank you in advance for your comments

"The most important thing to me is family. This is because family members are the people that a person can trust the most in their life. Just as a tall and mighty building will need a strong foundation, I need my family as a foundation for me to build upon and achieve my goals. I believe that behind every successful person there is a lot of people behind the scene who is responsible for their success. I am very reliant on my family; they are the reason why I am here today. Everything that I have achieved, done or made would never be possible without the people who are unconditionally watching my back ever since I was born. However, I will acknowledge the fact my family is a caring and supporting one; and I am not naive to the fact that it is not the case for everyone. Some grow up in troubled households which push them into a life of crime and let whatever potential they might have to go to waste. Therefore, I believe that a strong and loving family requires stability, a strong sense of belonging in the community, and the willingness to make the world a safer and better place for future generations. Conclusively, the idea of family is a personification of love and caring, an important factor behind a person's future, and is the centerpiece of everything that I hold dear in my heart." Thank you in advance for your comments

From a very young age I was brought up in a very creative family, my father being in film and my mom running an art school. I learned to value creativity very highly, and I would go on to follow that closely. Growing up I learned that creativity created a safe space for me, somewhere I could go to whenever times got difficult. The ability to create my own world where things made sense to me was very eye opening, and I quickly realized that this is the path I needed to take in life. I took the effort in applying to Etobicoke School of the Arts's film program for my highschool education because my creativity was such an important thing for me to maintain and use to its fullest potential. While attending this school and making many short films, I realized that I felt truly happy doing this, and it became clear that my creativity was the most important thing to me.

From a very young age I was brought up in a very creative family, my father being in film and my mom running an art school. I learned to value creativity very highly, and I would go on to follow that closely. Growing up I learned that creativity created a safe space for me, somewhere I could go to whenever times got difficult. The ability to create my own world where things made sense to me was very eye-opening, and I quickly realized that this is the path I needed to take in life. I took the effort in applying to Etobicoke School of the Arts's film program for my high school education because my creativity was such an important thing for me to maintain and use to its fullest potential. While attending this school and making many short films, I realized that I felt truly happy doing this, and it became clear that my creativity was the most important thing to me.

The most important thing to me is freedom. I believe that everyone should have the right to choose from a variety of options but at the same time, we must not jeopardize the freedom of others. To be free means to live and earn a living as a free and honest person. To be free means to express your opinion and build your future, freedom is the ability to be true to your ideas and principles. To be free is the most wonderful thing that humanity can afford to give to you. Unfortunately, many people do not have this basic freedom. In some societies, women are children as second class citizens. They do not have the same type of freedom that men in these societies have. Furthermore, in some places, freedom is relative to wealth or status. In these societies, the wealthy class are the only ones who have the freedom to do some things which everyone should ordinarily be allowed to do. As someone who is highly opinionated, I have been told in the past that I should not voice these opinions for one reason or the other. I believe that everyone should be allowed to express themselves in any way as long as it does not affect the freedom of another person. I long to live in a world where everyone has this freedom because no one deserves to be second class or to be anything less than equal to other humans.

The most important thing to me is freedom. I believe that everyone should have the right to choose from a variety of options but at the same time, we must not jeopardize the freedom of others. To be free means to live and earn a living as a free and honest person. To be free means to express your opinion and build your future, freedom is the ability to be true to your ideas and principles. To be free is the most wonderful thing that humanity can afford to give to you. Unfortunately, many people do not have this basic freedom. In some societies, women are children as second class citizens. They do not have the same type of freedom that men in these societies have. Furthermore, in some places, freedom is relative to wealth or status. In these societies, the wealthy class are the only ones who have the freedom to do some things which everyone should ordinarily be allowed to do. As someone who is highly opinionated, I have been told in the past that I should not voice these opinions for one reason or the other. I believe that everyone should be allowed to express themselves in any way as long as it does not affect the freedom of another person. I long to live in a world where everyone has this freedom because no one deserves to be second class or to be anything less than equal to other humans.

I am most proud of the fact that I was able to lead a life that was both well-balanced and fulfilling. I pride myself on having followed through with the plan that was put in place years ago in my wanting to become a student at UBC. My driven nature has allowed me to pursue an array of various activities, ranging from teaching and playing several musical instruments, to lending a helping hand in the community. Throughout my life, I have often found myself in situations that require me to grow as an individual to achieve my goals. However, I was not always the type of person who sets their foot out into unknown waters, but rather was more comfortable in the safety of my own shell. My family and others around me described me as smart and persistent, but hesitant to venture out of my comfort zone. With much encouragement, as high school moved on I found myself taking more chances and being more driven to achieve what I set out to accomplish. I am extremely grateful to those around me for guiding me to where I am today. Looking back, my motivation to achieve the goals that I set for myself allowed me to interact with the community and do things I thought I could never do, and I am confident this will never change. Any type of feedback would be great!!

I am most proud of the fact that I was able to lead a life that was both well-balanced and fulfilling. I pride myself on having followed through with the plan that was put in place years ago in my wanting to become a student at UBC. My driven nature has allowed me to pursue an array of various activities, ranging from teaching and playing several musical instruments, to lending a helping hand in the community. Throughout my life, I have often found myself in situations that require me to grow as an individual to achieve my goals. However, I was not always the type of person who sets their foot out into unknown waters, but rather was more comfortable in the safety of my own shell. My family and others around me described me as smart and persistent, but hesitant to venture out of my comfort zone. With much encouragement, as high school moved on I found myself taking more chances and being more driven to achieve what I set out to accomplish. I am extremely grateful to those around me for guiding me to where I am today. Looking back, my motivation to achieve the goals that I set for myself allowed me to interact with the community and do things I thought I could never do, and I am confident this will never change. Any type of feedback would be great!!

Include information about what inspires you, what does your artistic process look like, share why you are interested in and utilize certain materials, exhibitions in which you have participated, or other activities that contribute to the making of your work. If you are applying to the BFA with an Emphasis in Writing, your statement needs also to address how you imagine a studio arts environment will impact your writing practice. (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.) When questioned about my motive behind art, my answer has always been ever-changing: to communicate, to innovate, to inspire. But digging through inexperienced scribbles and dusty sketchbooks, it's more prominent that the best way to describe my devotion for art is its ability to reflect. Not only does reflecting off of other artists' work expand my insight on the world, but my own also drives me to be more aware of myself. Looking back at myself through paper and canvas, through painted records of past experiences and emotions, I am better able to grow off my conflicts and flaws to determine my values. To me, discovery of my persons is just as important as discovery of the world - only after I have cleared the lenses of my perspective can I appropriately set my work out to induce change. The natural world is the root of inspiration for most of my art. Besides enjoying studies of different species and biomes through art, environmental preservation is an important cause to me and I constantly connect it to my work as I develop new projects and skills. The range in which life presents itself - colors, textures, and form - is fascinating and I often look to it for reference while drawing. Although I'm shifting my path into concept design, I still look for ways to advocate through art, constantly keeping its importance in coming generations in mind. My favorite mediums consist of graphite, oil paint, and an iPad Pro with pen. The range in textures and versatility permits me to cover both observational sketches and fully rendered projects. This traditional and digital mix grants me experimentation in different fields of drawing so I may not only cover necessary skills but also reach out to new forms of creation in the technological era. After finally determining art as a future I want to pursue, I set out to expand my connections and put it into use in the world. I've participated in multiple art competitions such as the Texas State Fair art exhibition as well as Scholastic Art and Writing. I became more involved in volunteer work and received multiple opportunities to inspire children with collaborative chalk art sessions. I advanced from learning digital art off a small community to leading it, growing the forum to over ten thousand young creators. Although my art style continuously leaps between fine arts and concept work, I strive to develop both so I can master both traditional skills and attributes for my potential future career as a concept artist. I have high hopes that SAIC can assist me in this goal; as I continue to discover myself and open my subjects to more compelling territories, I hope to receive professional criticism in encouragement of expanding my abilities and more opportunities to transform people like how art has transformed me.

Include information about what inspires you, what does your artistic process look like, share why you are interested in and utilize certain materials, exhibitions in which you have participated, or other activities that contribute to the making of your work. If you are applying to the BFA with an Emphasis in Writing, your statement needs also to address how you imagine a studio arts environment will impact your writing practice. (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.) When questioned about my motive behind art, my answer has always been ever-changing: to communicate, to innovate, to inspire. But digging through inexperienced scribbles and dusty sketchbooks, it's more prominent that the best way to describe my devotion for art is its ability to reflect. Not only does reflect off of other artists' work expand my insight on the world, but my own also drives me to be more aware of myself. Looking back at myself through paper and canvas, through painted records of experiences and emotions, I am better able to grow off my conflicts and flaws to determine my values. To me, discovery of my persons is just as important as discovery of the world - only after I have cleared the lenses of my perspective can I appropriately set my work-out to induce change. The natural world is the root of inspiration for most of my art. Besides enjoying studies of different species and biomes through art, environmental preservation is an important cause to me and I constantly connect it to my work as I develop new projects and skills. The range in which life presents itself - colors, textures, and form - is fascinating, and I often look to it for reference while drawing. Although I'm shifting my path into concept design, I still look for ways to advocate through art, constantly keeping its importance in coming generations in mind. My favorite mediums consist of graphite, oil paint, and an iPad Pro with pen. The range in textures and versatility permits me to cover both observational sketches and fully rendered projects. This traditional and digital mix grants me experimentation in different fields of drawing, so I may not only cover necessary skills but also reach out to new forms of creation in the technological era. After finally determining art as a future I want to pursue, I set out to expand my connections and put it into use in the world. I've participated in multiple art competitions such as the Texas State Fair art exhibition as well as Scholastic Art and Writing. I became more involved in volunteer work and received multiple opportunities to inspire children with collaborative chalk art sessions. Furthermore, I advanced from learning digital art off a small community to leading it, growing the forum to over ten thousand young creators. Although my art style continuously leaps between fine arts and concept work, I strive to develop both, so I can master both traditional skills and attributes for my potential future career as a concept artist. I have high hopes that SAIC can assist me in this goal; as I continue to discover myself and open my subjects to more compelling territories, I hope to receive professional criticism in encouragement of expanding my abilities and more opportunities to transform people like how art has transformed me.

I say highway, while my dad says motorway. I drink coffee, while my dad drinks tea. Growing up as a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom, I was exposed to a broader view of the world. My sense of curiosity about other cultures opened my eyes to the field of international relations, which I hope to study at Tulane University. The Department of Political Science will allow me to deepen my knowledge in international relations and to take classes like Migration and Racism with professor Raymond Taras. As President of a group at my high school called Students for Refugees, which works to protect refugees' rights, I hope to learn more about immigration and the effects it has on countries and cultures and learn how to advocate for the rights of the vulnerable. The climate crisis is one of the most urgent issues facing my generation and I look forward to researching how the environment factors into creating governmental policies by taking Environmental Politics and Policy with professor Mirya Holman. I hope to apply what I learn in these classes to my life and bring awareness to others by joining the Trash to Treasure club where I can educate students on reusing and recycling products. I plan to take French as my required language and study abroad in Paris at Sciences Po-Paris as an exchange student. Studying with a multidisciplinary focus in a foreign country will allow me to apply my skills and knowledge in political science. Later I hope to get an internship through Tulane Connect and talk to alumni about their industries and careers that I can pursue through International Relations. Connecting with alumni will also allow me to start building connections in my chosen industry. Outside the classroom, I plan to join Tulane's Organization for Global Affairs (TOGA) and participate in the Model United Nations. By working closely with other students who want to tackle international issues, I will gain a global perspective by speaking to others who represent members of international communities. I plan to transfer my skills and experience from AP Photography to The Crescent Magazine. As an activist, I hope to capture images of vulnerable communities' lives with my camera and share them with the publication and Tulane students. As the President of Students For Refugees at my high school, I want to continue my work by starting a similar club for Tulane, where I will work closely with local refugee resettlement agencies around New Orleans. Through the use of postcard writing campaigns, rallies, and fundraisers, I will continue to raise awareness in and beyond campus talking about the growing refugee crisis. As I previously worked closely with refugee families through my volunteer work, I plan to continue this work by helping new families in New Orleans to help them succeed in their new community and meet their basic needs. I want to spend the next four years in an educational environment that encourages being service-minded and curious about the world. With clubs and classes that cater to my career and personal ambitions, Tulane will allow me to flourish and make an impact in New Orleans. Hi! I would love any feedback on my essay to make sure it's ready to submit. Thank you!

I say highway, while my dad says freeway. I drink coffee, while my dad drinks tea. Growing up as a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom, I was exposed to a broader view of the world. My sense of curiosity about other cultures opened my eyes to the field of international relations, which I hope to study at Tulane University. The Department of Political Science will allow me to deepen my knowledge in international relations and to take classes like Migration and Racism with professor Raymond Tara's. As President of a group at my high school called Students for Refugees, which works to protect refugees' rights, I hope to learn more about immigration and the effects it has on countries and cultures and learn how to advocate for the rights of the vulnerable. The climate crisis is one of the most urgent issues facing my generation and I look forward to researching how the environment factors into creating governmental policies by taking Environmental Politics and Policy with professor Mira Holman. I hope to apply what I learn in these classes to my life and bring awareness to others by joining the Trash to Treasure club where I can educate students on reusing and recycling products. I plan to take French as my required language and study abroad in Paris at Sciences Po-Paris as an exchange student. Studying with a multidisciplinary focus in a foreign country will allow me to apply my skills and knowledge in political science. Later I hope to get an internship through Tulane Connect and talk to alumni about their industries and careers that I can pursue through International Relations. Connecting with alumni will also allow me to start building connections in my chosen industry. Outside the classroom, I plan to join Tulane's Organization for Global Affairs (TOGA) and participate in the Model United Nations. By working closely with other students who want to tackle international issues, I will gain a global perspective by speaking to others who represent members of international communities. I plan to transfer my skills and experience from AP Photography to The Crescent Magazine. As an activist, I hope to capture images of vulnerable communities' lives with my camera and share them with the publication and Tulane students. As the President of Students For Refugees at my high school, I want to continue my work by starting a similar club for Tulane, where I will work closely with local refugee resettlement agencies around New Orleans. Through the use of postcard writing campaigns, rallies, and fundraisers, I will continue to raise awareness in and beyond campus talking about the growing refugee crisis. As I previously worked closely with refugee families through my volunteer work, I plan to continue this work by helping new families in New Orleans to help them succeed in their new community and meet their basic needs. I want to spend the next four years in an educational environment that encourages being service-minded and curious about the world. With clubs and classes that cater to my career and personal ambitions, Tulane will allow me to flourish and make an impact in New Orleans. Hi! I would love any feedback on my essay to make sure it's ready to submit. Thank you!

I have read multiple articles about how to write a study plan and this is what I got. Can you give it a read and leave an opinion about my essay? Is there something else I can add to make my essay better? And can someone help me correct any grammar errors? I apologize if my english is a little wonky. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear SirMadam My name is Nguyen Doan Thu, a fresh graduate student from Bui Thi Xuan Highschool in Ho Chi Minh City. I am writing you this letter to explain why I want to study in Australia and how my proposed studies would fit with my goals and future career. The decision to study Animation as a university course is one which I have spent a lot of time thinking about. After conferences with my friends, parents and tutor, I have decided that this is the right decision for me although I am performing better academically in another subject, but it is in art and design that my real passion lies. My main objective is to gain a bachelor's degree in Animation, after that, continue to work my way up to become a modelling artist in the gaming industry. I saw how with just one game, a whole community was founded, bringing many individuals together and created cherishing memories as time went on. My aspiration to make others contended and my passion for creativity has led me to wanting to become a character designer and an animator. It is an extremely gratifying feeling for me to observe as my creations spread joy and happiness to the world. Just like what professor Jane den Hollander once said in an interview with AARNet "Doing the research that matters for the community we serve", and I intend to do the same after earning my bachelor degree. I chose Australia because their education system is highly regarded across the globe. In spite of the fact that moving away from my homeland for study can be a daunting experience, but with its stunning landscapes, well-known vibrant cities, high numbers of international students and leading education, really motivated me to pursue my higher education in Australia. It will also be a great opportunity for me to be independent of my parents and expand my worldview, making many new friends and experience new cultures first-hand. Although there are many universities in Vietnam that offer courses in Art and Designs, their curriculums aren't similar to what I want to study. My main focus wants to be in 3D modelling and animation, and Swinburne University of Technology has the perfect program for me in that matter. Their units and other studies all fascinates me and catches my attention. And being accepted to Swinburne, one of the best university in Melbourne, greatly boosts my chance to get closer to my dream. Their expert design faculties, cutting-edge technologies and industry based learning programs will provide me with excellent learning opportunities and precious experiences after 3 years. After the completion of my bachelor's degree in Swinburne, I intend to fulfill one of my long-term goals: to be an employee at well-known companies such as Gamefreak, located in Tokyo, Japan or Thatgamecompany, based in Santa Monica, California. They are my main inspirations to fuel up my dream as an artist in the gaming industry. I believe the most valuable thing in this world is opportunity because sometimes, all it takes for someone to be successful is a chance to do so. Consequently I would like to be part of that chance that can foster the growth of future success. I hope that you will acknowledge my interests in arts and provide me the chance to study in a world-class environment under your kind supervision. Best regards, Nguyen Doan Thu

I have read multiple articles about how to write a study plan and this is what I got. Can you give it a read and leave an opinion about my essay? Is there something else I can add to make my essay better? And can someone help me correct any grammar errors? I apologize if my English is a little wonky. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear Sir Madam My name is Nguyen Down Thu, a fresh graduate student from Boo The Xuan High school in Ho Chi Minh City. I am writing you this letter to explain why I want to study in Australia and how my proposed studies would fit with my goals and future career. The decision to study Animation as a university course is one which I have spent a lot of time thinking about. After conferences with my friends, parents and tutor, I have decided that this is the right decision for me, although I am performing better academically in another subject, but it is in art and design that my real passion lies. My main objective is to gain a bachelor's degree in Animation, after that, continue to work my way up to become a modelling artist in the gaming industry. I saw how with just one game, a whole community was founded, bringing many individuals together and created cherishing memories as time went on. My aspiration to make others contended and my passion for creativity has led me to wanting to become a character designer and an animator. It is an extremely gratifying feeling for me to observe as my creations spread joy and happiness to the world. Just like what professor Jane den Hollander once said in an interview with Garnet "Doing the research that matters for the community we serve", and I intend to do the same after earning my bachelor degree. I chose Australia because their education system is highly regarded across the globe. In spite of the fact that moving away from my homeland for study can be a daunting experience, but with its stunning landscapes, well-known vibrant cities, high numbers of international students and leading education, really motivated me to pursue my higher education in Australia. It will also be a great opportunity for me to be independent of my parents and expand my worldview, making many new friends and experience new cultures first-hand. Although there are many universities in Vietnam that offer courses in Art and Designs, their curriculums aren't similar to what I want to study. My main focus wants to be in 3D modelling and animation, and Swinburne University of Technology has the perfect program for me in that matter. Their units and other studies all fascinates me and catches my attention. And being accepted to Swinburne, one of the best university in Melbourne, greatly boosts my chance to get closer to my dream. Their expert design faculties, cutting-edge technologies and industry based learning programs will provide me with excellent learning opportunities and precious experiences after 3 years. After the completion of my bachelor's degree in Swinburne, I intend to fulfill one of my long-term goals: to be an employee at well-known companies such as Game freak, located in Tokyo, Japan or Thatgamecompany, based in Santa Monica, California. They are my main inspirations to fuel up my dream as an artist in the gaming industry. I believe the most valuable thing in this world is opportunity because sometimes, all it takes for someone to be successful is a chance to do so. Consequently, I would like to be part of that chance that can foster the growth of future success. I hope that you will acknowledge my interests in arts and provide me the chance to study in a world-class environment under your kind supervision. Best regards, Nguyen Down Thu

For a kid who has been a maker since five and math-lover since second grade, I'm incredibly indecisive when choosing my major. I have too many interests: mechanical design fascinates me, electromagnetism is electrifying, recursion is mind-blowing, statistics is magic. I'm even interested in screenwriting when I began my college essay journey. Then I discovered Tufts. Tufts doesn't just tell me that it's fine to like many things-Tufts embraces that. From the curriculum to the students' blogs, Tufts makes me feel like having many interests is actually a great thing to have. Being a Jumbo means I can experience a spectrum of majors with classes like "How to make stuff" and take fun, never-before-seen courses at The Experimental College with peers whose interests are just as diverse as mine. I simply can't envision a better place for me to grow both intellectually and emotionally than Tufts University. I'd love to receive feedback on this essay. I apply to Tufts ED and I really want to make sure my essay shows that I'm meant to study at Tufts.

For a kid who has been a maker since five and math-lover since second grade, I'm incredibly indecisive when choosing my major. I have too many interests: mechanical design fascinates me, electromagnetism is electrifying, recursion is mind-blowing, statistics is magic. I'm even interested in screenwriting when I began my college essay journey. Then I discovered Tufts. Tufts doesn't just tell me that it's fine to like many things-Tufts embraces that. From the curriculum to the students' blogs, Tufts makes me feel like having many interests is actually a great thing to have. Being a Jumbo means I can experience a spectrum of majors with classes like "How to make stuff" and take fun, never-before-seen courses at The Experimental College with peers whose interests are just as diverse as mine. I simply can't envision a better place for me to grow both intellectually and emotionally than Tufts University. I'd love to receive feedback on this essay. Furthermore, I apply to Tufts ED and I really want to make sure my essay shows that I'm meant to study at Tufts.

I observed as the argument heated up - a cloud of dissatisfaction had settled over my group. Remaining calm and collected, I listened to each person's opinions on the matter and open-mindedly tackled the problem. My friends often liken me to an owl - I carefully observe situations, calmly solve unexpected problems, and yet maintain a warm, light-hearted atmosphere. I have once suffered from social anxiety. During group projects, I recall struggling to contribute as people were often talking over me or simply ignoring me. I sought to overcome my anxiety by putting myself in leadership positions - positions where I would need to deliver talks, reports, and communicate with people from all fields of work. I started off small - staying within my comfort zone, I developed my observation skills by observing the teachers and adult leaders around me. Soon after, I challenged myself and took on a leadership role in a scientific research project where I had to contact NGOs and give talks around my school. The process of overcoming my anxiety has certainly played a role in shaping me as a person. Through observation, I detect areas of tension and strive to calmly alleviate them while unveiling the ball of warm happiness that was once enveloped by the dusty film of anxiety.

I observed as the argument heated up - a cloud of dissatisfaction had settled over my group. Remaining calm and collected, I listened to each person's opinions on the matter and open-mindedly tackled the problem. My friends often liken me to an owl - I carefully observe situations, calmly solve unexpected problems, and yet maintain a warm, light-hearted atmosphere. I have once suffered from social anxiety. During group projects, I recall struggling to contribute as people were often talking over me or simply ignoring me. I sought to overcome my anxiety by putting myself in leadership positions - positions where I would need to deliver talks, reports, and communicate with people from all fields of work. I started off small - staying within my comfort zone, I developed my observation skills by observing the teachers and adult leaders around me. Soon after, I challenged myself and took on a leadership role in a scientific research project where I had to contact NGOs and give talks around my school. The process of overcoming my anxiety has certainly played a role in shaping me as a person. Through observation, I detect areas of tension and strive to calmly alleviate them while unveiling the ball of warm happiness that was once enveloped by the dusty film of anxiety.

Hello, I am currently applying for the USNA and was hoping to receive feedback regarding my personal statement. Thank you! (2) Describe a personal experience you have had which you feel has contributed to your own character development and integrity. Whenever I asked how something worked as a little girl, my family declared that I would be an engineer, especially since it is in my roots. I relate to my Great-grandfather, the roots my family refers to, for several reasons. As a refugee from Poland during WWII, he was especially fortunate and proud of becoming an American. With his mechanical engineering degree, he constructed rockets for NASA. I, too, love and take pride in my country; I understand and appreciate how fortunate I am to have been born in this country. I want to repay my country by joining the United States Navy. I first considered joining the military my sophomore year when I received a letter from the Naval Academy's girls' track and field coach. My track coach explained that he never had a female receive a letter from the Naval Academy and that I should consider it an honor. This was the first time that repaying my country via service was a possible reality. The Naval Academy is appealing because of my interest in STEM. When I was six years old, I deconstructed a music box in order to understand how it produced music. After determining how the box worked, I felt accomplished and excitedly shared my findings to my family. I discovered a passion for math when learning the quadratic formula. It amazed me that the formula works for every parabola which satisfied my need to know why and how something works. My passion for STEM would allow me to thrive in my engineering studies at the Naval Academy, and thus fulfill the global need for engineers with a first-class education .The Naval Academy provides leadership development that I will use to serve my country. I have acquired leadership skills by holding the Mu Alpha Theta's Social Chair and Model UN's Treasurer. I broke barriers by being one of five girls to compete in my school's inaugural female wrestling team. I mention this because it is important for a leader to be willing to break barriers and be adaptable to unfamiliar situations. With the Naval Academy's resources, I will grow as a leader, lead through service, and change our country by proving females can succeed in the military. I could fulfill my desire to repay my country while receiving an education and leadership skills that will allow me to contribute insight as a female, military-groomed engineer in the developing world. In 10th grade, my close friend struggled with chemistry and was failing the class. She implored me to let her cheat of me for our test because she needed desperately needed an A. I forbidden her from cheating off me, and instead offered to study with her. She unfriended me. Frankly, we would not have been caught, but preserving my honor and duty as a student was most important. I will sacrifice friendships and fulfill my duty as a student by remaining loyal school's no-cheating policy, in order to preserve my honor as the Naval Academy expects.

Hello, I am currently applying for the USA and was hoping to receive feedback regarding my personal statement. Thank you! (2) Describe a personal experience you have had which you feel has contributed to your own character development and integrity. Whenever I asked how something worked as a little girl, my family declared that I would be an engineer, especially since it is in my roots. I relate to my Great-grandfather, the roots my family refers to, for several reasons. As a refugee from Poland during WWII, he was especially fortunate and proud of becoming an American. With his mechanical engineering degree, he constructed rockets for NASA. I, too, love and take pride in my country; I understand and appreciate how fortunate I am to have been born in this country. I want to repay my country by joining the United States Navy. Furthermore, I first considered joining the military my sophomore year when I received a letter from the Naval Academy's girls' track and field coach. My track coach explained that he never had a female receive a letter from the Naval Academy and that I should consider it an honor. This was the first time that repaying my country via service was a possible reality. The Naval Academy is appealing because of my interest in STEM. When I was six years old, I deconstructed a music box in order to understand how it produced music. After determining how the box worked, I felt accomplished and excitedly shared my findings to my family. I discovered a passion for math when learning the quadratic formula. It amazed me that the formula works for every parabola which satisfied my need to know why and how something works. My passion for STEM would allow me to thrive in my engineering studies at the Naval Academy, and thus fulfill the global need for engineers with a first-class education. The Naval Academy provides leadership development that I will use to serve my country. I have acquired leadership skills by holding the Mu Alpha Theta's Social Chair and Model UN's Treasurer. I broke barriers by being one of five girls to compete in my school's inaugural female wrestling team. Furthermore, I mention this because it is important for a leader to be willing to break barriers and be adaptable to unfamiliar situations. With the Naval Academy's resources, I will grow as a leader, lead through service, and change our country by proving females can succeed in the military. I could fulfill my desire to repay my country while receiving an education and leadership skills that will allow me to contribute insight as a female, military-groomed engineer in the developing world. In 10th grade, my close friend struggled with chemistry and was failing the class. She implored me to let her cheat of me for our test because she needed desperately needed an A. I have forbidden her from cheating off me, and instead offered to study with her. She unfriended me. Frankly, we would not have been caught, but preserving my honor and duty as a student was most important. I will sacrifice friendships and fulfill my duty as a student by remaining loyal school's no-cheating policy, in order to preserve my honor as the Naval Academy expects.

I was given the opportunity to lead a team within the Core Youth Team which focused on establishing a sense of community amongst our local youth. I led a team of six people; my responsibilities included finding and booking a venue, planning the evening, delegating tasks, finding volunteers, and arranging for supplies and prizes. With a limited budget, it was difficult to find a cost-friendly venue. I did my research and checked in with multiple places, in the end I had to make a compromise and use a room slightly smaller than what we had hoped for. In discussion, I proposed an idea to the team- a game-show styled trivia night - but another member of my team proposed a better one. We saw the potential in his idea, accepted its advantages and decided, with the group's approval, to implement his idea instead. Everyone on the team was given a task that they were in charge of and we met up regularly to discuss how everything was going. The night of the event came and it was a complete success. We had a huge turnout. I gave a short opening speech at the beginning and while I was looking out at everyone, I was thinking of how proud I was of what my team and I accomplished. Through the months of planning and discussing, I believe I have really grown as a leader. I have learned how to handle unfavourable situations and make compromises, as well as how to put aside my own ideas and accept those of others when it was better to.

I was given the opportunity to lead a team within the Core Youth Team which focused on establishing a sense of community amongst our local youth. I led a team of six people; my responsibilities included finding and booking a venue, planning the evening, delegating tasks, finding volunteers, and arranging for supplies and prizes. With a limited budget, it was difficult to find a cost-friendly venue. I did my research and checked in with multiple places, in the end I had to make a compromise and use a room slightly smaller than what we had hoped for. In discussion, I proposed an idea to the team- a game-show styled trivia night - but another member of my team proposed a better one. We saw the potential in his idea, accepted its advantages and decided, with the group's approval, to implement his idea instead. Everyone on the team was given a task that they were in charge of, and we met up regularly to discuss how everything was going. The night of the event came, and it was a complete success. We had a huge turnout. I gave a short opening speech at the beginning and while I was looking out at everyone, I was thinking of how proud I was of what my team and I accomplished. Through the months of planning and discussing, I believe I have really grown as a leader. I have learned how to handle unfavorable situations and make compromises, as well as how to put aside my own ideas and accept those of others when it was better to.

Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed listening to stories no matter what language they are told in. When I was in first grade my teacher would tell us countless stories about magical worlds, but sadly would never get the chance to finish each story they told us since we were always busy with completing assignments in class. As every sliver of hope I had of ever being able to finish a story, my teacher told a miracle accrued when the book fair came to our school and I discovered that one of the books my teacher read to us was being sold there. When I discovered that I quickly ran up to my parents and begged them to buy me the book. My parents, seeing how much I wanted the book, bought it for me with the little money they had. My excitement of being able to finally finish one of the stories my teachers told, made me completely overlook the fact that I did not know how to read, and when I received the book and opened it up I was greeted with rows of text which seemed like a secret code you would see in a spy movie. As I wanted to finish the story I sought help from my parents, but they, just like me, were completely clueless to what the book said since they also did not know how to read in English. At that moment I realized that I am now left alone figuring out how to read the book, and although it seemed to be the perfect moment to give up and wait until I learned how to read my curiosity said otherwise. Being like a detective like in the stories I heard, I opened up the book once again, and using all the knowledge I learned in school I began to decode the book. I started with sounding out each letter and turning them into words and soon those words became sentences and before I knew it those sentences became paragraphs. After months of reading the book, I finally finished the 30 paged book and figured out how the story ended. Throughout my life, I continued being placed in similar situations to the one of me attempting to finish the book back in first grade. Situations in which I was left alone to discover how to do something. As I used the knowledge that I have learned in the past I was able to use them to teach myself how to do a variety of things that no one would have been able to teach me how to do. I taught myself how to cook although throughout the way I received many burnt marks and cuts, I also taught myself how to be early to meetings which is something my parents fail to do, and most importantly I taught myself how to be independent. Learning how to be independent allowed me to take on many tasks on my own and to discover the type of person I am today. Although unlike many people I was left in a world by myself to discover things on my own without any help, and even though it made life challenging it also made it fun because of all the trial and error I had to go through to complete the task. At the end of the day when placed in an unfamiliar situation you should put on your detective hat and start decoding the task you are partaking in because giving up would lead you to continue wondering what situation could have become if you did not give up on it.

Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed listening to stories no matter what language they are told in. When I was in first grade my teacher would tell us countless stories about magical worlds, but sadly would never get the chance to finish each story they told us since we were always busy with completing assignments in class. As every sliver of hope I had of ever being able to finish a story, my teacher told a miracle accrued when the book fair came to our school and I discovered that one of the books my teacher read to us was being sold there. When I discovered that I quickly ran up to my parents and begged them to buy me the book. My parents, seeing how much I wanted the book, bought it for me with the little money they had. My excitement of being able to finally finish one of the stories my teachers told, made me completely overlook the fact that I did not know how to read, and when I received the book and opened it up I was greeted with rows of text which seemed like a secret code you would see in a spy movie. As I wanted to finish the story I sought help from my parents, but they, just like me, were completely clueless to what the book said since they also did not know how to read in English. At that moment I realized that I am now left alone figuring out how to read the book, and although it seemed to be the perfect moment to give up and wait until I learned how to read my curiosity said otherwise. Being like a detective like in the stories I heard, I opened up the book once again, and using all the knowledge I learned in school I began to decode the book. I started with sounding out each letter and turning them into words and soon those words became sentences, and before I knew it those sentences became paragraphs. After months of reading the book, I finally finished the 30 paged book and figured out how the story ended. Throughout my life, I continued being placed in similar situations to the one of me attempting to finish the book back in first grade. Situations in which I was left alone to discover how to do something. As I used the knowledge that I have learned in the past I was able to use them to teach myself how to do a variety of things that no one would have been able to teach me how to do. I taught myself how to cook although throughout the way I received many burnt marks and cuts, I also taught myself how to be early to meetings which is something my parents fail to do, and most importantly I taught myself how to be independent. Learning how to be independent allowed me to take on many tasks on my own and to discover the type of person I am today. Although unlike many people I was left in a world by myself to discover things on my own without any help, and even though it made life challenging it also made it fun because of all the trial and error I had to go through to complete the task. At the end of the day when placed in an unfamiliar situation you should put on your detective hat and start decoding the task you are partaking in because giving up would lead you to continue wondering what situation could have become if you did not give up on it.

Directions: Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. There I stood conflicted on whether or not to fight for my own thoughts and beliefs or to continue being the obedient "little girl" people wanted me to be. Throughout my life growing up I was told by many people around me that I am too young to be able to form my own opinion and that why won't I be a little obedient girl and just stay quiet. Over the countless years of hearing people around me telling me these things the more, I started to believe in it, and the more I started to lose my voice and became that obedient little girl they wanted me to be. Eventually when I started attending school these ideas that people had ingrained in me greatly affected me throughout my school journey, for I believed that if I were to ask anyone for help or stated something that I believed was right or wrong that I would be yelled at and judged by my peers and teachers. For the longest time, I stayed silent in school hoping that I would continue to have acceptance from my peers and teachers, but because of me staying silent I would often find myself being placed in undesirable situations when it came to trying to complete an assignment that I had no idea on how to do. As I grew older and continued my educational journey in school there was one thing I started to notice and that is that many of my peers around me both female and male would many times state their own thoughts and opinions and to my utter surprise they would not be judged by others and be casted as an outcast but instead people would demonstrate respect towards that person's opinions. The more and more I saw this happening the more I started to question the idea that people around me had ingrained into my head, and that is when I started to question myself on whether or not my opinion really does matter. One day as I came back from school I noticed two adults that I had grown up with as a child talking about conspiracy theories about the government. One of the adults, seeing me pass by started talking to me about how the government wants to kill people through vaccines. There I stood awkwardly contemplating weather or not I should tell the person what I believed or just stay silent and agree with them so they would not yell at me for talking back, but after a few minutes of hearing what they had to say I grew annoyed knowing that their points where not logical and without knowing I abruptly blurted out "But your points make no sense why would the government do something like that?" Seeing the facial expressions of the two adults and noticing what I just said out loud I started to immediately regret what I just said and before I was able to apologize, one of them asked me why I believed that. Startled I answered their question realising that there is no way out of the situation I placed myself in. Although, at first I was filled with fear of what reactions are going to come from the adults due to my different point of view on the topic, I soon discovered that that fear slowly transformed into enjoyment the more I talked with them. Before we knew it, it became late and all of us left with no one becoming belligerent at each other due to our conflicting views. At that moment seeing how the conversation went, it was the moment that finally allowed me to break free from those ideas taught to me so long ago; thus, allowing that quiet obedient girl everyone knew to finally find her voice again and ever since then she never allowed anyone to take it away from her again.

Directions: Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. There I stood conflicted on whether to fight for my own thoughts and beliefs or to continue being the obedient "little girl" people wanted me to be. Throughout my life growing up I was told by many people around me that I am too young to be able to form my own opinion and that why won't I be a little obedient girl and just stay quiet. Over the countless years of hearing people around me telling me these things the more, I started to believe in it, and the more I started to lose my voice and became that obedient little girl they wanted me to be. Eventually when I started attending school these ideas that people had ingrained in me greatly affected me throughout my school journey, for I believed that if I were to ask anyone for help or stated something that I believed was right or wrong that I would be yelled at and judged by my peers and teachers. For the longest time, I stayed silent in school hoping that I would continue to have acceptance from my peers and teachers, but because of me staying silent I would often find myself being placed in undesirable situations when it came to trying to complete an assignment that I had no idea on how to do. As I grew older and continued my educational journey in school there was one thing I started to notice and that is that many of my peers around me both female and male would many times state their own thoughts and opinions and to my utter surprise they would not be judged by others and be cast as an outcast, but instead people would demonstrate respect towards that person's opinions. The more and more I saw this happening the more I started to question the idea that people around me had ingrained into my head, and that is when I started to question myself on whether my opinion really does matter. One day as I came back from school I noticed two adults that I had grown up with as a child talking about conspiracy theories about the government. One of the adults, seeing me pass by started talking to me about how the government wants to kill people through vaccines. There I stood awkwardly contemplating weather or not I should tell the person what I believed or just stay silent and agree with them, so they would not yell at me for talking back, but after a few minutes of hearing what they had to say I grew annoyed knowing that their points where not logical and without knowing I abruptly blurted out "But your points make no sense why would the government do something like that?" Seeing the facial expressions of the two adults and noticing what I just said out loud I started to immediately regret what I just said, and before I was able to apologize, one of them asked me why I believed that. Startled I answered their question realizing that there is no way out of the situation I placed myself in. Although, at first I was filled with fear of what reactions are going to come from the adults due to my different point of view on the topic, I soon discovered that that fear slowly transformed into enjoyment the more I talked with them. Before we knew it, it became late and all of us left with no one becoming belligerent at each other due to our conflicting views. At that moment seeing how the conversation went, it was the moment that finally allowed me to break free from those ideas taught to me so long ago; thus, allowing that quiet obedient girl everyone knew to finally find her voice again and ever since then she never allowed anyone to take it away from her again.

I'm either responding to prompt 1 or 7 on the common app essay but I can't decide which.1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story. 7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. Just want to get some more feedback and if there is anything to change A sandwich sounds like a simple meal, yet it's anything but. There is an infinite combination of meats and cheeses, not to mention all of the different toppings. From my first day at work to now, two years later, it is exceptionally rare to have a customer come in with an identical order to someone else. This is a small, family-owned business, and the owners pride themselves on their ability to cater to each individual's needs. When a customer walks into the store I, sometimes, like to guess what they are going to order. Making a sandwich begins with the bread. The meats and cheeses come next, and get cut by the slicer. Then, the sandwich gets slid down to the next station and is ready for all the toppings to be added. Thus, with every customer, the guessing game begins. Are they going to get a whole or a half sandwich? What kind of bread: white or whole wheat? What about the cheese? American? Swiss? Or maybe they will be quirky and choose provolone. Or they do not even want any cheese. Each of their choices leads to them further defining their palette. Although I can offer my expertise, I know it is not ultimately my place to dictate their sandwich preferences. So, they continue. Which one of the 15 meats are they feeling today? I would compare my life to that of a sandwich. The bread was chosen for me when I was born in Russia. As a city boy, my life was average and comfortable, like plain white bread. Every year, that comfort solidified and built the foundation of who I am today. My sandwich is heavily padded with lots of lettuce. As a sandwich maker, out of habit, I sometimes put something on that the customer does not want. For example, onions. But once the sandwich is wrapped up, there is nothing they can do, and they have to eat it regardless. The more they eat it, the more likely they are to come around and actually start to enjoy the flavor. My onions were a sudden move to the US. Just like the customer, at first, I was not open to it. I made snarky comments, thought I could change something, but eventually swallowed it and kept going with my life, and adapting. It was a reaction of avoidance of change, rather than a lack of desire to live in a new world. Understandably, the coming year was filled with confusion, unpredictabilities, and strangeness, similar to the pungent taste of raw white onion. As I learned English and matured, the confusion dissipated and I became more confident. And so the pungent taste of the onions got covered up with tomatoes -- being able to communicate with the workers in sub places, like my future self made me feel like I could finally build my own sub. Quickly, I came around and began to enjoy my new life. The strong taste that oil and vinegar add, complimenting the lettuce, was now a welcome delight. I added the meat, and the cheese, but my favorite component is the seasoning. For me, this was the moment when I started to really explore my interests and found my passion in disassembling computers to put them back together. Similar to making a sandwich, putting together a computer is a personal process. It is a hobby I picked up around the time that the US started to taste good. It matches my approach in life: each step impacts the next, just like the choices I make each day as a person, son, student, worker, brother, and immigrant. I look forward to the day when I can taste the results of the sub I put together.

I'm either responding to prompt 1 or 7 on the common app essay, but I can't decide which.1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story. 7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. Just want to get some more feedback and if there is anything to change A sandwich sounds like a simple meal, yet it's anything but. There is an infinite combination of meats and cheeses, not to mention all the different toppings. From my first day at work to now, two years later, it is exceptionally rare to have a customer come in with an identical order to someone else. This is a small, family-owned business, and the owners pride themselves on their ability to cater to each individual's needs. When a customer walks into the store I, sometimes, like to guess what they are going to order. Making a sandwich begins with the bread. The meats and cheeses come next, and get cut by the slicer. Then, the sandwich gets slid down to the next station and is ready for all the toppings to be added. Thus, with every customer, the guessing game begins. Are they going to get a whole or a half sandwich? What kind of bread: white or whole wheat? What about the cheese? American? Swiss? Or maybe they will be quirky and choose provolone. Or they do not even want any cheese. Each of their choices leads to them further defining their palette. Although I can offer my expertise, I know it is not ultimately my place to dictate their sandwich preferences. So, they continue. Which one of the 15 meats are they feeling today? I would compare my life to that of a sandwich. The bread was chosen for me when I was born in Russia. As a city boy, my life was average and comfortable, like plain white bread. Every year, that comfort solidified and built the foundation of who I am today. My sandwich is heavily padded with lots of lettuce. As a sandwich maker, out of habit, I sometimes put something on that the customer does not want. For example, onions. But once the sandwich is wrapped up, there is nothing they can do, and they have to eat it regardless. The more they eat it, the more likely they are to come around and actually start to enjoy the flavor. My onions were a sudden move to the US. Just like the customer, at first, I was not open to it. I made snarky comments, thought I could change something, but eventually swallowed it and kept going with my life, and adapting. It was a reaction of avoidance of change, rather than a lack of desire to live in a new world. Understandably, the coming year was filled with confusion, unpredictability, and strangeness, similar to the pungent taste of raw white onion. As I learned English and matured, the confusion dissipated, and I became more confident. And so the pungent taste of the onions got covered up with tomatoes -- being able to communicate with the workers in sub places, like my future self-made me feel like I could finally build my own sub. Quickly, I came around and began to enjoy my new life. The strong taste that oil and vinegar add, complimenting the lettuce, was now a welcome delight. I added the meat, and the cheese, but my favorite component is the seasoning. For me, this was the moment when I started to really explore my interests and found my passion in disassembling computers to put them back together. Similar to making a sandwich, putting together a computer is a personal process. It is a hobby I picked up around the time that the US started to taste good. It matches my approach in life: each step impacts the next, just like the choices I make each day as a person, son, student, worker, brother, and immigrant. I look forward to the day when I can taste the results of the sub I put together.

I am the product of the archetype Asian Tiger Mom. She's always had an iron grip on everything I do before, during, and after school. So, at the end of 8th grade, as a soon-to-be high schooler, I wanted to try and switch things up a bit. During the summer before high school, I watched this show called 'Your Lie in April', sparking my interest in the violin. The next thing I did was ask my dad to buy a $40 violin off of eBay and give it a shot. It was a very exciting time for me since this would be the first time I'd be learning an instrument without being forced. Once it arrived, I made many failed attempts to recreate a sound similar to Kaori from 'Your Lie in April'. After applying resin, I produced a harsh but somewhat recognizable tone. Sure, it didn't sound like a Strad, but for me it was a big first step towards my musical career. After a few weeks of playing, my mom's frustration with me, coupled with her residual anger for my dad- ultimately resulted in her decision to take her anger out on my violin. I was seated in the Florida room when she took it from my room, walked over to me with it in hand, and proceeded to smash it into pieces. You can imagine how upset 13 year-old-me was. I have forgiven her, albeit the experience is instilled vividly in my memory today. It was this event that struck me into thinking, "why should I aim to please this person who has smashed my dreams into pieces?" From then on, I aimed to care less about what she and others thought of me. Since the beginning of middle school, I felt like I wasn't involved in enough extracurriculars. This feeling was amplified as I attended a fundamental middle school, where there weren't any after-school clubs or sports. Since my mom had always been extremely academics-oriented, she never thought it necessary to put me in a sport or club. Thus, throughout high school, I've gone to great lengths to involve myself in the clubs and sports I greatly enjoy today. All the while, my mom has remained indifferent to my involvement even when I went so far as to being elected as Senior Class President. And because I wanted colleges to see me as more than just another student who was exceptional at passing classes, I figured I should actually have a life outside of school. Coming Junior year, I found out about dual enrollment opportunities at my local community college and immediately felt the call to take advantage of the opportunity so that I could get ahead by taking college classes. Again, I could feel the distaste radiating from her as she heard my plan to involve myself in things that would distance me even further from my high school classes. I came to the conclusion though that the amount of money and effort I would be saving myself in college by taking these classes outweighed her disapproval. Throughout this journey, I've been able to forge my own independence, apply myself to causes I care about, and believe in doing what I know I'm good at even if people like me are scarce in the field. It won't get to me when people stop and stare at a girl coding, or scoff and say she doesn't know what she's doing - compared to my mom's criticism, dealt with my entire life, it would be nothing. I know that once I get a job in Cybersecurity, I'll be on the team because I worked hard to get there just like everyone else in the room and for the same reason- to keep people's information safe. I learned to steel my resolve and focus on what I want to achieve, regardless of what others think.

I am the product of the archetype Asian Tiger Mom. She's always had an iron grip on everything I do before, during, and after school. So, at the end of 8th grade, as a soon-to-be high schooler, I wanted to try and switch things up a bit. During the summer before high school, I watched this show called 'Your Lie in April', sparking my interest in the violin. The next thing I did was ask my dad to buy a $40 violin off of eBay and give it a shot. It was a very exciting time for me since this would be the first time I'd be learning an instrument without being forced. Once it arrived, I made many failed attempts to recreate a sound similar to Maori from 'Your Lie in April'. After applying resin, I produced a harsh but somewhat recognizable tone. Sure, it didn't sound like a Strand, but for me, it was a big first step towards my musical career. After a few weeks of playing, my mom's frustration with me, coupled with her residual anger for my dad-ultimately resulted in her decision to take her anger out on my violin. I was seated in the Florida room when she took it from my room, walked over to me with it in hand, and proceeded to smash it into pieces. You can imagine how upset 13 year-old-me was. I have forgiven her, albeit the experience is instilled vividly in my memory today. It was this event that struck me into thinking, "why should I aim to please this person who has smashed my dreams into pieces?" From then on, I aimed to care less about what she and others thought of me. Since the beginning of middle school, I felt like I wasn't involved in enough extracurriculars. This feeling was amplified as I attended a fundamental middle school, where there weren't any after-school clubs or sports. Since my mom had always been extremely academics-oriented, she never thought it's necessary to put me in a sport or club. Thus, throughout high school, I've gone to great lengths to involve myself in the clubs and sports I greatly enjoy today. All the while, my mom has remained indifferent to my involvement even when I went so far as to being elected as Senior Class President. And because I wanted colleges to see me as more than just another student who was exceptional at passing classes, I figured I should actually have a life outside of school. Coming Junior year, I found out about dual enrollment opportunities at my local community college and immediately felt the call to take advantage of the opportunity so that I could get ahead by taking college classes. Again, I could feel the distaste radiating from her as she heard my plan to involve myself in things that would distance me even further from my high school classes. I came to the conclusion though that the amount of money and effort I would be saving myself in college by taking these classes outweighed her disapproval. Throughout this journey, I've been able to forge my own independence, apply myself to causes I care about, and believe in doing what I know I'm good at even if people like me are scarce in the field. It won't get to me when people stop and stare at a girl coding, or scoff and say she doesn't know what she's doing - compared to my mom's criticism, dealt with my entire life, it would be nothing. I know that once I get a job in Cybersecurity, I'll be on the team because I worked hard to get there just like everyone else in the room and for the same reason- to keep people's information safe. I learned to steel my resolve and focus on what I want to achieve, regardless of what others think.

The reading I have enjoyed the most in the past year is "Physics of the Future" by "Michio Kaku". With 300 scientists' help, the writer analyzes the information he has collected and writes in simple words what innovations will change our lives, how they will change them, and when it will happen? Unlike many future science books I have read that tend to describe innovations on the verge of science fiction, this book shows practical innovations in fields like medicine, AI, and transportation and shows how they can look shortly. This book completely amazes me. The fantastic discoveries and ideas that can enhance our lifestyle in the future with the simple explanation of how exactly we'll do it made me realize how unique the creativity in every human being and our desire always to move forward. It also shows the power of physics and the resources on Earth. The only thing that disappointed me in the book is the lack of memory on global warming. In my opinion, this field is so important, and it's sad to see that even in a science book, it was pushed aside and barely mentioned. It reminds me why it's so important for me to work on this issue. Therefore, the book made me understand how to use the world's laws to initiate, develop, and produce in different fields that can change our lifestyle beautifully. The book broadened my thought line and motivated me to continue researching, learning, develop ideas, and advancing with them.

The reading I have enjoyed the most in the past year is "Physics of the Future" by "Michel Baku". With 300 scientists' help, the writer analyzes the information he has collected and writes in simple words what innovations will change our lives, how they will change them, and when it will happen? Unlike many future science books I have read that tend to describe innovations on the verge of science fiction, this book shows practical innovations in fields like medicine, AI, and transportation and shows how they can look shortly. This book completely amazes me. The fantastic discoveries and ideas that can enhance our lifestyle in the future with the simple explanation of how exactly we'll do it made me realize how unique the creativity in every human being and our desire always to move forward. It also shows the power of physics and the resources on Earth. The only thing that disappointed me in the book is the lack of memory on global warming. In my opinion, this field is so important, and it's sad to see that even in a science book, it was pushed aside and barely mentioned. It reminds me why it's so important for me to work on this issue. Therefore, the book made me understand how to use the world's laws to initiate, develop, and produce in different fields that can change our lifestyle beautifully. The book broadened my thought line and motivated me to continue researching, learning, develop ideas, and advancing with them.

I am a 16 year old teenager who is never afraid to fail but someone who is afraid not to try. My parents and friends would describe me as a motivated, passionate and hardworking individual who will leave no stone unturned in order to accomplish the standards I have set for myself. In order to exemplify what I have said in my first sentence, I would like to share my experiences in the Physics Olympiad which is held in our country. It is an annual event in order to select the best candidates to represent their country in the International round of Physics Olympiad. Firstly, I participated in this competition in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. I had hard luck in my first two tries in this competition. However, I never lost hope and pushed myself to have a better preparation so that I can shine in the competition. It was my failures which galvanized me to work harder and enhance my knowledge of Physics. Finally, in the year 2020, I participated again in the divisional round and I was selected as a divisional winner which allowed me to progress to the national round of the competition. I firmly believe that it was my passion for physics and my attitude towards my initial failures which allowed me to be recognized as one of the top competitors of this competition. Therefore, I am glad to assert that this is an accomplishment which I am proud of. Could anyone please give me a feedback? Thank you

I am a 16-year-old teenager who is never afraid to fail but someone who is afraid not to try. My parents and friends would describe me as a motivated, passionate and hardworking individual who will leave no stone unturned in order to accomplish the standards I have set for myself. In order to exemplify what I have said in my first sentence, I would like to share my experiences in the Physics Olympiad which is held in our country. It is an annual event in order to select the best candidates to represent their country in the International round of Physics Olympiad. Firstly, I participated in this competition in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. I had hard luck in my first two tries in this competition. However, I never lost hope and pushed myself to have a better preparation so that I can shine in the competition. It was my failures which galvanized me to work harder and enhance my knowledge of Physics. Finally, in the year 2020, I participated again in the divisional round, and I was selected as a divisional winner which allowed me to progress to the national round of the competition. I firmly believe that it was my passion for physics and my attitude towards my initial failures which allowed me to be recognized as one of the top competitors of this competition. Therefore, I am glad to assert that this is an accomplishment which I am proud of. Could anyone please give me feedback? Thank you

(I also might pick the last prompt of the common app, but not too sure yet.) When I got tired of English novels with their complicated sentence structures and advanced words, I discovered amateur translations of Chinese novels. To be honest, any long term reading of these stories would make English seem like incomprehensible jargon. There wasn't much to love about these novice translations and I thought a few days would be enough for me to forget about them and move on. I created an account to bookmark ones I'd started and before I knew it, my library grew until I had hundreds of these translated novels luring me in with the charm of a different writing style. I indulged in stories regaling robots, dynasties, entertainment stars, and fantasy martial arts. I couldn't dig myself out of my self-made growing hole as I continued adding books to my collection. The deeper the hole, the more uneasy I felt. My classmates would gather together, discussing what books they read, which was their favorite. They didn't have to say anything--I already knew they were referring to English novels. I didn't think anyone would understand how I felt about my poorly-edited translated novels, and my apprehension of others' opinions led me to hide my obsession with "I don't have a favorite novel--because I loved all of them." My longing to share plagued me, but I felt like I couldn't say anything about it even if it was always on my mind. Encountering racist and xenophobic works weren't rare, especially from lesser-known Chinese authors, but this particular novel hit me personally. All the knowledge the author used was inaccurate, clearly following faulty generalizations and negative news from biased media. I wanted to just tell her the generalizations she was referencing might not have mattered to her, as she only used it to further the plot, but it mattered to me. Pushing past paragraphs of slander, I kept reading, but as my anger built, I had to take breaks every few chapters to calm down. I had tried to think about anything--anything at all to pour a glass of water over the raging fire burning in my heart. My mind wandered everywhere, but I couldn't stop myself from going back to the harsh words that were used and I realized I was exactly like that author I despised. I made the people around me out to be judgemental villains while I had felt suppressed. But I wasn't, not by them at least. I had suppressed my own opinion, my own ideas because I didn't want to be more familiar with them and what they actually thought; I had wanted others to listen to me as if they were a statue, not a person. I never ended up finishing the book. Pushing my insecurities aside, I wanted to let people know. I wanted to tell my friends about my library of Chinese novels--about the me that I've been hiding. I wanted to be sincere to my friendships that lasted while I had been putting a mask on. My sister knew first. I casually brought it up in a conversation as if it was nothing big and moved on, not letting her dwell on what I just said. As I increased the frequency of "translated Chinese novels" when talking, I became aware she didn't even care. Something that seemed like such a big deal to me didn't matter much to her and as I slowly understood, I gradually opened up. I started mentioning it to my friends and if they asked what I was up to, I no longer said "nothing" but "reading Chinese novels." Quite honestly, they cared more about how long I studied for the next test rather than my obsessive pastime. Their casual attitude allowed me to accept that the majority of the time I had unfounded anxiety over others' opinions, that was all it was: unfounded. My newfound understanding allowed me to fully join conversations, contributing my thoughts and ideas previously deeply hidden by my fear of judgment, and it allowed me to be more than the introverted wallflower; it allowed me to be the still introverted, but outspoken and more open-minded thinker. So, I can now confidently say that my favorite novels include The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and Mulberry Song by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang.

(I also might pick the last prompt of the common app, but not to sure yet.) When I got tired of English novels with their complicated sentence structures and advanced words, I discovered amateur translations of Chinese novels. To be honest, any long term reading of these stories would make English seem like incomprehensible jargon. There wasn't much to love about these novice translations and I thought a few days would be enough for me to forget about them and move on. I created an account to bookmark ones I'd started, and before I knew it, my library grew until I had hundreds of these translated novels luring me in with the charm of a different writing style. I indulged in stories regaling robots, dynasties, entertainment stars, and fantasy martial arts. Furthermore, I couldn't dig myself out of my self-made growing hole as I continued adding books to my collection. The deeper the hole, the more uneasy I felt. My classmates would gather together, discussing what books they read, which was their favorite. They didn't have to say anything--I already knew they were referring to English novels. I didn't think anyone would understand how I felt about my poorly-edited translated novels, and my apprehension of others' opinions led me to hide my obsession with "I don't have a favorite novel--because I loved all of them." My longing to share plagued me, but I felt like I couldn't say anything about it even if it was always on my mind. Encountering racist and xenophobic works weren't rare, especially from lesser-known Chinese authors, but this particular novel hit me personally. All the knowledge the author used was inaccurate, clearly following faulty generalizations and negative news from biased media. I wanted to just tell her the generalizations she was referencing might not have mattered to her, as she only used it to further the plot, but it mattered to me. Pushing past paragraphs of slander, I kept reading, but as my anger built, I had to take breaks every few chapters to calm down. I had tried to think about anything--anything at all to pour a glass of water over the raging fire burning in my heart. My mind wandered everywhere, but I couldn't stop myself from going back to the harsh words that were used, and I realized I was exactly like that author I despised. I made the people around me out to be judgmental villains while I had felt suppressed. But I wasn't, not by them at least. I had suppressed my own opinion, my own ideas because I didn't want to be more familiar with them and what they actually thought; I had wanted others to listen to me as if they were a statue, not a person. I never ended up finishing the book. Pushing my insecurities aside, I wanted to let people know. I wanted to tell my friends about my library of Chinese novels--about the that I've been hiding. I wanted to be sincere to my friendships that lasted while I had been putting a mask on. My sister knew first. I casually brought it up in a conversation as if it was nothing big and moved on, not letting her dwell on what I just said. As I increased the frequency of "translated Chinese novels" when talking, I became aware she didn't even care. Something that seemed like such a big deal to me didn't matter much to her and as I slowly understood, I gradually opened up. I started mentioning it to my friends and if they asked what I was up to, I no longer said "nothing" but "reading Chinese novels." Quite honestly, they cared more about how long I studied for the next test rather than my obsessive pastime. Their casual attitude allowed me to accept that the majority of the time I had unfounded anxiety over others' opinions, that was all it was: unfounded. My newfound understanding allowed me to fully join conversations, contributing my thoughts and ideas previously deeply hidden by my fear of judgment, and it allowed me to be more than the introverted wallflower; it allowed me to be the still introverted, but outspoken and more open-minded thinker. So, I can now confidently say that my favorite novels include The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chomsky and Mulberry Song by Jim Lu FEI Xians.

Could you please help me with my UBC application?Please help me with honest reviewsThank you.

Could you please help me with my UBC application? Please help me with honest reviewsThank you.

I think there are a lot of things that are important to me. Reading is an important activity for my growth. Reading broadened my knowledge. I become more intelligent more interesting, and appealing by reading books. By reading I improve my knowledge of various topics as well as rhetorical skills. Sports and music are important to me. Sports make me strong and in good shape. Doing sports always makes me feel energetic and more efficient when I study. I usually listen to music or play guitar during my leisure time. It makes me feel so relaxed that I can get rid of the whole day's tires. Friendship is important to me. It shaped my personality and developed my virtues. I have been good friends since primary school and keep meeting new friends. My friends and I share opinions about things, face difficulties together, and always try to make each other a better person. My family is important to me. My parents gave me the most important thing: freedom. I can decide what to learn or what to do since I was a child. And thanks to their understanding and care, I grow strong and can be the person I want to be. The things I said above are important to me based on my valuable views and growing experience, and will still be important in my future. Things like freedom, courage, and an open mind are important to me too. Due to space limitations no more explanation here. (It's a UBC profile question, I will be grateful for any helpful advice. Should I focus on writing one thing or write multiple things? I don't think I wrote this question well QAQ)

I think there are a lot of things that are important to me. Reading is an important activity for my growth. Reading broadened my knowledge. I become more intelligent more interesting, and appealing by reading books. By reading I improve my knowledge of various topics as well as rhetorical skills. Sports and music are important to me. Sports make me strong and in good shape. Doing sports always makes me feel energetic and more efficient when I study. I usually listen to music or play guitar during my leisure time. It makes me feel so relaxed that I can get rid of the whole day's tires. Friendship is important to me. It shaped my personality and developed my virtues. I have been good friends since primary school and keep meeting new friends. My friends and I share opinions about things, face difficulties together, and always try to make each other a better person. My family is important to me. My parents gave me the most important thing: freedom. I can decide what to learn or what to do since I was a child. And thanks to their understanding and care, I grow strong and can be the person I want to be. The things I said above are important to me based on my valuable views and growing experience, and will still be important in my future. Things like freedom, courage, and an open mind are important to me too. Due to space limitations no more explanation here. (It's a UBC profile question, I will be grateful for any helpful advice. Should I focus on writing one thing or write multiple things? I don't think I wrote this question well FAQ)

Communication is the most pivotal aspect of my life. Growing up, my family has never openly talked about mental health. As a result, I have struggled with connecting to others because of anxiety and social pressure. However, seeing my parents being affected by transgenerational trauma, I quickly learned to talk about sensitive experiences with my parents and my friends. In a way, I actively tried (and try) to surround myself with individuals who have a variety of opinions and unique perspectives. Through hearing more viewpoints and experiences, I have more ways to overcome challenges and a deeper understanding of my own personal beliefs. To be able to process and assess my own feelings, through talking to others, has led me to being more confident and compassionate. Additionally, learning how to communicate effectively has enabled me to achieve my goals more easily. For instance, my ability to communicate fluidly lead me to being a more persuasive sales employee at an optical store. A substantial part of my duties involved interacting with customers. Therefore, I had to be actively listening and understanding of their needs. Overtime, I have become a more profound communicator, yet I continue to work on my skills to achieve growth.

Communication is the most pivotal aspect of my life. Growing up, my family has never openly talked about mental health. As a result, I have struggled with connecting to others because of anxiety and social pressure. However, seeing my parents being affected by transgenerational trauma, I quickly learned to talk about sensitive experiences with my parents and my friends. In a way, I actively tried (and try) to surround myself with individuals who have a variety of opinions and unique perspectives. Through hearing more viewpoints and experiences, I have more ways to overcome challenges and a deeper understanding of my own personal beliefs. To be able to process and assess my own feelings, through talking to others, has led me to being more confident and compassionate. Additionally, learning how to communicate effectively has enabled me to achieve my goals more easily. For instance, my ability to communicate fluidly lead me to being a more persuasive sales employee at an optical store. A substantial part of my duties involved interacting with customers. Therefore, I had to be actively listening and understanding of their needs. Overtime, I have become a more profound communicator, yet I continue to work on my skills to achieve growth.

I believe that there is a vast difference between wanting to do something and actually doing it. When I first came across, 'Teach For India' I was in my second year of college. Like all others, I too wanted to make a change but, I did not have clarity about where to start from. So, while oscillating in chaos, I got my first job soon after graduating and I gave it all to a 9 to 5 desk job, but deep down, I started to feel that working just for the sake of survival is not my thing and I had to find something that I am passionate about. Therefore, I quit my job from SEO executive as I realized, what I was doing was only paying my bills and my inner self was not satisfied. My interest in working with 'Teach For India' is driven out of passion to get involved in an organization that works towards a better, educated society, especially focusing on development of youth. I believe 'Teach For India' will provide me the opportunity to grow and rekindle myself in a struggling environment where the vision is to fight the educational inequality. Thanks for reading,Please let me know what mistakes I am making.

I believe that there is a vast difference between wanting to do something and actually doing it. When I first came across, 'Teach For India' I was in my second year of college. Like all others, I too wanted to make a change but, I did not have clarity about where to start from. So, while oscillating in chaos, I got my first job soon after graduating, and I gave it all to a 9 to 5 desk job, but deep down, I started to feel that working just for the sake of survival is not my thing and I had to find something that I am passionate about. Therefore, I quit my job from SEO executive as I realized, what I was doing was only paying my bills and my inner self was not satisfied. My interest in working with 'Teach For India' is driven out of passion to get involved in an organization that works towards a better, educated society, especially focusing on development of youth. I believe 'Teach For India' will provide me the opportunity to grow and rekindle myself in a struggling environment where the vision is to fight the educational inequality. Thanks for reading, Please let me know what mistakes I am making.