Prompt: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family Childhood Shadow Everyone’s childhood tends to combine into streams of blurry memories. I am no different. Through the haziness however, there is one clear memory I have of the first time I truly took interest in something around me. Like other children my age I had fallen into the habit of questioning everything around me, being...

My family has always labeled me as headstrong. There is little doubt that this is a result of being surrounded by the women in my family who are each powerful in their own right. My aunt showed me what being independent meant. My sisters aided me in developing unending patience through moments of frustration. Finally, my mom was the one who taught me how to love through the difficult times. Gone are the days when I was afraid to talk...

Growing up as an only child for six years, I was often the focus of my parents’ attention. I learned to hone the skill of negotiating for this very reason. I was the experimental child so to speak, meaning that my parents were, and still are, the sternest with me. I learned from a young age, around the time I was starting school, to negotiate with them to attain something I desired. Then, my parents were the ones negotiating, often...

Educational opportunities present themselves in different forms. When combined, they allow me to enhance what was originally presented. My school, Xavier College Preparatory, aims to prepare students for universities by providing individuals with the tools necessary for success. The electives Xavier offers allow me to explore interests outside of my collegiate focus. Over the years I have taken classes such as: Criminal Law, Sociology, Astronomy, and AP Psychology. These classes have provided me with exploring different options, and, as a...

Humans are some of the most fascinating creatures to ever roam Earth: Thoughts, emotions, and passions drive our actions. To study the human mind and its functions is to study the person. For this reason, AP Psychology has rapidly become the subject towards which I am most inclined. Initially, I took psychology because of my interest in neuroscience. This class was the closest opportunity to an in depth study of the nervous system, even if the course focused on the...

Humans are the most intriguing creatures to ever roam Earth: thoughts, emotions, biology and passions drive a majority of our actions. To study the human mind and the nervous system’s functions is to study the person. Unique to NYU, Neural Science majors have the opportunity to study abroad in London or Sydney in order to obtain credit for the elective requirements. In addition, the Honors Track acknowledges its members at the Undergraduate Research Conference and allows undergraduates to work...

During the summer of 2015 I acquired a job at Acacia Internal Medicine in Phoenix, AZ; I was a receptionist’s assistant for two months. The work itself was nothing extraordinary. I delivered patient files to doctors, alphabetized said files in the cabinets, set appointments, faxed papers, etc. I worked 32 hours per week. This was my first job, where I received my first paycheck. My job brought a sense of independence; I finally had a money source and a bank account....

As children, we grow up being told to listen. Overpowered by adults, a child’s voice is lost in the conversation. Years pass and childhood turns into adulthood. Suddenly, what we say begins to matter. The double-edged sword reveals itself: young adults are heard but told what to talk about. Conversations must never stray into uncharted or unpleasant territory. The concept of ingrained self-censorship is going to be experienced at one point in everyone’s life. During my first semester...

To my roommate, I never realized how difficult it was to sum up who I am in a note to someone I have never met. I am a sum of my passions and past experiences. So, what better way for you to understand me than expanding on these topics? There’s no surprise that at the top of my passions is my family and friends. I’m also passionate about music and the connections it forms. I care that people...

Music matters to me, it has always been part of my life, from dancing with my mom in the kitchen to attending concerts with friends. Even though I’ve loved music for so long, it still feels unexplainable to me. Moments when a song’s words resonate so clearly, followed by seeing the music come to life through concerts is like nothing else. Lights dim leaving the room pitch black, the roar of the crowd starts. We are all forced...

Deciding where I could spend four years away from home has been challenging. A mutual trust between the school and myself must be established. I have to confide in the university to set me up for success through its support systems. Students thrive when they have the opportunity to. BU provides the chance for personal and academic growth through its resources, activities, and community. On the other hand, BU must be assured that I will use their resources to advance...

Humans are the most intriguing creatures to ever roam Earth: thoughts, emotions, biology and passions drive a majority of our actions. To study the human mind and the nervous system’s functions is to study the person. Being able to understand people and their actions is a step in understanding humanity. I am currently looking at pursuing a double major or a major and minor in Neuroscience and Psychology for this reason.

o Deciding where I could spend four years away from home has been challenging. I have to confide that the university will set me up for success through its support systems. After all, students thrive when they have the opportunity to. Brown provides the chance for personal and academic growth through its resources and community. Brown first appealed to me when I learned of the notable open curriculum, which would allow me to explore different interests through the variety of...

I was born in Roswell, NM but my family relocated after my first birthday. From there I lived in the cities of Vaughn, Socorro, and Hobbs. My mom and I followed my dad as he was assigned various construction jobs: we were living in an 18-foot wide trailer during these times. We finally settled in Columbus, New Mexico where we had our first house as a family. My preschool tenure ended a few months in because we moved to Phoenix,...

Every person, past, present, and future, makes up humanity. Humankind is a community that spans Earth’s recent history: an endless timeline. Humanity’s purpose has long been argued. Personally, I see our purpose as understanding our failures and shortcomings to work towards success for the future in all areas i.e. medicine, environment, politics, culture, society, etc. If progress is never made and mistakes are never corrected then humanity nears its end: we are made to adapt and progress....

Humans are the most intriguing creatures to ever roam Earth. Thoughts, emotions, biology and passions drive a majority of our actions. To study the human body and mind is to study the person. Being able to understand people and their actions is a step in understanding humanity. I am currently looking at pursuing a double major or a major and minor in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Psychology for this reason.

The first time I heard of Yale I was eleven years old watching Gilmore Girls. From this point forward Yale became a concept I aimed to learn more about. Once I began researching Yale and learned about the history, residential colleges, classes, professors, etc. I realized the sort of community Yale has. There are layers within the overall community from the base built of close friendships, to the umbrella consisting of a support system found within staff, faculty, and other...

People always talk about a course that changes how people think; for me, sociology was this course. I took the class my first semester of senior year. We spent the weeks talking about “taboo” topics such as race, politics, sexuality, religion, etc. My teacher’s openness to conversation and controversy challenged the common viewpoint of staying silent. As the class progressed I felt myself open up to conversation. For the first time I was being lectured over subjects that have...

Deciding where I could spend four years away from home has been challenging. A mutual trust between the school and myself must be established. I have to confide in the university to set me up for success through its support systems. Students thrive when they have the opportunity to. Columbia provides the chance for personal and academic growth through its resources, activities, and community. On the other hand, Columbia must be assured that I will use their resources to advance...

Humans are the most intriguing creatures to ever roam Earth: thoughts, emotions, biology and passions drive a majority of our actions. To study the human mind and the body is to study the person. I have always had an interest in the brain; my curiosity stemmed from watching shows like House, which offered in depth explanations of rare cases. These explanations with the accompanying images of the disease and its effect on the body drew me to medicine. The brain,...

Columbia provides education that goes far from the subjects taught. One of these lessons focuses on humanity and the global world. Columbia’s community has interwoven itself with New York City. In this aspect, community service turns into global work once students step into NYC, perhaps the most multicultural city in the United States. Columbia provides students a chance for civic engagement. Volunteering is a chance to provide for others what has already been provided to me. I am specifically...

Lights dim leaving the room pitch black, the roar of the crowd starts. We are all forced to give way to the pushing as people fight for the front row view. Before the first note is struck there exists one millisecond of silence where the arena is filled with anticipation as we wait with bated breaths and pounding hearts. The words start flowing out of the artist’s mouth: music comes alive. For the next hour and a half nothing...

Humans are the most intriguing creatures to ever roam Earth: thoughts, emotions, biology and passions drive a majority of our actions. I am currently looking at pursuing a double major or a major and minor in Neuroscience and Psychology for this reason. The interconnectedness of these two areas of study is evident by the upper division Neuroscience elective-courses and its correlation with the Psychology department. Courses such as: Neuropsychology, Epilepsy to Ecstasy, and Applications of Molecular Biology to Medicine appeal...

Humankind is a community that spans Earth’s recent history: an endless timeline. For as long as we have inhabited Earth we have played a role in its destruction to benefit ourselves. We are then left pondering what the limits of humanity are. The Industrial Revolution, oil drilling, and world leaders who refuse to acknowledge the issues faced today are only examples of the power we hold. Aside from the physical affects we leave on Earth, there is also the...

The University of Chicago (UChicago) is renowned for both the academics and community. Personally, I look at college as a chance to expand my knowledge towards previously unsought areas. The general education requirements make this possible by expanding upon topics that students have already been taught. However, the focus shifts to a global world. UChicago encourages students to engage in the world by having study abroad programs fulfill its “Civilization Studies” requirements. I’ve always been interested in Greece and...