From freeway to freeway, train line to train line, the only way to get where one is going is through connections. Surrounded by two major interstates to the South and West and two major railroads to the North and East, I know a thing or two about such connections. But the everyday intersections we encounter are completely trivial compared to the once-in-a-lifetime bonds we share with people. Connections with other people have profoundly shaped who I have become. For my...

Prompt: What impact will you leave on your school or home community upon graduation? How will that legacy help you contribute to Elon? Response: Before I graduate from high school, I hope that my enthusiasm rubs off on those I am about to leave behind. I cannot honestly say that I absolutely love everything, but I tend to feel strongly about the things I like. I adore the Latin language, and some of my peers are taken aback by my...

Late in the spring of my final year at Elon University, I visited my parents' alma mater while dropping off my cousin at Notre Dame after Easter. It was a nice day, and night began to fall when we arrived at the campus I came to know well as a child. As we drove past the yellowing brick buildings, I experienced a moment of clarity: Three years ago, I was trying to decide where I would spend the next chapter of my life. If anyone had told me at the age of 17 that I’d end up at a small...

While I did not reach out to many professors before my final in-person visit, I've spoken to professors about what they do and don't like when reaching out. The main thing professors want when reaching out is that you, the student, reach out, instead of letting your parents do it on your behalf. An enormous part of college adulthood is having autonomy...