Common App Admissions Essay
Being the oldest child in a rapidly evolving family of eventually seven minority children has shaped me into the individual that I am today. My background as an Arab consisted of “peculiar” practices that the white majority in my schools believed was odd. My experiences throughout grade school shaped my objective of tackling inappropriate generalizations of race and ethnicities.
Despite continual disapproval from others, I still managed to forge permanent friendships throughout grade school. Throughout my early years in elementary school, I used my observational skills to understand more about social relationships in modern day culture. Gradually, I drifted towards the perfect line of assimilation while still preserving my ethnic culture. Learning my native language while mastering the English language also proved to be an obstacle. Random slips of arabic language within school seemed abnormal to others, however I neglected the crude remarks from those whom generalized all arabs to be “terrorists.” Targeting the incorrect generalizations applied to the individuals whom shared the same background, became a primary motive throughout my life. During my years in elementary school, I also arrived at the realization that an extremely minimal percentage of my peers shared my same Middle Eastern background. Nearly instantaneously, I forged strong bonds with these individuals whom shared the same background as myself.
While progressing through middle school, the importance of my background became even more evident as history courses began to incorporate the tragedy of September 11th into their curriculums. During my eighth grade year, one of my instructors even asked me if I felt “responsible for the attacks on September 11th.” Flustered, I responded respectfully with my opinion towards the particular issue that was “generalizations are completely wrong and it is inappropriate for individuals to make such assertions.” It became more evident that my peers had become more accepting of minorities as I won numerous elected positions upon the student government panel. Middle school was a milestone period in my objective towards eradicating the existence of incorrect race and ethnic generalizations.
This became especially prominent in my high school courses. In fact, during a class period in my AP World History Course, my instructor invited a Christian guest speaker to discuss and share the key features of Christianity’s history for educational purposes. Quickly, the presentation manifested into slander against those of Middle Eastern decent. Offended, I approached the situation modestly, I allowed the guest speaker to finish without interruption. However, at the conclusion of the presentation I confronted my instructor after class had completed. I explained to my instructor my discontent and offense by some of the remarks the guest speaker had shared with my peers, most of which were outrageously false. The instructor completely comprehended my internal struggle with the situation and agreed to have a class discussion the next day on the bias that guest speakers may have towards a particular subject. After enduring a humiliating day, my instructor addressed my concerns the following day. This experience elevated my sense of self-satisfaction with correcting the skewed personas of generalizing a race. Weeks after the situation, I was approached with many interviews for my courage in asserting my concerns, and this incident has also been published in a novel centered around the teaching of religion within public educational facilities.
Reflecting on my experiences, these situations induced both academic and social successes. The implicit critique of my background from my peers motivated me to pursue intellectual immensity. While my objective of defeating generalizations has remained local, it has shaped my future occupational interests into achieving a career in which I leave international impacts on society. The respect and observance of other’s ideals also became a quality within my personality. Thus throughout my years in grade school, being the recipient of racial and ethnic unjustifiable generalizations, shaped the individual that I am and the individual that I aspire to embody.
The next one is a timed writing that was performed in an hour for a writing competition.
How Do We Build Healthy and Resilient Communities: Societal Endurance and Elasticity
In order to counter the deterioration of a stable society, individuals must conglomerate and confront various deleterious issues including potential health related detriments. It has been evident throughout history and modern day experiences across the globe that the general health of society has been linked with the spectral health of society. Hence, the entity regarded as “communal resilience” is essential in curtailing the potential security flaws that may terminate the stability of a thriving society. In order to attain such aspiration it is imperative that society, through the assistance of NHSS, practice interdisciplinary practices while also allotting sufficient resources and funding to such objective.
Globalization is the culprit behind todays extremely interconnected society that justifies the prioritization of combining the divided components of the health field into an interdisciplinary approach at addressing potential security threatening disputes. Generally, the average health care professional is equipped with the knowledge to analyze only particular portions of certain conditions or diseases. Hence the admonitions and suggestions of others may compile to serve as an integral influence when attempting to counter the societal detriments of the condition or disease. For historical instance, upon the emergence of the “swine flu” in the 21st century, many health researches were flabbergasted by its complexity and arbitrary hearth (origins). In order to effectively balance the complications of all components of the ailment, scientist, pharmacists, doctors, and public health officials united in order to demolish the pervasive disease. This interdisciplinary approach at confronting prevailing issues demonstrates its significance in achieving the aspiration for such resilient communities. Now in a more theoretical approach, consider the current obesity crisis that is plaguing the United States and similarly developed nations today. While a pediatrician or general health professional may be aware of the contributing components of obesity, they may not be knowledgeable in the patterns that a dietician may witness on a daily basis with her clients. Upon recognition of this mutualistic scenario, the two professionals should communicate their knowledge in order to catalyze the proper maintenance of this health related detriment. The multi-sector functionality of the health care field is further epitomized by this example and it is imperative that in order to enhance the health related security of today’s society, the citizens must promote an interdisciplinary approach. The process of serving as a component of an interdisciplinary network is not just limited to human capital (human knowledge and resources.) Instead, even facilities in which research is conducted and trials commence are also an integral component in preserving the interconnectedness that is vital in establishing security. For instance, the hospital, an inevitable component of addressing fatal health concerns, may have to work in close connectivity with the CDC (Center of Disease Control), an institute dedicated to addressing potential public health concerns. If a patient, who comprises an unknown pathogen, enters the hospital, it would become essential and ethical that the hospital report it to the CDC in order to address the concern and prevent a potential deleterious outbreak of the condition. Thus that simple phone call, or email from the hospital to the CDC exemplifies that social connectedness is critical in the preservation of a secure and resilient community through interdisciplinary facilities. In essence, society can facilitate the creation of a durable and resilient society by the continuation of interdisciplinary human capital and land capital.
Another method of ensuring the versatility of society in terms of countering imminent epidemics and alternative health concerns is the ability to effectively distribute and allocate resources appropriately. Federal and state funding are the primary entity responsible for the funds being funneled into the health care setting. However, historically and even today, donations in the form of gratuity and the conception of non-profit institutions are also emerging as a key player in culminating monetary capital. It can be ascertain that we advocate the creation of non-profit resource organizations, as currently many government institutions are experiencing funding strains which may inhibit the health related research being conducted. Governmental funding strain can be attributed with the debt, such as that of the United States, which may persuade governmental agencies to deter funding away from the health care setting to address concerns such as war, poverty, and education. Hence, in order to ensure adequate funding for typical and emergency purpose, the health care field must depreciate its dependence on resources offered by the government, as these offerings are simply tentative. To accomplish such daunting tasks, society should conjure and assist more non-profit health related agencies that are independent of government financial aid. An example of a thriving agency in which all other nonprofits should aspire to emulate would be the American Cancer Society. Since its inception, the agency has facilitated the generation of funding that has proven to aid cancer related research and treatment. It must always be the mission of health care professionals to pursue the prevention of diseases such as cancer. Thus, this funding generated by the American Cancer Society, has been funneled into research attempting to construct a mechanism of preventing such lethal, but prevalent condition. Unlike government funding which is tentative, the funding generated by non-profit organizations is unique in that it is provided directly by the general population of the governed and that its intentions are explicit and direct. The movement towards the promotion of independent health related nonprofits would effectively promote a resilient community as it serves as a protective secondary alternative in the event of a governmental financial collapse.
Evidently, health threats have been the culprit to the demise of the security and stability of a society as evidence by the Black Plague that crippled Medieval Europe. In order to prevent such a communal collapse such as that apparent by Europe’s health care fields inability in the archaic days of human existence, society must undertake measures to prevent the disturbance in stability. Through proper examples and logical mapping, it can be asserted that the proper approach at addressing threats to the elasticity (resilience) of society would be to advocate for a more interdisciplinary health care setting along with the creation of a stable mechanism of allotting resources.
Reflection:
These two pieces of writing demonstrates how I changed as a writer and as a person. In both pieces, I noticed structures and terminology that are no longer existent in my writing. My vocabulary and writing structure is now versatile in order to adequately adjust to my target audience or intended objective which is a foundational skill when writing. Both pieces from high school implicitly lack the idea of target audience and intended purpose.