My personal statement Essay Example for Free

My personal statement Essay If students want to continue their education and enter the desired college, they should go through the admission process. It includes exams and delivering common application essays. This essay type gives students the chance to show their personal traits, attitudes, interests, and individuality. Your essay is meant to impress the admissions committee. You should prove that you are the best candidate to study in their college. This is a positive advertisement about those sides of student’s life that can’t be deduced from their official documents and study ratings. Typically, students can opt from several prompts which are provided by the college. These prompts revolve around students’ experiences, beliefs, habits and dreams and not academic achievements or grades. To write a college essay that stands out, you should concentrate on prominent events in your life that influence your personality, something connected with challenging situations or personal achievements. You can write how you managed to overcome your fears and learn new experience. You can describe the most important people in your life and how they encourage your personal growth. Having read hundreds of college essays, your essay should be personal, original and creative to grab the attention of the members of the board. Your essay has to be delivered in the form of a story – this should be a real-life situation or event with a considerable impact on your personality. Choose the subject which is meaningful and interesting to you. Here is a sample of a common application essay that can be used to create your own unique story. â€Å"As long as I can remember, I have always heard that a girl should be an obedient wife, a patient mother and a perfect cook. All my girlfriends from high school like to repeat that it’s a demanding and complicate job to be a housewife. The same goes with my mother. â€Å"Rachel, one day you will grow up, meet a proper man and your destiny is to become his wife. You will live in a beautiful house with two adorable children and your only worries will be what to prepare for dinner.† My mother was raised in a very conservative atmosphere of a wealthy family where the man works and woman cleans and cooks. My grandmother taught her how to be a housewife, elegant and charming whose main aim was to please her husband and raise children. Despite being a polite girl and nodding to my mother’s thoughts, inside I was crying from weakness – these ideas were opposite to those I wanted to build my life on. I was sixteen years old when my friend Monika popped into my house one Saturday evening to have a nice chit chat between two best friends about boys, dresses and holidays. And she told one thing with which I can’t agree till now. â€Å"Every girl should be prepared to dedicate her life to her husband and his success, so I am already learning how to make pancakes and roast beef.† Well, to say that I was irritated is to say nothing – I have already heard a million variants of this idea from my own relatives. Every family dinner this topic was brought up with my grandfather or father. I was confused and disappointed. â€Å"Do you really believe that family life is the most important thing in woman’s life? What about women who want to have a proper career and try to achieve their goals and dreams,† I asked my friend. â€Å"What for?† she replied. â€Å"It’s generally considered that men are better at doing business than women plus they should provide for his family by earning enough money. They are supposed to be the head of the family while wives have to make their home comfortable for living.† At that moment I remembered my grandfather and his attitude towards women and their work. He was of an authoritative type always telling my grandmother and then his daughter how to live and what to want. He was descended from a poor family of Irish immigrants whose main goal in life was to earn money, get respect of the community and have food on their tables every day. He worked tirelessly day and night to become a decent citizen. He managed to fulfill his dreams but not without me grandmother’s help who sacrificed her dreams to be able to support him all the time. I love my grandparents very much, I do. But their way of looking at thing is completely different from mine. When I first told them that I want to become a surgeon to help people they didn’t take my words seriously. After laughing for some time, my grandfather replied, â€Å"Rachel, sweetheart, that’s a wonderful idea but don’t you want to have a lovely marriage? That should be enough for a young girl. You will have of whom to take care; you will have a couple of lively kids who will be your delight. Why do you want to spend so much time in this profession if you come back sooner or later to give birth?† I knew that their intentions are well-meaning and they worry about me – they just showed their love in such a way. But I also knew I wasn’t able to forget about my hopes and dreams and live up to their expectations. I told them I was going to university to obtain a university degree and continue my higher education. They weren’t pleased but supported. I am very grateful to them as if my grandfather was against this idea, I would never be able to save people’s lives. They were from an older generation who managed to survive very complicated periods in the history of our country. Their values were formed in the past when the world was different and women job was treated not so much with respect as it is now. So I decided to live my life and forget about artificial limitations created by society – these are the remnants of the past which should vanish soon. Women are ready to show their talent, determination, and skills alongside with men. We are not afraid of obstacles on our way and if I fail that will be not because I am a woman but because I didn’t work hard enough. So I want to give my friend Monika an answer that can be given to all of those who thinks women should be limited in their personal growth: â€Å"Maybe in the past women didn’t have chances to study, develop and create but the current situation is completely different. Gender is not an excuse and doesn’t define our lives. We have all possibilities to conduct our lives as we want, it is our choice and responsibility so why not to try?†

Things They Carried Essay: Rebirth of a Spirit :: Things They Carried Essays

Rebirth of a Spirit in The Things They Carried Speaking of courage is a story found in Tim O ' Brien's The Things They Carried about a solider named Norman Bowker who has returned home from the Vietnam War. As Bowker circles the town's "source of pride" he comes to realize that the town that he left so many years ago will never be the same. While his life was paused by the war, theirs weren't. He also comes to understand that while the people he once knew have changed that he has also changed. He has been consumed by a war and it will forever alter his being. When Norman Bowker returns to his hometown after the war things seem to have moved on without him. It seems that while his life was put on pause, his friends and family had moved on to their lives. His simple wish is for the past to be the present once again. He speaks of his friends Max Arnold and Sally Kramer. Now, Max was dead and Bowker refers to him as an idea. He talks of how things would be different if Max was around to listen to all his stories and how Max would have enjoyed them. The irony is that Max is gone. At one time Bowker had carried a picture of Sally in his wallet. He talked of how he would stop and talk to her when he saw her while driving. He decided that he might impress her with his knowledge that he had acquired during the war such as his ability to predict the time at any point during the day within 10 minutes. He repeatedly said "if she was to listen". Just like the others she did not want to think about the war, it was in the past. Page 143 makes a clear po int that "The town could not talk, and would not listen.. It (the town) did not know shit about shit, and did not care to know". As Bowker continues what seems to be a trip back to what is reality he circles the town lake nearly 13 times. This lake is the life of the town and is very symbolic in itself. On one side of the lake the houses are "modern, with big porches and picture windows facing the water" on the opposite side the houses were described as "handsome, though less expensive and on a smaller scale".

The Danger of Potent Ideology

It is inevitable that great men who wield great powers are bound to be misinterpreted. History reveals that this inevitability is true to the most influential men of our time, from the bible’s Jesus Christ to Germany’s Friedrich Nietzche, two opposites who share the same fate. The radical ideologies that both men promoted have become the basis of infamous acts and beliefs. For example, the fatal extremist belief that Christians abhor homosexuality is highly in contrast with the teachings of Jesus Christ, who advocated unconditional love and forgiveness. The Superhuman theory of Friedrich Nietzche, on the other hand, has been erroneously used to foster the idea that a particular race of man, or a particular individual, is superior to others. This Nietzche philosophy was speculated to be internalized by Adolf Hitler himself, who orchestrated the largest mass murder in the history of the world, simply because he believed in the superiority of the German race. Thus, we can see in the examples of Jesus Christ and of Friedrich Nietzsche, that when men rise above the conventions and to the challenges in their time, they are not only bound to become legends, but also misinterpreted leaders. Martin Luther King: A Force Misinterpreted In the United States of America, one potent influence suffers the same fate. Considered the leader of the free world; this man had so much power that he heightened a revolution and compelled a nation to change its laws. He is Martin Luther King, Jr. In his article entitled â€Å"Martin Luther King,† popular civil rights journalist Jack E. White describes King as, â€Å"the right man at the right time,† for in a revolution that needed a fearless leader, King became the perfectly accurate answer; the right man for the job. The nation at the time was ripe with protests against inequality. America then was a country that subscribed to the apartheid ideology;     segregation of individuals according to skin color was viewed appropriate. Race validated a person’s worth, and King fervently disagreed with this belief. He mobilized the African-American community into launching non-violent protest against discrimination, one of which is the 13-month boycott of the Montgomery bus lines in Alabama, in 1955. The popular and immortalized story of Rosa Parks, an African-American seamstress who refused to give up her bus seat for a Caucasian man prompted the boycott, but it was King who instigated and sustained the people’s resolve to protest. In 1957, King began organizing a network of African-American leaders and started facilitating non-violent protests in several communities. The awareness and significance of King’s cause heightened even more.   The most admirable trait King has demonstrated is his unwavering principle of non-violence, even when he himself had suffered through several acts of volatile violence, including the bombing of his home and unjust incarceration. Several communities and critics noted his incredible resilience and potent influence, and in the 1960s, he earned the recognition he so justly deserved. Time Magazine hailed him as its Person of the Year in 1963, and in the succeeding year, King was named as the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. However, King did not limit his cause to racial discrimination. He had far too much insight to narrow his perspective on one cause alone. Among the issues that he felt strongly about are the war in Vietnam and its accompanying factor, poverty.   By acting on these issues, Martin Luther King, Jr. became not just the leader of the African-American  demographic, but the most influential civil rights beacon who led the entire nation of America into a new light. Such a magnificent leader deserves a golden place in history, and Martin Luther King, Jr. is a figure truly well-placed not only in the annals of history, but in the hearts and minds of the American people as well. However, such a magnificent leader does not deserve a misinterpretation, and martin Luther King, Jr., is a figure highly misinterpreted. King’s impact today   extends only to African-American communities and engulfs only the issue of racial discrimination against African-Americans. Although this is a correct representation of King, it is a narrowed perspective of what he believed in, what he stood for, and what he fought and died for.  Ã‚   Jack E. White, in his article entitled, â€Å"Martin Luther King,† observes that: It is a testament to the greatness of Martin Luther King Jr. that nearly every major city in the U.S. has a street or school named after him. It is a measure of how sorely his achievements are misunderstood that most of them are located in black neighborhoods. Three decades after King was gunned down on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tenn., he is still regarded mainly as the black leader of a movement for black equality. That assessment, while accurate, is far too restrictive. For all King did to free blacks from the yoke of segregation, whites may owe him the greatest debt, for liberating them from the burden of America's centuries-old hypocrisy about race. Thus, we can clearly see that the United States of America owes him the label of â€Å"liberator of all,† instead of the restrictive label, â€Å"liberator of the black race.† The American nation we have  today would have a very different face if King had not step up to the demands of his time, if he had not heeded the cry of the American people. Martin Luther King, Jr. freed America from the bondage of racial hypocrisy, and yet he is denied such a distinction by assigning him only to one cause, and only to one community. The earlier premise that Martin Luther King, Jr., is a highly misinterpreted leader is once again emphasized here. As a matter of fact, King had the intention of leading a protest march against poverty, an American plight that was not unique to a certain race. From the cause of racial discrimination, he moved to the cause of fighting poverty. However, before he carried out his plans King was gunned down in a hotel balcony in 1968. Thus, his distinction should not be narrowed down merely to a single cause. His widow Coretta Scott King perfectly validated her husband’s life and her husband’s cause by organizing the â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change;† for it was the all-encompassing cause of social change that King believed in, stood for, fought and died for. Another misinterpretation of Martin Luther King, Jr. is the use of his principles and the use of his words to further racial issues grounded on a myopic perspectives.  Ã‚   One such movement that stands out from the rest, mainly because of its controversial nature, is the movement being led by Ward Connerly, an opponent of the government’s affirmative action policy. Connerly claims that his opposition against affirmative action is based on, and in parallel with, the advocacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. He asserts the erroneous interpretation that affirmative action is tantamount to racial discrimination. This claim is incredulous, since the affirmative action policy is aimed precisely to eradicate discrimination.   It is preposterous to conclude that the allocation of jobs minorities is equal with racial discrimination; it is even more preposterous that a magnificent leader such as King would even be associated with such an incredulous cause. In Respect to Martin Luther King’s Dream In these modern times, social change is a cry that resounds with so much fervor, and it is evident that so much has to be done to achieve the dream that Martin Luther King envisioned. King’s complex cause, social justice tied with economic justice, is a feat that requires internal and external changes within individuals, within communities, and the nation at large. It is worthy and important to note, however, that the United States of America has come a very long way indeed in terms of liberation from racial and social hypocrisy, and in this sense, we can say that King’s dream is slowly coming into reality. Racial discrimination, for instance, is now viewed as an abhorrent ideology, an unacceptable doctrine for the modern American. It is very much detested that whoever exhibits the slightest belief in it becomes an outcast in a nation of free thinkers, in a nation called the free world. The racist violence that was so apparent, so real, and so brutal in the past, prior to the emergence of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his civil rights cause, seems incredulous; it seems inconceivable that America has ever trodden such a path. The African-American race today, in fact, has earned a stellar place in America. Prominent names like talk show host Oprah Winfrey, professional golfer Tiger Woods, premier poet Maya Angelou, musicians Alicia Keys and Beyonce Knowles are influential figures in American society, admired by all races in America. Amusing Quotes.com lists this line from Chris Rock, a popular African-American comedian: â€Å"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, and the best golfer is a black guy.† Though this statement is intended not to be taken seriously, we see a tinge of reality in it: the reversal of stereotyped roles between a black man and a white man is an indication that America has greatly changed its racial perception about the African-American race. This, however, is just a small parcel of achievement in the social change King aimed for. Customer’s last name  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   6 The Martin Luther King Challenge The world today faces the Martin Luther King challenge, the challenge to forward the cause from racial equality to economic justice, and then elevate these to the international context in order to achieve international peace. Because the nation is merely in the first step, racial equality, it is quite obvious that we do have a long way to go. To take up and succeed in tackling the Martin Luther King challenge, we have to go back to his words, and one effective guideline that stands out from among his speeches is his advice to live a complete life. Seattletimes.com discloses the manner in which a complete life may be achieved, according to King: And there are three dimensions of any complete life to which we can fitly give the words of this text: length, breadth, and height. (Yes) Now the length of life as we shall use it here is the inward concern for one’s own welfare. (Yes) In other words, it is that inward concern that causes one to push forward, to achieve his own goals and ambitions. (All right) The breadth of life as we shall use it here is the outward concern for the welfare of others. (All right) And the height of life is the upward reach for God. (All right) Now you got to have all three of these to have a complete life. Such wise, potent words may ring empty if it is not heeded, and the free world, in order to fulfill the noble dream of Martin Luther King, must begin acting on this quest for completion. True, racial equality is a cause forwarded by this magnificent leader; but to say that it is the only thing he fought for, is very much restrictive. This is the ripe time for America and the world to truly understand his cause, and to truly act upon it. Works Cited â€Å"Chris Rock Quotes† Amusingquotes.com. 12 December 2007. â€Å"Friedrich Nietzsche.† Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 10 December 2007. Kalish, Michael. â€Å"Friedrich Nietzsche's Influence on Hitler's Mein Kampf.† UCSB Department of History. 10 December 2007. â€Å"The Life of Martin Luther King Jr.† Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. TheSeattleTimes.com. 9 December 2007. White, Jack. â€Å"Martin Luther King.† The Time 100:The Most Important People of the Century. Leaders and Revolutionaries. 9 December 2007

Racism, Racism And White Supremacy - 1178 Words

Notable psychologist Viktor E. Frankl once stated: â€Å"When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves.† Dramatic and serious change is difficult because when predictability disappears, so does our human sense of safety. While it may be grueling and exhausting, change is essential when a problem needs to be battled head-on. As a society, we need to change the way racial inequalities have been set up and the way we go about our lives. Racism has a large effect on minorities nationwide daily, and it can often go unnoticed or be incorrectly identified. But what truly is racism in America, today? Racism is still an extremely prevalent subject in today’s society, based on specific phenomena that affects black youth and perpetuates the false veil of brute equality. Since the inequality flag has flown since the day American settlers transcended what the Natives stood for, the primary fuel and focus remains on Black youth today. Systems of institutionalized racism and white supremacy have greatly impacted too many lives. It is also important to define privilege, the concept of â€Å"reverse racism†, and what truly is racist. White privilege can be defined as a â€Å"set of advantages and/or immunities that white people benefit from on a daily basis beyond those common to all others† (Avakian). Now how does that affect the black condition? These antiblack frat horror stories and police shootings are not isolated incidents anymore. I myself have beenShow MoreRelatedThe Source Of Racism And White Supremacy Essay1718 Words   |  7 PagesThe source of racism and white supremacy is fear of genetic annihilation. Their existence is a result of genetic mutation and environmental adaptation according to scholars and scientist of various fie lds. Albinism is a genetic imperfection that prohibits the production of melanin, the genetic content that gives color to eyes, skin and hair. Legendary scholar, author and psychiatrist, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing argues that African albinos, rejected by their parents, alienated from their communitiesRead MoreThe Riot On Racism And White Supremacy Essay1822 Words   |  8 PagesIn the year 1898 in the town of Wilmington, North Carolina a riot occurred between the African American inhabitants and the white minority of the city. Several historians accuse the origin of the riot on racism and white supremacy. Although these two beliefs have been around for countless years, and African Americans received the right to vote almost thirty years’ prior, no demonstration nor aggressive threats, to the point in which was seen in 1898, had occurred in Wilmington until that year. TheRead MoreRacism And White Supremacy For African Americans1288 Words   |  6 Pages For centuries Afr ica American’s have been stripped from their freedom, their history, and their human rights due to racism and white supremacy. However, in 1868 there was a light at the end of the tunnel, African Americans thought there was an end to racism and the beginning of equality when the 14th Amendment was created. The 14th Amendment stated, â€Å"All persons born in the United States are citizens of the United States†¦ no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privilegesRead MoreI’M Analyzing The Effect Of Racism And White Supremacy2031 Words   |  9 PagesI’m analyzing the effect of racism and white supremacy in the movie â€Å"Get Out†. It was recently released to theatre that tells the story of an interracial couple named Chris and Rose and their trip to visit Rose’s family. The plot starts out simple with it just being a weekend out of the city to be a thriller horror story. Once they get there Chris notices some strange th ings happening. At the start it seems like everyone is very uncomfortable around African Americans. Especially at the family’s annualRead MoreWhite Supremacy Is Influencing The Young People Of Today988 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever wondered if White Supremacy is influencing the young people of today the wrong thing? Why should White Supremacy in America be abolished? Over more than 200 years, White Supremacy has made an authority on the nation’s history, often through the federal and state laws, and it continues to be a visual element in the American society. White Supremacy was created during the 19th century, during the removal of the Native American tribes in the east of Mississippi to landRead MoreAmerican History And Its Current Setting927 Words   |  4 Pagesused the term racist or racism, the denotation suggest that they are talking on an individual level. The Oxford dictionary regards racism as an individual hate and discrimination against another race. But what about the bigger picture? Is society ignoring the systematic and power relationship racism actually stems from? The first print of the term racism was recorded in Oxford Dictionary in 1902 by Richard Henry Pratt (Demby, â€Å"The Ugly, Fascinating History Of The Word Racism†). Pratt once made aRead MoreBell Hooks Loving Blackness As Political Resistance Analysis1329 Words   |  6 Pagesas Political Resistance† The racism that runs deep in the blood of the United States is a complex issue to tackle. As white supremacy was the foundation on which the country was born, many believe that society breeds this racism and deny the possibility of change. bell hooks eloquently addresses the problems faced by those who seek to make change and establish equality in her essay, â€Å"Loving Blackness as Political Resistance.† She discusses these problems through the lens of her instruction by usingRead MoreHistory : Teachers, Textbooks And Racism1633 Words   |  7 PagesA Whitewashed History: Teachers, Textbooks and Racism. Textbooks can be wrong. Is it possible that watching the History Channel could be more informative than the average High School History class? Alia Wong points out in her article History Class and the Fictions about Race in America the topics of underqualified teachers, inaccurate textbooks and the inefficacy of history being taught at all grade levels. I, myself, can attest to this statement having been taught history by a teacher who taughtRead MoreThe Workshop Healing From Toxic Whiteness On Fight For Racial Justice Essay1067 Words   |  5 Pagesprevent white people from taking action for racial justice, a new framework for looking at white supremacy (including how it negatively impacts white people), and mindfulness techniques for working through moments when white people feel overwhelmed with what to do about racism. The workshop explained that even though white people benefit from white supremacy, they are also harmed emotionally. The facilitators explained how whiteness was created by white elite and initially also harmed poor white peopleRead MoreRacism : The Roots Of Racism1144 Words   |  5 Pagesmajor issue of racism in America and the effect it had on the people at the receiving end.The book showed how the whole government system was racist and would not allow the non-whites to uplift.As a result they always remained in poverty.So as part of my research assignment I decided to conduct research on racism. My hypothesis was that even though racist policies have ended racism is still a major issue in the society .I broke my research down to 3 primary question. Origin of racism in America.What