Preface: This is a personal essay I am writing for admissions to university. In this essay I really wanted who I am to come out, and I hope it did. Additionally, it is around 800 words and it should be around 500; any suggestions to cut it down are appreciated. Of course, all constructive criticism is welcome. Happy reading!
The Physics of Me
Objects in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. Most people learn a variation of this law in Physics class, but I learned it differently. Judging by my life, my friends would probably suggest an essay on Murphy’s Law, the old adage that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong”, but I hope the forces of the universe will grant me this personal indulgence.
Since the formative years of my elementary education in my Jewish yeshiva, I was never one to just “go with the motions”. Although I had a reverence for my heritage and faith, I knew my education had been limited in scope by the very nature of the homogeneity of my environment, and I was doing my mind a disservice. To truly learn about the wonders of the world, I had to pop the Jewish bubble I was engulfed in and venture into the unknown.
As an outspoken, independent eighth grader I chose to apply for admissions to public schools for my high school education. I was breaking the norm of what was expected of me, and after electing to enroll in such a secular institution, albeit one of the best in the city, the Jewish community I was part of adorned me with a scarlet brand of shame and disappointment, convinced I would “assimilate and lose the faith”.
The excited electron that I am, I dove in head first and tried to be a typical high school student, but it was a whole new world for me. I had come from long sleeves, skirts, kosher dietary guidelines and the Sabbath, and I had to play the role of a typical jean wearing, anti-establishment, authority defying teenager. I quickly made friends thanks to my sociable nature (thanks mom for encouraging me talk to strangers!) and problems alike, as my first two weeks in public school were marked by questionably offensive remarks to other students that got me sent me to my guidance counselor faster than c (the speed of light in a vacuum).
There is something ironic and personally rewarding about my high school trajectory. I not only retained the Jewish lifestyle I was brought up with as a child, but because of my new place in public school, was able to relate and reach out to unaffiliated Jewish youth and aid their struggle to discover who they are in both my role as President of the Judaic Cultural Society in school and my NCSY youth group out of school. However I do not hold that as my biggest accomplishment, for I had recognized my ambitious tendency long ago. What truly shaped the person who I am today are my experiences with my new non-Jewish friends from public school, who have taught me more than I could have ever learned in yeshiva.
From the beginning of this personal experiment, I hypothesized that by leaving my Jewish bubble I would be able to enhance my education in a way I could not even fathom because of my secluded nature. The only way this was possible was by checking my prejudices at the door, and exploring what my new world had to offer.
Over the course of high school, I have surrounded myself with individuals and situations that have challenged my beliefs and my comfort zones. When one of my close friends came out to me as gay, I reevaluated what I had previously believed about sexual-orientation, eliminated the conventional and societal taboos surrounding it, and was able to accept my friend for who he was, and learn about something that was completely foreign to me. I chose to sit at the Hispanic table at lunch, which supplemented what I learned in Spanish class about the culture with the flavor of real people who live it. I take the time to go to Israel-Apartheid week and try and empathize with the Palestinian strife, and in school I work closely with the President of the Muslim Student Association to try and end bias and hate because of religious affiliation amongst our classmates. Had I gone the planned route my yeshiva arduously tried to convince would be better for my future, I would not have been able to interact with so many different types of people who have transformed me into a more open minded individual who is now convinced, passionate about, and well equipped to mitigate the propagation of hate, and promote understanding.
By not conforming to inertia, I have proven to myself that I can and will be making my own choices. I will never let g (gravitational force) keep me down, nor the inevitable f (frictional force) that will try and impede my motivation and stop me from accomplishing my dreams. I am proud to be that pesky electron that is so far removed from the nucleus, and I know I can come back at any point with insight about how to form non-polar covalent bonds (the strongest) with other atoms.
Gender:
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