UC1: Describe the world you come from for example, your family,

community or school and tell us how your world has shaped your
dreams and aspirations. (Combined limit of 1,000 words with UC2)
Growing up, my head was often filled with the notion that I could only pursue
a life that offered financial security. My parents had often emphasized that
success was measured by how much money Id make, how big my house
would be, and how many checks I could cross off in a to-do list. They were
traditional and lived in a far poorer and different world, while I was more
radical and had everything in modern America. We had grown in completely
different worlds, and yet I find that their wisdom and experiences have
greatly influenced my own world.
I had always been an idealist at heart, despite my appearance and actions.
My own measurement of success cant be determined by numbers or
meaningless titles, and so I first rejected my parents seemingly archaic
world. My own way to measure success was based off how connected I was
with the people surrounding me, and how satisfied I built the world around
me. However, I hadnt realized how blind to the world I was and how lucky I
was to live in comfort. My parents had experienced what it was like to be
wealthy, and to lose it in an instant- from high class to peasants forced to
work in farms for years. Yet, they did not lose hope- they looked towards
America as an escape, and pushed themselves far beyond what I could
imagine to accomplish their goal.
Understanding where I came from, and the world that Ive grown up in when
compared to my parents was a feat that I had taken many years to truly
realize. Between our worlds of poverty and entitlement, there was a balance
between the two, an approach that I could take that took both the
importance of always having enough from my parents and my own desire to
achieve something beyond a prestigious job or status. Because of this, I have
sought to take advantage of the opportunity theyve given to me- without
losing sight of what I aim to do with my life. Ive spent hundreds of hours
volunteering at the Natural History Museum to both pursue a career in
science and to teach and help children. Ive done an independent research
project with a retired USC professor(how do I make this sound less
pretentious) in order to get a taste of science beyond the classroom.
Although Ive acknowledged my parents struggles for the life theyve
achieved and why they stress so much over school and following a certain
career path, I know that Ive been put in a fortunate situation that I do not
have to panic daily over finances. Their sacrifices and insight have allowed
me to safely pursue my own personal dream- work to have enough so that I
can comfortably seek to help others? (idk something about keeping in touch
with people)

UC2: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment,

contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this
quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate
to the person you are? (Combined limit of 1,000 words with UC1)
If someone were to write a story with me as the lead role, it would be a
(insert cheesy metaphor?)
I was a self-proclaimed lone wolf with all bark and no bite. Everything and
everyone seemed to have ulterior motives and nothing seemed genuine to
me. Subsequently, I was an irritable and bitter individual when I first joined
my schools robotics team. However, my cynicism was quickly confronted by
my teams almost overwhelming optimism and energy that began a change
within my own mind that had struggled to find peace between my outward
cynicism and distrust in people and a deep-seated desire for something
genuine. Gradually, I grew beyond my angst and accepted that life extended
beyond just black and black.
At first, I found a great disdain towards my team. They spent more time with
their heads in the clouds, dreaming away at the possibilities of the robots
designs and romanticizing the experience rather than actually working.
However, instead of our contrasting ideologies clashing, we had formed a
mutually beneficial relationship; the team helped me see beyond an empty
and impersonal view of my surroundings, while I stood to ground them back
to reality. Though I first struggled to have faith in people and had a cold
exterior, I began to cherish the time I spent with them, and began to
implicitly trust in them. The design meetings, at first life-shortening, became
a time where I could genuinely converse with others without fear of being
judged. I had grown beyond a world that consisted of only myself.
Id realized that it was far more enjoyable to take risks with people and to
live life connected with others rather than to wither away alone. I grew away
from my antisocial tendencies and found that although I had turned my back
on the world, life had let me back in without hesitation.
My experience in my schools robotics team has allowed me to find a balance
between my contrasting optimism and cynicism. It is because I have
experienced what its like to view life through a blackening lense that I am
able to exercise far more patience and compassion than before. I understood
what it was like to hold disdain towards everything; subsequently, Ive made
a point to remember this whenever I associate with others. Realizing that
everyone has their own world and their own reasons for anger had allowed
me to see that people were far too complex to judge immediately. Its easy to
retreat back into a world of only yourself, but at the same its grows harder
and harder to escape this isolation. I can never forget what its like to find
something negative in everything, but its because Ive had first-hand
experience in having a deep-seated anger at anything that even remotely

resembles something positive that I can offer myself as someone whos

willing to listen no matter how much time is needed or complex.