DylanWilliamson

Humanities
CollegeEssay
WordCount:1024

Somestudentshaveabackground,identity,interest,ortalentthatissomeaningfultheybelieve
theirapplicationwouldbeincompletewithoutit.Ifthissoundslikeyou,thenpleaseshareyour
story.

As a child I spent the majority of my time wandering the expansive world engraved behind
my house. This universe was made up of large rock features and acres of trees and brush,
the perfect world for a six year old boy to explore. Those years spent diving through bushes
and scaling waterfalls taught me that there is a lot to explore, just around the corner. Much
of the way I experience the world, and create as an individual, manifests into three types of
curiosity; adventurous curiosity, intellectual curiosity and interpersonal curiosity.

My adventurous curiosity side often comes out in strange situations that push my
boundaries. My favorite of these situations is when I found myself stranded in front of a small
Cuban Restaurant in Madrid. The entire bus system had shut down, and in my stressed flurry
I found myself in conversation with a charismatic Hungarian woman. After telling her of my
distress she offered me a ride home. Although hesitant, I made my way to her car and to my
surprise she was sympathetic to my situation as an exchange student. We shared funny
cultural tendencies we didnt understand and the drive concluded with me giving her in
depth advice on her third marriage. That day I not only learned that the world is full of kind
and complicated people, but also that sometimes broadening your horizons a little can send
you to extraordinary places.
I remember encountering intellectual curiosity when I was heading into the ninth grade. I felt
terror deciding between the two schools native to my home town. The decisions was
incredibly stressful, I knew I wanted to explore this new way of learning, but the idea of
making the wrong choice haunted me. Animas High School is a college prep, project based
school that excels in creating critical thinkers and creators that transcend in all areas of
schooling and education, through post secondary success. Although the school held much
promise to push my creativity and intellect, I still felt a sense of caution, having not chosen
the traditional public high school. Walking in those doors the first day, I didnt know what to
expect. What if I had made the wrong choice, or what if I despise my teachers? I remember
these thoughts running through my head, yet laugh at them now. If only I had known on that
day what Animas would do for me, how the staff would inspire, how I would learn so much
more than I ever felt possible. At Animas, the teachers push critical thinking and critique as a
major baseline for education, and this focus has benefited me immensely as an artist and as
a student. I know how to be receptive to feedback, while also supplying valuable feedback
for peers - critique that is specific, kind and helpful. This intellectual curiosity pushes me to
integrate myself into areas of education that I would never experience without the drive I
posses to learn more.

My interpersonal curiosity usually involves me flying around the globe to encounter new
cultures and traditions. I admire differences in people more than anything; for me it is of
utmost importance that I learn about other cultures as much as I learn about my own. I
studied abroad in Spain the fall semester of my junior year, living with a Spanish family and
attending school there. Upon my return, I was able to further explore through two very
different internships. For one, I travelled to Peru for a non profit called Sienn and Co, their
mission is to supply jobs for native weavers in South American countries so that they are not
taken advantage of by multi million dollar companies. My job was to document the makers
behind these clothes, and to understand and tell their stories. I conducted interviews in
Spanish and created a short documentary to share with buyers who purchase clothing from
Sienn and Co. For my second internship, I worked at an architecture firm in Denver (which is
6 hours from my home in Durango) to help design interiors for the up and coming National
Down Syndrome Foundation Headquarters.
All of these experiences have come about for me from simply pushing myself to be more, to
learn more. These feelings of understandings, where I recognize that I have grown, come in
random glimpses. One of the most profound of these glimpses came when I was sitting on
the edge of Colca canyon, staring into the valley below.
Everything seems impenetrably still. The wear of my sliding feet is painfully noticeable as I
summit the edge of the cliff, a screaming waterful moves swiftly down the steep slope
directly to my left, and the sheer rocks that anchor me to the climb vibrate from the waters
tension. I pull my tired body onto the summit and watch the scenery unfold as my eyes
adjust to the glaring sun. Spread around me are the ruins of an ancient Inca village, the
current residence are a herd of alpaca that graze among the decaying stone. The sight is
otherworldly and I smile with delight. It is in these moments that one is able to reflect on who
they are, and who brought them there, and although the most beautiful landscape in the
world sits plated in front of me, my mind wanders. So many experiences I have held close to
my heart, so many places I can call home, and its all because of this talent. Some would call
it bravery, or maybe the call for adventure, but I know its not completely either of those
traits. My superpower is that I never stop wanting to be more, to learn more. I expand my
roots, like those of an aspen tree throughout the forest that is our world, hoping to reach
every organism that inhibits this warm dirt we call home. My roots carry me to new people
and new places, and that I feel is a talent I would call extraordinary.