My College Essays #6 (USD)

University of San Diego

Deadline: December 1

Required (2):

The University of San Diego offers diverse educational opportunities grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. First-year students are immersed in one of our five Living Learning Communities (LLC), with the themes reflecting the vitality of the liberal arts tradition: Advocate, Collaborate, Cultivate, Illuminate and Innovate. Select one of these five themes and describe how it resonates with you and why. (350)

The word cultivate initially transports my mind to a place of green; a plant sprouts up as it is nourished by water, air, and sunlight. It thrives and grows upward. While I am a different type of organism, I too can fall under the category of cultivation. This theme of the liberal arts tradition at the University of San Diego (USD) resonates most with me and I would be honored to represent and demonstrate the theme of cultivation during my time at USD.

Growing the mind to a peak of inspiration is often how I strive to live my life and with growth, often occurring through discomfort and vulnerability, I try to step out of my comfort zone every day. In high school, I was able to find my voice and develop into my own person. Mostly through leadership roles and opportunities, my confidence blossomed like a flower. Cultivation also includes being eager to learn new things. One must first accept that they are not perfect, and then be open to improvements in order to better themselves.

As a gardener cultivates their crops, humans and learners can cultivate themselves through caring for themselves and doing good for others. I have played a role in cultivating my community and enabling those around me to grow through my involvement in environmental leadership clubs and student government. Volunteering is another core aspect of providing one’s community with the tools to grow and flourish.

I would have not been able to devote myself if I had not spent time cultivating myself first. I often practice mindfulness in the morning as one way to care for myself and be in the moment. By taking the time to care for myself, I am able to put others first throughout the rest of my day.

Being a part of the Living Learning Community of Cultivate at the University of San Diego would involve me continuing to grow myself and those around me. Whether through joining extracurricular activities or volunteering in the communities surrounding USD, I would continue to help others thrive around me.

Now choose one of the three prompts below to write about. Essays should be approximately 200 words in length.

• Option #1) Here at USD, we believe that our campus community and the communities we engage with are integral parts of who we are as a university. Our newly launched Horizon Project is a call to action, ensuring that we are dedicating the time, energy and resources necessary to build an ever more diverse and inclusive campus community. We value the fact that our students come from all walks of life, have experienced different realities and bring with them an array of unique perspectives, including some that have often been underrepresented and underserved by higher education. With that context in mind, what contribution have you made to your current school and/or local community that best exemplifies your awareness of and commitment to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable community?

In my eyes, diversity and inclusion can be addressed through student leadership within a school. Rather than teachers and other adults preaching about equity, setting an example among peers is how I have been able to contribute to inclusion. After serving as a representative, I ran for Student Council President and was elected by the student body. My platform was centered around all-school participation and during the year I established new traditions at our all school retreat. The role of President allowed me to take charge of issues and plan successful events. With the help of my council, I planned engaging school dances and unique spirit weeks that centered around inclusion. In the past not all students have felt comfortable involving themselves in school-related activities and I took the job of changing this. I engaged with the school community including parents, staff members, and students to create a cohesive environment that acknowledged unique individuals and their strength. I started a program to recognize one student each month that demonstrated an aspect of our school’s mission statement. My council and I introduced a brand new Saint Bernard mascot, something our high school has never had, in order to strengthen school pride and spirit. I really wanted to make sure that all students felt proud of their school.