It took me eighteen years to realize what an extraordinary influence my mother has been on my life.
She’ s the kind of person who has thoughtful discussions about which artist she would most want to
have her portrait painted by (Sargent), the kind of mother who always has time for her four children,
and the kind of community leader who has a seat on the board of every major project to assist
Washington’ s impoverished citizens. Growing up with such a strong role model, I developed
many of her enthusiasms. I not only came to love the excitement of learning simply for the sake
of knowing something new, but I also came to understand the idea of giving back to the
community in exchange for a new sense of life, love, and spirit.
My mother’ s enthusiasm for learning is most apparent in travel. I was nine years old when
my family visited Greece. Every night for three weeks before the trip, my older brother Peter
and I sat with my mother on her bed reading Greek myths and taking notes on the Greek
Gods. Despite the fact that we were traveling with fourteen-month-old twins, we managed to
be at each ruin when the site opened at sunrise. I vividly remember standing in an empty
ampitheatre pretending to be an ancient tragedian, picking out my favorite sculpture in the
Acropolis museum, and inserting our family into modified tales of the battle at Troy.
Eight years and half a dozen passport stamps later I have come to value what I have
learned on these journeys about global history, politics and culture, as well as my
family and myself.
While I treasure the various worlds my mother has opened to me abroad, my life has
been equally transformed by what she has shown me just two miles from my house.
As a ten year old, I often accompanied my mother to (name deleted), a local soup
kitchen and children’ s center. While she attended meetings, I helped with the Summer
Program by chasing children around the building and performing magic tricks.
Having finally perfected the “ floating paintbrush” trick, I began work as a full time
volunteer with the five and six year old children last June. It is here that I met Jane
Doe, an exceptionally strong girl with a vigor that is contagious. At the end of the
summer, I decided to continue my work at (name deleted) as Jane’ s tutor. Although
the position is often difficult, the personal rewards are beyond articulation. In the
seven years since I first walked through the doors of (name deleted), I have learned
not only the idea of giving to others, but also of deriving from them a sense of spirit.
Everything that my mother has ever done has been overshadowed by the thought
behind it. While the raw experiences I have had at home and abroad have been
spectacular, I have learned to truly value them by watching my mother. She
has enriched my life with her passion for learning, and changed it with her devotion to
humanity. In her endless love of everything and everyone she is touched by, I have
seen a hope and life that is truly exceptional. Next year, I will find a new home
miles away. However, my mother will always be by my side.
ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE COMMENTS:
The topic of this essay is the writer’ s mother. However, the writer definitely focuses
on herself, which makes this essay so strong. She manages to impress the reader
with her travel experience, volunteer and community experience, and commitment to
learning without ever sounding boastful or full of herself. The essay is also very well organized.
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