Unconventional Classrooms by Brendon

Unconventional Classrooms by Brendon - November 2015 Scholarship Essay

I have had the privilege of experiencing not only a traditional education, but also many extracurricular learning opportunities. I have spent a large portion of my life outside of the United States, been home schooled, done work in a laboratory in a medical hospital, and spent an entire year traveling with no house. This has given me a unique education that I couldn't have gotten any other way and which I am incredibly thankful for.
I spent 6 weeks working in a laboratory between my junior and senior years learning about scientific principals and applying them just as quickly into my independent projects. This drove home even the most complex scientific concept with utmost ease, and I still remember the phenomena I investigated while working there. Cell sorting, the ability of a homogenous mixture of assorted cells to separate into something resembling normal tissue, is one of my favorite concepts because it highlights just how complex our bodies are and how much there still is for us to learn from them.
My sophomore year of high school was spent entirely outside of the United States, without any real home country. During this year, I lived in a car and traveled Europe and Asia, with a brief trip to Australia. I was able to learn a tremendous amount about the cultures of the world, and how each region is distinct from any other in one way or another. Australia, while very similar to the United Kingdon, has its own national identity. Australians tend to be far more adventurous than their Brittish counterparts, who are more welcoming, in my experience, than the mainland French. Every culture has some quirk that makes it unique. My travels have given me the ability to appreciate these and respect what other people do, as well as a new view on American culture.
I have spent nearly half of my life living outside the United States, including my sophomore year travels. This has given me the ability to see some of the greatest sights in the world. I was able to learn about architecture by observing the work of the great Italian architect, Andrea Palladio. Some of his most magnificent buildings were only a few miles from my home in Italy, so I could go any time I wanted. St Mark's Campanile was designed by 5 different architects and was only a short drive from my house. I was able to see what happens when multiple people with conflicting visions work on a single project in sequence. It is a magnificent structure. The distinct styles of each architect are easily spotted, but that simply adds to the glamor of the building.
Between my lab work and my travels, I have been given the rare opportunity to have a truly rounded education. My cultural learning is based on my own experiences rather than descriptions and pictures from books. My scientific understanding is based on founded knowledge and information I have helped discover, not an equation. My understandings of people and language are based on actual interactions with actual people, not mock scenarios that I would have found in a classroom. My unique education has shown me the world in a way traditional classroom studies never could, and I am exceedingly thankful for that.