Letter to a Nobel Nominee by Devanshi

Letter to a Nobel Nominee by Devanshi - December 2018 Scholarship Essay

Dear Prospective Laureate,
I could ramble about my love for seeing others work hard or how I want every prospective Nobel laureate to always smile and be optimistic. But instead, I’ll talk about Ellen Degeneres, the ever-so-popular television host, comedian, and millennial celebrity.
Ellen has taught me how to strike back, how to not let others define her, and to be her best self. She has the boldness to challenge our former First Lady Michelle Obama to a push-up contest (sadly, Ellen lost). She even went to the mall with celebrity singer Britney Spears, only to make a mess inside dozens of stores and gain more attention. With her effervescent personality, she has never stopped suddenly coming up with striking ideas like sending her producer Andy to a haunted house (for reference, Andy is horribly scared of anything related to Halloween). She has the courage to dedicate an entire episode of her show to playing with Snapchat filters (with people laughing at her in the background). Even as Dory’s voice in Finding Nemo, Ellen has told me to find happiness in the smallest of things and always be excited. And that’s exactly how I want you to be—bubbly (possibly even slightly divisive). I want you to never worry about what others think of you and live life with your own sparkle. You don’t need to be hyperactive or seemingly caffeinated every minute of the day, but if you aren’t thrilled about what you believe in, then no one else in the world can do it for you. It doesn’t matter if you sometimes cause others to polarize their opinions because of how strongly you believe in something. If you live like a carbonated drink, you will push others to realize how driven you are. Passion doesn’t come only from hard work; you need to show the world how excited you are in pursuing your beliefs.
But Ellen doesn’t only invite world-class popstars and Hollywood celebrities to her show. She’s kind enough to give a platform to children and ordinary individuals with extraordinary ideas from all around the world. Two years ago, she invited the Maryland school bus driver who saved the lives of 20 children on her bus when the vehicle caught on fire. She also personally congratulated a blind and deaf football player who was winning hearts with his talent. Ellen was even willing to learn from some children on her own show. She invited and learned from Brielle, a four-year old who taught her elements on the periodic table. Ellen’s humility reflects on her show everytime she is willing to take the time out to honor such extraordinary individuals from around the world. So here’s my message to you. Winning the Nobel Prize is an incredible honor—arguably unmatched by any other award. But with this honor comes the responsibility for you to honor it back. It shouldn’t matter if the world shines its light on you—you need to keep moving forward like yourself before you received the prize. I want you, along with every other Nobel Prize nominee, to be humble, to not let the cloud of fame and wealth mold your future. I want you to know that you’ve come so far with your merit and merit only, and that in the case you do win the Nobel Prize, you will have thousands looking up to you and your incredible passion and talent. Your job will then be to continue perfecting your work and mentoring those who wish to follow your footsteps. Humility will then become your biggest honor.
In any case, I want you to be your best self.

Best wishes,
Devanshi Gupta