Participation matters! by Simon

Participation matters! by Simon - January 2018 Scholarship Essay

Participation. I am inspired to learn and explore, driven by my curiosity and interests, defined as the "pursuit of doing." In my school, there are those that engage in different activities and clubs, and those that sit on the sidelines. I align with the participants. I am motivated to attend college by my positive experiences as a participant: engaging in science competitions, business contests, sports, community service and leadership activities. My closest friends are galvanized by the same drivers. So we've formed a community of participants. Those who get together on evenings and weekends to pursue a myriad of shared interests. We like working for a cause, a goal, a purpose. Our community of knowledge seekers and participants work together to get things done, and I receive tremendous satisfaction as a member of this group.

This is what matters to me: Participation, passion and pursuits. And a fourth "P" - purpose.

What matters to me, matters to my friends as well. Often times, our generation has been slammed with a bad reputation. We seem self-absorbed with our constant texting, but in reality, it's just that we value connectivity with our friends (digital and offline). Connections matter. We care about diversity and social justice, and we've been raised to learn in teams and to collaborate. From an early age we know that bullying is bad, empathy is good and we are passionate about equality and justice. Fairness matters. We are both wired and worldly, so technology matters. The world is literally at our fingertips on our iPhones and through Snapchat, and our "all access" lives allow us to be out in the world exploring, meeting and forming communities with no physical boundaries. Freedom matters. We also know that although we can't wait to start our next chapter in college, our friends and family at home are important to us as well. Foundations matter.

We live in a time where the world has become much smaller, allowing many of us to travel abroad and connect with others from different countries and cultures. In my case, travel has also enabled me to volunteer with young immigrants at an Ethiopian absorption center in Israel. Service matters.

Last year, I was deeply moved by a TED Talk given by author Brené Brown, which explored ways in which to cultivate meaningful work, self-compassion, gratitude and joy by connecting with others. During her speech, Brown captivated her audience with thought provoking questions, making her listeners wonder: “Am I living a wholehearted life?”

What matters is how I may continue to live an even more meaningful life, as I prepare for college. To many students, living a purposeful life requires doing something extraordinary like launching a crowd funded instant start-up or gaining YouTube celebrity. Each day students such as myself face messages from advertisers celebrating the pursuit of perfection. Failing to live up to expectations is devastating for many, and obscures the more authentic goal of living a meaningful life. College is an ideal time and setting for students to explore not only what they want to study and do after graduation, but the choices they make in how they live their lives. My exploration may include whether leading a wholehearted life is manifested by heroic acts of changing the world and leaving a legacy, or whether it is a more personal journey of finding meaning in everyday acts of kindness. In either case, participating in meaningful ways matters.

Finally, participating in scientific research and discovery matters. This is the reason I chose to study biochemistry. I share the passion my college's faculty, who tell their video stories: Neurologist Beau Ances' story of how his grandfather's Parkinson's disease inspired him to study the brain; and microbiologist Gautam Dantas explaining how microbes that contribute to severe infections can be prevented and cured, based on his lab discoveries. As I embark on my studies in biochemistry, I look forward to collaborating with others who also feel that participating in the pursuit of science matters. I am inspired by breakthroughs in scientific discoveries and how teams of researchers are encouraged to think outside of the box in order to develop new solutions for healthcare, biotechnology and environmental problems.