Compiled by Kathryn Black, ’11, The Lens Section Editor
The last week of April finds the lockers of many CCDS seniors decorated with posters of the college they will be attending. As the long college selection process draws to a close, seniors reflect that the college essay was a significant part of the application process. Here is the college essay of senior Jayne Caron who has decided to attend Dartmouth College.
Jayne Caron’s Essay:
“C’mon dad,” I grumbled, anxiously grabbing the keys and heading impatiently to the door. “Hurry up!”
“All right, I’m coming, just let me get some money,” my dad said grabbing his wallet on his way out of the door. “Do you have a general sense of what you want to buy?”
I grinned mischievously, pulling out my color-coordinated, page-long detailed list. “Do I ever!” I replied.
This could be a scene in any high school girl’s fantasy: A day of unlimited shopping at the mall with her father with no restrictions on the use of his platinum credit card. For many girls my age, it would be nothing short of paradise on earth. Yet, although most girls’ visions of paradise involve dragging their begrudging fathers to spend a day shopping with them at Nordstrom, I had a different destination in mind. Staples. The mecca of all that is holy in school supplies and office equipment, otherwise known as my personal heaven. Amidst the vast array of brand-new, unopened cotton-candy highlighters, brightly colored binders, thousands of pen options, and artsy pencil pouches, I felt like a child in a candy store. I must have appeared to others as a crazed lunatic, running through the aisles of Staples like a drug addict in search of her next fix. Although in my case, my next fix was an assortment of one-subject notebooks. My father watched in horror as I loaded up our shopping cart with multi-colored book covers and binder dividers. I wistfully contemplated the future of my studies in the year ahead as I organized my binder dividers and notebooks for each class (carefully labeled and color-coded of course).
The joy I derive from shopping for school supplies at the end of summer in excited anticipation for the first day of school illustrates not only my compulsive passion for organization done in the cutest way possible, but also my love of school. I am one of those few students who by the end of summer is eager for school to start. Although grades and accolades are nice, I adore school because I enjoy learning, exploring new ideas and fully participating in and analyzing the world around me.
In my opinion, the student who is genuinely curious, enjoys learning purely for the sake of learning, actively engages in class, seeks out knowledge outside of the classroom, and goes above and beyond what is required in assignments that inspire passion, is more impressive than the “perfect” student whose impeccable report card may belie his or her underlying apathy to education. Grades to me are just markers for doing what I love: learning. To me, the pursuit of knowledge is part of the ancient tradition of self-betterment, which transcends grades and test scores. Discovering more about the world in which I live and its history fills me with excitement. I prefer to take more challenging classes even at the risk of receiving a less than perfect grade, because I enjoy the stimulation and push to reach my highest potential.
I believe this intangible quality of excitement and passion in me is a better marker of my potential and ability to excel in college than my high school grades are. Although I am proud of my academic record, I am prouder still of the fact that what drives me is my love of learning and desire to do my very best with passion, excitement and commitment. I am not ashamed of my love of education. I proudly prefer to shop at Staples over shopping for a new outfit for the first day of school. Maybe that makes me somewhat “unique,” but I don’t care. I enjoy the fact that I fall into the category of students who contemplate their future school year not in terms of how impressive they will look, but in terms of the new material they will be learning and level of engagement in their classes.
Photo by Kathryn Black, ’11, The Lens Editor
