The End

I honestly don't know how I want to write this final post. I'm going to write it like I always have– with no plan, but a need to type whatever pops into my head at the time. No proofreading, either.

First, a quick update; a lot has happened since my last post. These past three weeks have happened so fast, they've all blended together. If I can recall– I went to the final summer session for We the People and got to judge the judges; I met up with the girl I dated from that other team again and we smoked together for the first time; I moved in early and went to Cal's Filipino orientation, where my parents and I were interviewed by a national Filipino news network and my dad started crying about the opportunities Cal provides. Golden Bear Orientation, my freshman orientation and the first time Cal has had a week long program, just finished and has been so much fun. My group grew very close together; I made new friends, including an international student, a very sarcastic girl from San Diego, and a girl with two moms who very much reminds me of my unitmate. I spent many nights walking late at night from the all girls STEM dorm, gained a reputation for being a player with a different girl each day (not true), and broke a world record. I can't remember everything, but it's made me excited for what's to come. I start classes tomorrow.

It's been a long time since I started this blog on the New Years of sophomore year. I haven't even gone back to read everything I wrote, but from what I've skimmed, I've improved so much. I've reviewed two hundred teas, from the first hundred I did those five months in 2015 to the last one this summer. My writing is way more interesting; I've gone through hard times and made it through; I've graduated with honors and am now attending the number one public university in the world with the most prestigious merit scholarship available there. I experienced my first extended relationship and my first real break up, met so many new people (dated a few, too) and came out of my shell, and became a state champion and a nationally ranked team. I've lost friends and loved ones and failed more times than I thought. Like the past few weeks, there's so much that's happened in these short two years that I could never write it all out without going through all of this writing. Documenting my day to day life is mundane, but taken altogether, I've become a completely different person than when I started.

Despite the title, this isn't the end; cliched as it is, it's the end of one chapter in my life and the start of a new one. I'll continue drinking tea and writing. Maybe I'll start a new blog when I finally get my act together. I'm glad I'm where I am now, and I'm thankful for all the people, places, and chance happenings that got me here. Maybe two years from now, I'll come back to this blog and read about growing up (which I will still be doing at that time). I'll wonder why I made such a big deal out of dumb things like grades and girls, laugh at the silly things that I did with my friends, and feel nostalgic about the people that have both entered and left my life. I'll reflect on those memories that I thought were small in passing, but ended up defining who I am now.

I don't know how to end this post. I guess I'll go back to doing what I did in the posts that got me through that tough time junior year, giving advice that isn't directed to really anyone but myself. Own your shit. Be original, be genuine, be caring. Generalizations never work out; people are defined from anything and everything, ranging from their race, economic status, experiences, family, and more. Grades are only there to tell you that you need to improve– and you can always find ways to improve yourself; you don't need to take the path everyone else takes, or stress out just because it's what everyone else does. Expect all people to be good people, and give them second chances (but don't let them take advantage of you). Go with the flow, or as English teachers like to say, live in the present.

Right now, I feel great. I'm excited to enter this new part of my life, although I don't even know if I'm really ready to face it. The homesickness hasn't hit me yet. I don't know if it ever will. All I know is that I think my roommate is great, I've established a friend group (even though I'm the odd one out in terms of major and dorm), and I'm doing well learning how to live on my own in a city. Getting out of my comfort zone is both scary and, sometimes, easier than I thought. For one, I went to a frat party and did my laundry for the first time. The people are very friendly, showing it in their own ways. I love Berkeley just because it seems like there's so much opportunity available and I can be myself, nerdy and however social I'd like to be (I don't think I'd be happy at UCLA, thinking about it now). I like to think that the people here think the same too. I know, being at Cal, that there will be very low lows and very high highs; it'll be a learning experience.

For people new to this blog, I know it sounds weird, but tea has changed my life. Try it sometime, it's been very therapeutic for me. I always wrote about how it all focuses on the process of brewing– the product, a good tasting tea, is only a result. I don't like using metaphors, but hey, I think it's a good way to describe these past two years. Take that how you will.

Thank you for everything. This is the end of this blog, but not the end of my story. It's time to go to the next level and be the best person you can be, so try to take in the views while you can.

As Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., wrote in Timequake: "You were sick, but now you're well, and there's work to do."

Writing: College Application Essays #11 (Scholarships)

Note: I applied for a few scholarships, but the only one I was really successful with was UCLA's Leadership Award. I ended up recycling versions of some of the previous essays, so here is the one original one I wrote. I usually don't like rereading my writing, but I was surprised when I did for this essay because it's better than I thought it was when I wrote it. This is the final post in my college application series, so now I actually have to write some new content. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Select any quote about leadership, and share how it relates to your core principles. (482 words)

On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt presented his “Citizenship in a Republic” speech to students at the University of Paris. These students did not know that four years later, they would be sent off to fight and die in the fields of Passchendaele, the Somme, or Verdun during one of the bloodiest wars in history.

Following the classic American ideal of rugged individualism, Roosevelt told them:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena... who strives valiantly... who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds... who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows... the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst... fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those... who neither know victory nor defeat.”

As a leader, the so-called “man in the arena” Roosevelt describes leads through action and example. He rises above, not by telling others what to do, but by doing it himself. He does not strive to succeed or fail; he strives to act, regardless of the outcome. No one can tell him otherwise. Every time he’s knocked down, he gets up, dusts himself off, and tries again.

The “man in the arena” embodies perseverance and determination. In my opinion, he follows the American Dream; if you keep trying, you will eventually achieve your hopes and aspirations. Martin Luther King Jr. tried again after state troopers beat civil rights activists on Bloody Sunday of the Selma marches. Carlos Bulosan, the Filipino immigrant and writer, kept writing despite the racism he encountered– and was published in a time when Asians were considered subhuman. Chief Justice Earl Warren continued to enforce desegregation and protect civil rights, despite facing massive resistance by the South and political backlash.

I follow in the footsteps of these men in the arena. However, my arena is not Jim Crow, racism, or American politics. My arena is classism and inequalities in education and opportunity. Unlike my peers, I cannot afford standardized test preparation, college counselors and tutors, or summer college programs. But, like King, Bulosan, or Warren, that does not stop me. I leave my small suburb, find as many free volunteer and educational programs, and succeed. With each rejection, I take a deep breath and move onto the next opportunity.  

Intelligence, communication skills, and time management are just a few skills for being a strong leader. However, above all of these skills is the ability to stay motivated and act in the face of adversity. A strong leader will always find a way– and if he finds none, then he must make one.

Writing: College Application Essays #10 (University of California 2)

Describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you.

Since elementary school, American history has been my favorite subject.

Beginning in 1607, immigrants have come to America in search of wealth, liberty, or life. Through free land in the West, Americans have formed a deep commitment to the ideals of social mobility and rugged individualism; everyone, and anyone, can succeed through hard work. This mindset has created the American dream: a distinct, unwavering work ethic and optimism not found anywhere else.

However, history shows that this dream is not attainable for all. For many minorities, the system works to prevent their success.

For women, suffrage came about after a long 140 years, despite their roles in shaping the nation’s politics, economics, and culture since the colonial era. For African-Americans, remnants of slavery led to Jim Crow laws and, today, issues of police brutality and mass incarceration. For Asian-Americans, discriminatory immigration laws, fueled by anti-Asian sentiment, associated us with crime and undesirability. Similar patterns are seen for all other minority groups.

Although time has shown that the American dream only exists for a minority of the majority, it still thrives today. Americans still have faith in the institutions that have discriminated against them for three centuries.

That faith has led me to ask: why do we continue to trust these systems? AP US History was only the entrance to that rabbit hole; it led me to explore our nation’s ideological foundation and the struggles of the underclass.

That’s why, this year, I’m studying African American Literature, the first class in my school solely about people of color; volunteering with the Uhuru Movement and Cheza Nami, groups dedicated to advancing African rights and culture; and competing with Amador’s Competition Civics team, debating the Constitution and Bill of Rights in a style similar to a congressional hearing.

For many Americans today, including my parents– first generation immigrants from rural provinces in the Philippines– the past has not stopped them. Nor will it stop me. The American Dream thrives on our choice to take initiative to change the status quo, and that is why I love our history.

What is the one thing that you think sets you apart from other candidates applying to the University of California?

Camellia sinensis– tea– is a modest drink. At its base, it’s just hot water and leaves; however, depending on the country, it has milk, sugar, cream, honey, or interestingly, yak butter. Since its discovery, tea has shaped the world, determining cultural traditions, economics, and politics. Today, it’s a close second to water.

Beginning freshman year, I’ve explored this drink. I’ve learned the Chinese tea ceremony, authored a tea review blog, and tried, unsuccessfully, to start a tea club at my school. It’s quickly spiraled out of hand; in three years, I’ve tasted over 150 teas from the Azores Islands to the shores of Tanegashima.

Through it, I’ve learned history, culture, and even science. I’ve asked myself several questions: “What made tea so important to the feudal Japanese? When did tea reach India and become a staple good? Why did Americans choose coffee over tea?” Answering these questions requires looking at the history of colonialism, the rise of international trade, and how they’ve affected cultural beliefs.

Then, there’s the most important question, “How can I make the best tasting cup?” The scientific method is the perfect solution; each hypothesis and trial reveals a new depth to the taste.

With my research, I’ve found that tea is special. It’s a paradox; it’s simple, but yet, so complex. From a single leaf, you can create a grassy green, creamy oolong, earthy black, or fishy pu’erh.

But, at first, it’s not much. If you want the best taste, you must spend time with your tea, working with it to discover its strengths and weaknesses. It requires enthusiasm, determination, and a keen attention to detail.

If you want to succeed, these skills are key. That’s why I love tea. It’s given me stronger problem-solving abilities and a better understanding of the importance of multiculturalism and diversity. It’s allowed me to explore my Filipino roots and succeed in and out of school. No one I’ve met has had the same passion for tea, and that’s okay. For me, it has been the perfect source for exploring the world and my identity.

Writing: College Application Essays #9 (University of California 1)

Note: So, these are the essays that got me into all of the UCs I applied to and with some nice scholarships to boot. This year of applications required 4 essays of 350 words each, so I'll be splitting them into 2 separate posts. I was supposed to post this yesterday, but I got sidetracked, so here it is now.

Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. 

For me, creativity comes as unorthodox solutions to real-life problems.

Generally, the issue of designing public transportation falls under the category of civil engineering. When planning, officials must ask: how can groups of people, going to different destinations, take similar routes? How can we minimize damage to the environment? What technologies will we use?

For these questions, engineers refer to mathematics and the physical sciences. However, one field that they do not refer to is biology. How could the study of life be used to figure out how to move people on a large scale?

After studying this problem, the solution came in the form of the modest slime mold. A simple organism with a primitive intelligence, physarum polycephalum lacks a nervous system but has been proved to recreate the designs of railways around the world. I thought that if this slime mold can recreate transit systems, then it should be able to design one.

For six months, my room was littered with petri dishes, containing oat flakes and yellowish webs of physarum polycephalum. In the end, the experiments recreated the layouts of BART and Alameda County’s roadways, validating the efficiency of what exists.

The reason for this is simple; for many organisms, survival comes from equality of energy input and output. Therefore, in real life, the roads and trains we use everyday are the perfect balance of fuel usage and distance traveled. The networks the physarum polycephalum created are a living representation of that.

When I presented this project at the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair, the judges praised it as a creative approach to a common problem. I was awarded first place in my category and a scholarship from Chevron for the work.

My way of expressing creativity is by connecting the dots in a new way. The parts were already in place. In biology, slime mold has been studied for its design capabilities. In civil engineering, transit designs are weighed for costs and benefits. The only piece the puzzle needed was for someone to take these two separate ideas and fit them together.  

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

Being from a Filipino family with a rural background, the most significant challenge I have faced was finding a place in an economically homogeneous community. In 2014, Pleasanton, California had a median household income of $123,608– 230% above the national median. In this affluent suburb, there is decent racial diversity, with sixty percent white, twenty percent Asian, ten percent Hispanic, followed by African Americans and others.

The same racial diversity exists in Amador Valley High School. However, in contrast, there is a glaring lack of economic diversity, which becomes apparent in upper-level AP and honors classes. Because students can afford high-end college counselors and SAT prep programs, Amador has an ultra-competitive academic environment at the cost of students’ mental health.

Pleasanton is interesting in that way; race, on its own, is not the problem. Classism and elitism, on the other hand, are what plague the community. Students are judged on their academics, but in the end, their success is solely determined by money or family connections.

With my background, I face challenges that my classmates do not. Being academically, but not economically competitive, I’ve had to take risks to succeed, participating in as many free science and volunteer programs as possible across the Bay Area.

By overcoming this challenge, I’ve realized that while this lack of economic diversity is damaging to most students, it has helped me grow as an individual. Without the same advantages as my peers, I’ve accepted that I’m not going to participate in summer college programs across the country, learn how to game the system of standardized tests, or have an internship at a local laboratory. But that doesn’t stop me; rather, it’s pushed me to work even harder. If anything, my achievement is a small symbol against Pleasanton’s powerful class system.

You just need to pick your battles and find a niche. If you can’t match academic success with money, you match it with a genuine love for learning. If you can’t buy opportunities, you find them, no matter how far you have to go. There’s always a way.

A Day in San Francisco

Sorry for missing a post on the schedule, but I have a strong excuse– I was showing my friend from San Diego (going to UCLA) around San Francisco and Berkeley. I just got home from spending the last hour or two riding trains, so I'm very tired. But, still, it was one of the most exciting times I've had in a while, with three parts: San Francisco with my friend, Berkeley with her and her friend going to SFSU, and going home. For ease, I'm going to call them by the college they're going to.

The first part of the day was very touristy. In the morning, I took BART and the MUNI Metro to pick up UCLA at the university, and we went to the Golden Gate Bridge. I've been a few times, and today it was more beautiful than ever. There was just the right amount of fog and sun, but we still had a perfect view of the bridge, city, Alcatraz, and bay. UCLA thought the bridge was more beautiful in person than it is in the postcards; it never really hit her that it was something tangible– that it was large and able to be walked on. Once we walked half of the bridge, we took a bus going the wrong direction but eventually reached Ghiradelli Square, where UCLA bought some ice cream and I bought a shake. We walked along the waterside until we reached Fisherman's Wharf, where we had sourdough clam chowder at Boudin and played foosball at the Musee Mechanique. After that, we went to Pier 39 and window shopped for a while. The conversation mainly revolved around our own relationships, plans for college, and experiences working at ice cream shops. Finally, we caught a bus to Chinatown and went shopping for clothing and fidget spinners– her choice, not mine. We spent a lot of time thinking of bad pick-up lines/puns that I sent to my friends; UCLA eventually got a call from SFSU that she was done with orientation, so after resting in a park for a while, we all met at BART.

From BART, the second part of the day began as we met. I think we all hit it off pretty well, and we took a train to Berkeley. There, I brought them to the Asian Ghetto for food, and afterwards we looked for stores selling Cal gear. Most were closed, so we just decided to get milk tea at U-Cha and I gave them a tour of the campus, showing them the basic stuff like the Campanile, Valley Life Sciences Building, and whispering bench. The day ended with an ice cream sandwich at Cream, which we all shared together before heading back to BART. It was getting pretty late, but since they didn't really know how to navigate public transit here, I went back with them to the university.

The last leg of the trip came from my adventure trying to get back home. I haven't taken MUNI Metro at all until the day before, and when I reached the end of the line, I had no clue how to reach a BART Station. My phone was almost dead, and I got onto another train, but was kicked off by the operator who said that he was also reaching the end of the line. I ended up hopping onto a third train, marked shuttle, that I had no idea where was going– all I knew that it was moving in the direction I needed to go. At this time of the night, San Francisco was especially beautiful; it was a sea of lights in a place I had never been alone. I had a conversation with a man who had a knack for identifying people's races and spoke too fast and too quiet with a mumble. He connected the protests today, in Germany and about Korea, with his experiences seeing the protests about the Vietnam War. After transferring to another train once the shuttle stopped, I finally was in a place I felt was familiar. I got off at Civic Center and had a quick conversation with a Filipino lady who lived near the station and was surprised that I lived so far away from San Francisco.

Since I've never taken BART this late at night, and caught the second-to-last train, I went in and sat down in the first seat I could. When I did, I accidentally took the seat of a man who was going to sit with his wife– and he angrily asked me if I was stealing his girl. I quickly switched to the seat behind him, and I spent the rest of the ride watching the rest of the people on the train. In front of me was the angry man and his wife; they fell asleep together as the ride went on. Behind me was a girl who was either writing or sketching something in a notebook the entire ride. To my left, there was a man who looked angry at the world, taking swigs out of a bottle of Jager and chasing it down with coke. He was eventually replaced with two ladies who were drunk and giddy and laughing the entire time. In the corner of the car were two young metalheads, who kept flashing the rock-on sign throughout the ride. The most interesting people was another couple, two seats in front of me, who discussed the importance of education in socioeconomics. Someone sitting next to them joined their conversation, and they talked about topics ranging from music, to stories growing up and leaving home, to recipes, and to ideas of progressivism. The wife looked at me a couple of times, smiled, and rolled her eyes when politics came up, and I smiled back.

Today was a day with a lot of firsts. I took a number of buses that I never have taken before. I went to places that I've never been, despite living here for my whole life. I ate at restaurants that I've never tried, and walked in areas that I've never seen. I also got to look at the city and stay out, far from home, at a time much later than I've ever been. It's fun– but it's also terrifying and exciting at the same time. At times, it felt lonely. At others, I felt like I had been long friends with people I've only known for a weekend or have never met at all. I guess this is what it feels like to grow up; last night was memorable and I'd definitely do it again in a heartbeat.

Writing: College Application Essays #8 (Common App - Misc.)

Note: I put this essay in the other comments section of my application– dumb idea, yes, I know– when I should have actually made it my main essay. This is one of my favorite ones, and I used it for some scholarship applications, which I never heard back from.

Pleasanton, California is known as one of the wealthiest suburbs in the nation. In 2007, the United States Census Bureau named it the most affluent midsize city in America. In 2013, around sixty percent of households made over $100,000.

In 1997, my family found its way to this picturesque and prosperous suburban city after arriving from rural provinces in the Philippines. Understandably, they experienced quite a bit of culture shock. Armed only with their newly-earned college degrees, they lived in poverty for a while until they built themselves up, living the American Dream. As people of color in a predominantly white, wealthy community, they were met with subtle racism in employment and everyday life.

Today, Pleasanton has gone the same way as the rest of suburbia in America, with growing racial diversity and rising incomes. Having grown up here, I did not experience the same racism or struggles as my parents did. However, as a second generation immigrant, I’ve faced different obstacles– mainly regarding economic class.

My school is a microcosm of that community. Here, Asians make up the largest minority group, around fifty percent. But, within that group, Filipinos only make up a small percentage. The majority of students are from established families, having lived in Pleasanton for a number of generations.  

As a result, students have opportunities and connections not available to most high school students. It is normal– and expected– for my peers to take paid summer internships at prestigious universities, fly across the nation to attend pre-college programs, or learn how to game the system of standardized tests for perfect scores. My classmates are expected to go to elite colleges and continue the family tradition of becoming doctors, lawyers, or accountants– and as a result, academic competition becomes tense. The prevailing mindset is that my failure is someone else’s gain; so, I’d better make sure that failure is not a possibility.

In this world built upon numbers, GPAs, and test scores, I don’t necessarily fit in. My peers’ paths are set; I am a blank slate. From their own experiences, my parents know the importance of choosing your own destiny. Back in Philippines, my father chose his own path, moving to Manila to learn telecommunications instead of staying a farmer and fishery worker.

However, choosing a destiny comes at a cost. Unlike my classmates, I lack the resources, connections, and advantages to traditionally succeed in Pleasanton. Instead of researching cutting-edge medical technology in a family friend’s laboratory, I ride the six AM BART train to Fremont to go to free summer science camps. I tutor other struggling students at my old middle school. I cook and sell food to raise money for social justice. I teach children about science and cultures vastly different from my own.   

But, sometimes, it’s like flying through a storm; I’m moving blind. I don’t know where I’m headed, and I’ve lost sight of where I’ve come from. I don’t know what I want to do or what the future holds for me. The sunlight which guides my classmates is obscured by dark clouds.  

My goal isn’t to follow in my parent’s footsteps. My goal is to make a place in the world. My race or economic class does not define my future or my success. My education, on the other hand, is my guiding light; it is also my wings. It is not a stepping stone to wealth or a checkmark on a bucket list.

I will always find a way. No matter where I go, my passion for learning will always take me to where I need to be.

Writing: College Application Essays #7 (Swarthmore)

Prompt:

Please write about why you are interested in applying to and attending Swarthmore.

In his Twelfth Annual Report, Horace Mann wrote “Education... is the great equalizer of the conditions of men– the balance-wheel of the social machinery.” Education is the sole reason why my family was able to leave the farming provinces of Philippines. Education is why, today, I’m able to go to college in America.

For that reason, I believe that the goal of education is to allow students to discover their interests. It should be intellectually challenging and make you uncomfortable. Success, therefore, should come from a genuine love for learning.

However, living in an upper-middle class suburb in the Bay Area, I’ve found that not everyone shares the same views. Here, the emphasis is on grades– as long as you end the semester with an A, it doesn’t matter how much work you put in or how you got the grade. For most, the ends must justify the means; as long as you go to a well-known, Ivy League college, cheating or having a stress-filled four years is acceptable.

Swarthmore’s mission fits more in line with my own ideology. I want to attend because of the challenges the college offers and the emphasis it places on learning– not grades. The Honors Program, in particular, illustrates this. Through Oxford tutorials, students are encouraged to pursue their  interests with those who have similar passions. At Swarthmore, I hope to take advantage of these opportunities, and meet others with the same motivation.

Writing: College Application Essays #6 (Brown)

(Note: Some responses here for essays were copied from my responses to other schools, like the extracurricular prompts. They are not included.)

Prompt: Why Brown?

Unlike other colleges, Brown offers students a sense of freedom, exploration, and participation in their education. Through the Open Curriculum, interdisciplinary study is the focus, while a broad education, one with a basis in language or number, is the foundation.

I believe that education should push students to study what they’re interested in– not what would be easy or provide a good grade. Your classes should make your uncomfortable and question commonly accepted beliefs. You shouldn’t be forced to stay on a single track; you should be offered multiple to discover what you’re truly passionate about.

In high school, I’ve tried to stay true to these beliefs, taking both unusual and challenging classes to foster my intellectual curiosity. This year, for example, I’m taking African American literature, the first and only class on people of color. At Brown, I hope to continue doing what I love: learning new things.

Prompt: Tell us where you have lived - and for how long - since you were born; whether you’ve always lived in the same place, or perhaps in a variety of places.

I’ve lived here my entire life. It’s a quaint neighborhood, lined with similar brown and blue condos. At the entrance is a lantern perched upon a red brick tower. Its light marks a transition between suburbia and a century-old town.

Years ago, there were only four kids, and we grew up together. But, as time passed, we drifted apart, found new friends and eventually moved out.    

Now, a new generation enters. These kids do the same things, playing and laughing together. Watching them, I think of the others– what we’ll do, where we’ll go.  

And still, the lantern glows.   

Prompt: We all exist within communities or groups of various sizes, origins, and purposes; pick one and tell us why it is important to you, and how it has shaped you.

My school’s student body is sixty percent Caucasian, twenty percent Asian, and ten percent Hispanic, followed by African Americans and others. Compared to other Bay Area schools, my school is diverse in terms of race. However, it lacks in economic diversity.

Students can afford expensive preparatory programs, and as a result, academics become ultra-competitive. Students are judged solely by their GPA or test scores.

Here, I am an outsider. To me, my school symbolizes the classism in education throughout America. But, still, I have benefited from it; in overcoming this challenge, I’ve learned that passion for education is key to success.

Writing: College Application Essays #5 (Haverford)

Prompt:
Tell us about a topic or issue that sparks your curiosity and gets you intellectually excited. How do you think the environment at Haverford, including the framework of the Honor Code, would foster your continued intellectual growth?

In 1925, the Supreme Court held in Gitlow v. New York that states may not infringe on the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. This case set into motion the doctrine of selective incorporation, in which certain rights in the Bill of Rights have been applied to the states. In the ninety years since, the Court has incorporated almost every right except the Third and Seventh Amendments and parts of the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth.

As a result, the Court has protected and created many rights we see as vital today– for example, our Miranda rights in Miranda v. Arizona and the exclusionary rule in Mapp v. Ohio. Everyday, we can see the Bill of Rights and legal precedent at work in our own lives.

    At my high school, I’ve pursued my interest in Constitutional law through my Competition Civics class. Through it, I’ve spent many hours discussing questions like “Should the government surveil the internet without a warrant?” or “Are free speech zones a violation of the First Amendment?” with those who have the same passion in our history and law.

I think that Haverford will be the perfect place for me to continue these intellectual discussions. With the Honor Code and freedom offered to students, the emphasis is on learning and exploring issues– not grades and rote memorization. Haverford’s environment is tailored to those who love to learn, and there, I hope to meet others who feel the same about the Bill of Rights and education.

Prompt: 
Please tell us what motivated you to apply to Haverford and what excites you most as you imagine your Haverford experience.

For me, high school has been a time of exploration. Freshman year, I was interested in aerospace engineering. Sophomore year, it was environmental science. Junior year, statistics. This year, it’s American history, government, and law. And to be completely honest, I still haven’t made up my mind as to what I should pursue; I’ve loved learning about it all. That’s why I’m applying to Haverford– because I believe that the freedom offered there will foster my intellectual curiosity.   

As I imagine my Haverford experience, I’m most excited about the senior thesis. I love finding connections between subjects and applying what I’ve learned to real life. I want to find answers to questions such as “Can biology be used for transportation theory?” or “Why does the American constitutional system fail in many other countries?” With these opportunities, Haverford will help me grow as both a student and an individual.

Writing: College Application Essays #4 (Cornell)

Prompt: Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected? Please discuss how your interests and related experiences have influenced your choice. Specifically, how will an education from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and Cornell University help you achieve your academic goals?

The future is uncertain. It always has been; however, through a number of chance discoveries and scientific breakthroughs, that uncertain future has appeared bright. New technologies, such as petroleum and electricity, have dramatically increased our standards of living and ensured that we have lights in our homes and food on our plates.  

But, eventually, our luck will run out. Fossil fuels are finite. A quickly growing population threatens limited food supplies. Carbon emissions contribute to global warming, which jeopardizes global biodiversity. In other words, we’re living on borrowed time and our bright future has dimmed.

Fear, they say, is a powerful motivator. In elementary school, I remember scientists coming into our room to talk about global warming and the problems it poses to us in the future. In middle school, I read articles saying that the end is nigh, and that we are in the sixth extinction event. The gravity of the situation never really sunk in until high school, when I began to do my own research.

In Sophomore year, I tried to tackle the question of alternative energies. I turned to biofuels as a potential solution. As part of a project for AP Biology and the science fair, I tested the effects of electricity on algae growth with two other classmates. We believed that by adding a slight electrical current to a bioreactor, we could increase the rate of reaction in cyclic electron transport during photosynthesis. The data was insufficient to make a conclusion, but it made me realize that in order to solve the world’s environmental issues, there needs to be much more work done in order to make progress.

The year after, I decided to tackle another issue– something that directly affects our daily lives, like public transportation and carbon emissions. Rather than take a physical or engineering standpoint on this issue, I used my biology background and the concept of energy homeostasis. Living organisms constantly attempt to balance their energy input and output in the most efficient way– so why can’t we do that with transportation and fuel? As it turns out, we already do. In my tests, I found that physarum polycephalum, a slime mold, recreated the layout of current highways and rail systems almost exactly.

During those six months of testing, while my room was littered with petri dishes and yellow webs of slime mold, I came to another realization. Our solutions to these global issues require collaboration and open-minds. Innovation comes from intersection; in my case, the intersection of biology and civil engineering. As a whole, scientists, whether they specialize in chemistry, physics, biology, geology, or any other science, must cooperate in order to succeed. New perspectives are our key to survival.

In Cornell’s case, these intersections are between food, environmental, social, and life sciences. At the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the focus is not on one of these fields. Rather, the focus is on resilience and effecting change in the world. That is our best bet in changing our future for the better; our education must be broad in order to see the connections that exist between life and society.

The world’s problems are not limited to one discipline. In the end, my academic goal is to ensure that future generations have food, water, and a place to live at the same, if not better, quality than today. Individual and public health, no matter the location, is the utmost goal. From Philippines to the United States, people now and later deserve their most basic needs.

Cornell and its College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is the place where I can achieve that goal. With the experience and education I will receive there, I can enter the world, ready to face that dimming future.

Writing: College Application Essays #3 (Amherst)

(Note: As I stated previously, I'll be posting the supplemental essays in clusters because a lot of them are just very short essays.)

Prompt:

Please respond to one of the following quotations in an essay of not more than 300 words. It is not necessary to research, read, or refer to the texts from which these quotations are taken; we are looking for original, personal responses to these short excerpts. Remember that your essay should be personal in nature and not simply an argumentative essay.

“Creating an environment that allows students to build lasting friendships, including those that cut across seemingly entrenched societal and political boundaries...requires candor about the inevitable tensions, as well as about the wonderful opportunities, that diversity and inclusiveness create."

Carolyn "Biddy" Martin, 19th President of Amherst College, from Letter to Amherst College Alumni and Families, December 28, 2015.

Sitting in my first-period African American Literature class, I drowsily think: it’s only been fifty or so years since the institution of Jim Crow ended, and we’ve already come so far. Because of the work of the Warren Court and civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Mario Savio, Rosa Parks, and many others, it’s now completely acceptable for me to work and study with extremely diverse people.

By the standards of the 1950s, the group I volunteer with must look like a circus troupe. In fact, the entire situation probably looks like a freak show: a short Filipino working with an African American veteran, two undocumented Mexican middle school girls, an Indian couple, and a white college-aged female musician serving sandwiches to half-naked men and women at San Francisco Pride. If George Wallace, the famous segregationist, saw us, he’d probably be sick.

Regardless, I’m glad we’ve gone this far. These opportunities, from a place where I can work with these kinds of people, have allowed me to grow and become more accepting of other cultures. They’ve taught me the basics of food preparation– how to chop and fry plantains, put together a jerk sandwich, and dress a falafel. More importantly, they’ve also shown me that despite skin color, sexuality, background, or any other characteristic that separates us, we’re all similar in our hopes, dreams, and success.

From my own experience, I’ve found that diversity and inclusiveness are extremely important to producing widespread change. When we’re exposed to those different than us, our horizons expand greatly, and new doors open for all. Even so, we must be ready to face the challenges that come with opening those doors, and accept the new worlds hidden behind them.

Prompt:

Please briefly elaborate on an extracurricular activity or work experience of particular significance to you.

“Good afternoon. We are Unit 5. We’d like to thank you for listening to our testimony.” Since October, I’ve said these words countless times as part of my school’s We the People program– a national competition focusing on the American Constitution.

In this program, my unit’s focus is the Bill of Rights and the issues that surround it. In a four minute prepared speech and eight minute question-and-answer session, we have to answer questions such as: “Can police search cellphones without a warrant?” “How have women and minorities benefited from the freedom of assembly?” “Should student speech, on social media, be limited by school officials?”

For me, We the People has defined senior year. Through this program, I’ve learned law, history, philosophy, current events, and more. From working with my team very closely these past few months, I’ve improved significantly at public speaking, argumentation, and cooperation– all skills which will help me succeed in college and the future.

Prompt:

If you have engaged in significant research in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, social sciences or humanities that was undertaken independently of your high school curriculum, please provide a brief description of the research project.

How can biological models be used in transportation design? One organism that addresses this question is physarum polycephalum, a simple slime mold. Due to the concept of energy homeostasis, this organism creates an efficient web which balances energy intake with expenditure. As a result, when food sources are placed in the geographic locations of cities, this organism will form a blueprint, reducing fuel usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and travel time, whilst increasing distance travelled.

Writing: College Application Essays #2 (Common App)

(Note: I realized that a few of my essays are rehashes of previous things I've written, just shortened - like Towards Tomorrow's Dreams, which I posted previously. I will not be posting those here again. Some other essays are different versions of the same concept– my UC essays talk about the same things in the Common App– but I think they're different enough that I can post those twice.)

Prompt: Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

“[The] American system... is founded upon the conception that only through ordered liberty, freedom, and equal opportunity to the individual will his initiative and enterprise spur on the march of progress.” – Herbert Hoover, 1928

Beginning in 1607, immigrants have come to America in search of new wealth, new liberty, or a new life. Through the existence of free land in the West, Americans have formed a deep commitment to the ideals of social mobility and rugged individualism; everyone, and anyone, can succeed through hard work. Such a mindset has created the American Dream: a distinct, unwavering work ethic and optimism not found anywhere else.

However, the problem arises when history has proven that this dream is not attainable for everyone. In the case of many minorities, such as women, African-Americans, and Asian-Americans, the system has worked to continually prevent their success.

For example, the eighty-year battle for female suffrage only succeeded when groups such as the National American Woman Suffrage Association advocated that women are not equal– but only more morally upright than men. Now, campaigns for equal rights are accompanied by calls for the rights to one’s body and equal pay for equal work.   

For African-Americans, while the institution of slavery ended, racism has led to lynchings, Jim Crow laws and, today, issues of police brutality. Especially for the working-class black male, the threat of mass incarceration is real; the school-to-prison pipeline punishes petty criminals and prevents their reintegration back to society.

For Asian-Americans such as myself, while they have settled in America as early as the 16th century, they have been seen as subordinate– a view which only recently has begun to change. As Carlos Bulosan wrote in his memoir, America is in the Heart, “[In the United States, I heard] an angry chorus shouting: ‘Why don’t they ship those monkeys back where they came from?’” Similar patterns continue for all minority groups– Native Americans, Latino Americans, Muslims, and others– through time.

However, despite the fact that time has proven that the American dream only exists for a minority of the majority, it still thrives today. Americans have faith in the institutions that have historically discriminated against them for three centuries. While we have made great strides in such a short period, there is a long way to go before we achieve the goal of the Declaration of Independence: a nation where “all men are created equal... endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

This issue has no perfect solution. For me, I believe that history education is the first step to a progressive society. By looking at the mistakes of the past, we ensure that we do not follow in the same footsteps. The comparisons we can make across time allow us to better understand who we are, and in turn, how we can improve as a collective. We must recognize that while our ancestors were capable of great good, they were also capable of terrible wrongs.

For many Americans today, including my parents– first generation immigrants from rural provinces in the Philippines, history does not stop them. Nor does it stop me. The paradox of the American Dream thrives on the fact that we, as a nation, are idealists; no matter what, we have the choice to take the initiative to change the status quo. We love to root for the underdog, as they stand tall against the immeasurable challenge before them.

“It is but fair to say that America is not a land of one race or one class of men... America is not bound by geographical latitudes. America is not merely a land or an institution... America is a prophecy of a new society of men: of a system that knows no sorrow or strife or suffering.” – Carlos Bulosan, 1946

Writing: College Application Essays #1 (Common App)

For posterity, I'll be posting my college essays one by one– both the successful and unsuccessful ones. If anyone comes across these, feel free to use them for inspiration, but please do not plagiarize them (they're my original work!). The results of my college application season were this:

Accepted - UC Berkeley (Regent's Scholar-$10k, L&S), UCLA (Alumni Scholar-$4k, L&S), UC Davis (Regent's Scholar- $30k, A&ES), UC Santa Barbara (Regent's Scholar-$24k, L&S)
Waitlisted - Amherst, Haverford
Rejected - Brown, Swarthmore, Cornell
Majors varied between each school, but included American Studies, Environmental Science, Biotechnology, etc.

So, I'll be starting off with the unsuccessful ones first– the Common App essays. I have three for the main prompts, plus the supplemental essays for each college (for those, I'll post them in clusters; e.g. all the Amherst prompts together, Brown in another post, etc.).

Prompt: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Somewhere, on a side street of San Francisco’s Chinatown, is a small store that holds the history of the world. Inside, the walls are lined with jars filled with the sweat and toil of farmers from far-off lands. This is a place where a variety of cultures– Chinese, British, Kenyan, and Nepalese, to name a few– intersect and find common ground in one thing: the leaves of Camellia sinensis, or tea.

In this store, I find myself scanning the information cards neatly glued to the front of the jars– here, a 1998 sheng pu’erh from Yunnan, and there, a 2016 green, balled oolong from Sri Lanka. They each tell a different story. One is reputed to be picked off an ancient tea bush from Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of compassion. Another was produced on a tea estate in Assam, a remnant from the British East India Tea Company’s trade monopoly.

On the other hand, my own story with tea has no meetings with gods and is not shaped by European imperialism. Really, it’s rather plain; it all started because I hate drinking coffee, pure and simple. But as a connoisseur of caffeine, I’ve gone on a quest to find the tea that fits me.

That quest has taken me from the Azores Islands of Portugal to Tanegashima in Japan. My notes now cover over 150 different teas– blacks, greens, herbals, oolongs, and more– and my room is littered with teaware from around the world. On my dresser sits a Japanese kyusu, Chinese gaiwan, and English teapot, with cups in every location. I’ve learned how to brew authentic Indian chai, perform the Chinese gongfu tea ceremony, and act during a Japanese tea ceremony or chanoyu.

But since I started that search four or five years ago, I’ve never actually found that fabled “perfect” tea. Some teas have been close, like the Jin Xuan oolong or Kamairi Shincha green, but never fully there. However, in every tea I’ve tried, there has always been something that I enjoyed– whether it be the smell, flavor, mouthfeel, aftertaste, or general sensation it gives.

Nevertheless, I won’t give up. Someday, I will find the ideal tea, but until then, I’m going to continue exploring the world. I’ve loved everything I found already– the culture, the history, the science, all behind tea– and I know I will continue to find new things in tea to enjoy. With a drink that has roots in humanity’s ancient history, there’s just so much to learn, taste, and explore. I’m sure it’ll take more than a lifetime to fully understand tea, but in the end, it will be worth it.