Ok- so these are my application essays for Alternative Spring Break. They’re still in the rough draft phase but this is my basic template. Alternative Spring Break is a program at Vandy where students spend their Spring Break helping impoverished people in North and South America instead of partying in Panama City or Cancun. Its an awesome opportunity… and I think it’ll be fun.
I get to choose my top three site locations out of 36 total sites…and then rank the remaining. I customized the essays to my personal goals. Yea they’re cheesy… but its competitive… and they read thousands of applications. I figure I should make my reasons for going short and relevant.
1. What are your top three site choices and why did you select them? Please be specific.
My top three preferred choices are: Lovin’ Spoonful – Utuado, Puerto Rico, A Whole New World — Xela, Guatemala, Island in the Sun — Andros Island, Bahamas.
I specifically chose these locations because they directly relate to a personal overseas project I am in the process of developing. My goal is to establish a sustainable community development center in areas of Bangladesh where education, good health, and basic resources are scarce. The purpose of this center is to provide a means to empower members in these communities through education and aid. With a population of 150 million living in an area the size of Iowa, the Bengali are living well below the poverty line with little hope to improve their condition. This project is aimed at empowering them through a means to acquire services and knowledge that will help the people and community grow stronger. I plan to continually develop this project throughout college until graduation when I will move to Bangladesh to establish the center.
How does that relate to these locations? Each of these locations considers a crucial aspect of community development. In Puerto Rico, the focus is on utilizing the available resources, in this case coffee agriculture, in order to create sustainable living and wealth within the community. In Guatemala, the focus is on the providing vital healthcare that aids to improve impoverished lives and contributing to a communities overall well being. When establishing the center, the medical care and health education aspect may be the most significant aspect to helping these communities. Finally, the Bahamas focuses on education, one of the most empowering aspects that my proposed community will emphasize. In the Bahamas I will have a unique opportunity to learn how to implement an effective library system where community members can visit for additional child and adult education. Learning how to implement a library system is exactly the kind of useful experience I will need in order to help shape the education aspect of my proposed center.
2. What aspect(s) about Alternative Spring Break most interest you?
In addition to all these listed reasons, one of the most motivating reasons for choosing these locations over similar locations in the US is that, while I have traveled and moved extensively throughout the US, I have never traveled overseas. I think having these experiences will help shape and mold my vision as well as anchor my appreciation for impoverished cultures I’ve only had the experience to read about.
Most of all, however, is the opportunity to give something myself in someway to someone in need. At the end of the day, I don’t mind where I end up as long as I’m working alongside similar peers who share a passion for giving a piece of themselves to those in need. I think the relationships I make with these service oriented people will make the experience all the more worthwhile.
3. Describe a person, event, or experience that has helped shape your perspective on a certain issue.
After high school I took two gap years to gain some perspective on life. I felt as though I was hurried along throughout school and never had an opportunity to truly define myself and my goals. During these two years my parents made sure I was gaining some real life experience. They stripped me of most of the support I depended on throughout my childhood and forced me to support myself. During these two years I paid my own rent and phone bills, bought my own car, and maintained multiple jobs. To a certain extent, I was a fully functional adult within the society. During this period I had the opportunity to work with a variety of people of different ages and at different stages in their life. Meeting these people gave me a unique perspective on how I should approach opportunities that I usually took for granted. Although I thought these two years would offer me much needed freedom, I realized just how bound I was and that if I was ever going to have the freedom I desired, taking advantage of opportunities early in life, specifically with my education, would be key.
These years not only allowed me to put away childish behaviors and fantasies, but gave me a profound appreciation for just how much I have been given. Academics are no longer a fruitless and directionless endeavor; they are a job I take seriously that will allow me to actualize myself and my goals.
Please share with us any additional comments that you feel might be helpful in the process of selecting and placing you as an ASB participant.
Eventually I will pursue a degree in Law with an emphasis on ethics and human rights.
William Dare 