Prompt (Georgetown Long Essay #2)
A liberal arts education from the College of Arts & Sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. Describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking. (Applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.)
Essay
Up until seventh grade, I had not been very focused on events outside of my own town. This changed when I took a Current Events class and realized I was very passionate about worldwide issues. My first assignment was to do a presentation on a world event and I chose to do it on the political and social crisis in Venezuela which at the time I knew very little about. As I learned more about the issue, I also learned about the history of corruption in South America. This issue was very close to my heart because of my own background: my parents brought my family from Ecuador which is a country rife with political corruption and social discontent. During the exact time I was taking this class, there was dramatic political turmoil in Ecuador that was directly affecting my extended family there. Having seen how political and social problems can impact a country growing up gives me a passion to become more educated on these issues and to work to make a change. When giving this presentation on Venezuela, I felt something that I had never felt before in any of my classes, and I knew that I wanted to pursue a future in politics and policy change.
Since then I have been very intrigued by current events and politics but last year when I took AP Government and Politics, I grew increasingly interested in the subject. I really enjoyed the class and I loved learning more about our system of government. As time went on and as I became more educated, my fascination only grew. That year I joined a club called Ridge Exploration for Political Participation which I am now the president of. This allowed me to get directly involved with our local government bodies such as the Board of Education and the Township Committee, while also getting the opportunity to learn more along with my club peers about politics and current events, which perfectly captured my interests.
Additionally, my club does a lot of work with an organization called the League of Women Voters. After meeting the members of that group, I decided to get even more involved and I started going to their meetings where they then eventually offered me a position as an intern. The organization has shown much approval for the club’s success in surpassing prior achievements and expectations. This is due to all of the effort I and my fellow officers have put into the club in order to help it reach its potential.
I’ve also started going to Washington DC every year to participate in a political discussion led by an organization called Principles First. There, we get to listen to leaders in the fields of policy, national security, and others, talk about current issues and interact with the audience. I got to see amazing people in person such as former Congressman Adam Kinzinger, Governor Wes Moore, and former Trump White House staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin. Getting to hear such unique experiences like how Mr. Kinzinger and Ms. Farah Griffin’s handled the challenges in and around the January 6, 2021 insurrection from a position of principles was incredibly inspiring.
All of these activities I’ve done stemmed from my initial fascination with the subject of government and politics that began simply through my classes over the years but grew into something much larger than just a casual interest. At Georgetown, I hope to find community within this passion that I know I share with many. Georgetown has a superior academic level and offers opportunities for research which would be an honor to be a part of. The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs was a program that especially stuck out to me and I feel as though I could really add to and benefit from programs such as that one that Georgetown has to offer.
Tips for Writing
- Go to the website of the school you’re writing about and find out what repetitive core values they emphasize and make sure to include those same values in your response.
- Find specific programs, classes, or professors to mention so the school knows why you’re specifically interested in them.
- Make sure not to be repetitive with your supplemental responses—you want to share as many things about you as possible.