Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
10:00 AM – Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
12:30 PM – Lunch at Blacktap
2:00 PM – Wicked on Broadway
6:00 PM – Rockefeller Center and Lego Store
As the informally designated family vacation planner, I made sure to accommodate each of my family member’s interests along with my personal desire to constantly make the most of each opportunity, which meant that our schedule was always filled to the brim.
After a long day of dragging my family through the streets of New York City on a hot day in June, I was eyeing the cheesecake in a bakery window when my mom asked, “So, honey, what was your favorite piece at the MoMA?”
I thought back to the quick two hours we’d spent at the MoMA, the place I’d been begging to go for years, but I realized I couldn’t distinctly remember anything about the museum. It was a feeling of unfounded emptiness that I’d felt all too many times before- the same one that seemed to pervade my entire junior year of high school.
I’d become set on continuing every activity I’d joined over the years while self-studying for extra AP exams and taking on extra tutoring jobs on the side. Time fled and my commitments grew, and I found myself missing my brother’s swim meets and friends’ birthday parties just to keep up.
As my final summer of high school grew dauntingly close, I found myself sitting in my room one day, gazing at the growing collection of awards I’d accumulated over the years. There was one in particular that stood out: the trophy for winning second runner-up at the 2018 National American Miss pageant.
I’d signed up for the competition out of determination to disprove the stereotype of pageant queens being trademarked for their blonde hair and fair skin. But, looking back- despite tireless months of orientations, interviews, and speeches to prepare- the initial excitement of winning had died down, and the only thing I could truly remember was the diverse and amazing girls I’d met. It’s the friends I made and the stories they shared that make me smile, not the crown.
From that moment on, I knew that making my last year of high school truly memorable meant not only pursuing end results but also appreciating the paths to get there and the people that made them possible. Over the summer, I stayed after work to grab coffee with colleagues from my internship and took my family with me on my trip to the national championship of my debate tournament.
And as the school year approached, instead of spending evenings hidden in my room, trying to get ahead on an article I’d been writing, I laugh and chat along with the rest of my family after dinner. Following a particularly difficult physics exam, I head to a local bubble tea shop to play Uno with some friends to relax (although that can be more intense than the exam itself). Just these seemingly small changes have made school both less stressful and more rewarding.
Half a year later, I headed back to the MoMA. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting at Café 2- sipping a latte and overlooking the sculpture garden. After an entire day allotted to studying and learning about a couple of the exhibitions in the museum, I can undoubtedly say that my favorite piece I saw was Frida Kahlo’s “Fulang-Chang and I”: a reflection of Kahlo’s strength through a difficult time, grounding herself in her artwork and relationships.
Through my time in college and beyond, there’s no doubt that I’ll keep myself busy- going from an Economics seminar to volunteering at the library, and then from dance practices to working on my own startup. But I’ll make sure to enjoy each moment; rather than trying to fit 30 hours into a day, I’ll fully appreciate the 24 hours I have.
Published in Successful College Essays, Successful UPenn Essays, UPenn Common Application Essays
