Somestudentshaveabackground,identity,interest,ortalentthatissomeaningfultheybelievetheirapplicationwouldbeincompletewithoutit.Ifthissoundslikeyou,thenpleaseshareyourstory.
Managingtobreakfreefrommymother’sgrasp,Icharged.Witharmsflailingandchubbylegsflutteringbeneathme,IwastheferocioustwoyearoldrampagingthroughCostcoonaSaturdaymorning.Mymother’seyeswidenedinhorrorasIjettisonedmychurro;thecinnamon?sugarrocketgracefullysliceditswaythroughtheairwhileIcontinuedmyspree.Isprintedthroughtheaisles,lookingupinaweatthemassivebulkproductsthattoweredoverme.Overcomewithwonder,Iwantedtotouchandtaste,tostickmyheadintoindustrial?sizedfreezers,toexploreeverycrevice.Iwasaconquistador,butratherthansearchingthelandforElDorado,Iscouredaislesforfreesamples.Beforeinevitablybeingwhiskedawayintoashoppingcart,Iscaledamountainofplushtoysandsurveyedtheexpansethatlaybeforeme:thekingdomofCostco.Notoriousforitsoversizedportionsanddollar?fiftyhotdogcombo,Costcoistheapexofconsumerism.FromthedaysspentbeingtotedaroundinashoppingcarttowhenIwasfinallytallenoughtoreachloftysampletrays,Costcohasenduredasteadypresencethroughoutmylife.AsaveteranCostcoshopper,Inavigatetheaislesoffoodstuffs,thrustingthemajorityofmyweightuponagenerouslyfilledshoppingcartwhoseenormityjuxtaposesmysmallframe.Overtime,I’vedevelopedahabitofobservingfellowpatronstotetheircartspiledwithfrozenburritos,cheesepuffs,tubsoficecream,andweight?losssupplements.Perusingtheaislesgavemetimetoponder.Whoneedsthreepoundsofsourcream?Wasculturedyogurtanymorewell?manneredthanitsunculturedcounterpart?Costcogavebirthtomyunfetteredcuriosity.
Whileenjoyinganobligatoryhotdog,Ididnotfindmyselfthinkingaboutthe‘allbeef’goodnessthatCostcoboasted.Iinsteadconsideredfinitudesandinfinitudes,unimaginedusesfortubsofsourcream,theprojectilemotionofsaidtubwhenlaunchedfromaneightyfootshelformaybewhenpushedfromaspeedycartbyascrawnyseventeenyearold.Icontemplatedthephilosophical:Ifthereexistsathirty?threeouncejarofNutella,dowereallyhavefreewill?Iexperiencedaharshphysicslessonwhileobservingashopperwhohadnoevidentfamiliarityofinertia'sworkings.Withacartfilledtooverflowing,shemadeherwaytowardstheslopedexit,continuingtopushandpushwhilesteadilylosingcontroluntilthecartescapedherandwentcrashingintoaconcretecolumn,52”plasmascreenTVandall.PurchasingtheyuletidehickorysmokedhaminevitablyledtoaconversationbetweenmyfatherandmeaboutAndrewJackson’scontroversiality.TherewasnoquestioningOldHickory’sdedication;hewassteadfastinhisbeliefsandpursuits–ualitiesIamcompelledtoadmire,yethismoralswerecrooked.Webothfoundthehamtobemorelikeable–andtender.
Iadoptedmyexploratoryskills,finetunedbyCostco,towardsmyintellectualendeavors.JustasIsampledbuffalo?chickendiporchocolatetruffles,Iprobedtherealmsofhistory,danceandbiology,allinpursuitoftheidealcart–oneoverflowingwiththeoreticalsituationsandnotionsbothsillyandserious.Isampledcalculus,cross?countryrunning,scientificresearch,allofwhicharenowhouseholdfavorites.Withcartinhand,Idowhatscaresme;Iabsorbthewarehousethatistheworld.Whetheritbethroughattemptingaerialyoga,learninghowtochartblackbodyradiationusingastronomicalsoftware,ordancinginfrontofhundredsofpeople,Iamcompelledtotryanyactivitythatinterestsmeintheslightest.
Myintensedesiretoknow,toexplorebeyondtheboundsofrationalthought;thisiswhatdefinesme.Costcofuelsmyinsatiabilityandcultivatescuriositywithinmeatacellularlevel.Encodedtoimmersemyselfintheunknown,Ifinditdifficulttocomplacentlyacceptthe“what”;Iwanttohuntforthe“whys”anddissectthe“hows”.Inessence,Isubsistondiscovery.