Vanderbilt University

The chirps of crickets in lush grass, the gurgling of a clear book on a warm summer day, and the eerie whistling of a north wind in the winter all impart to me a different understanding. Nature and the environment have been treasured subjects for...

University of Virginia

The way my family tells stories of the sugar mill in Cuba, one would swear it was paradise. Dolores was the pride of my family going back generations, and even though they fled the little piece of heaven 56 years ago, the oldest of my living...

University of Virginia

As a staunch believer in the absolute nature of human rights and justice, I never expected the struggle of a distraught, middle-aged Chilean woman to challenge me quite in the way that it did. From the moment I was first introduced to Ariel...

Syracuse University

David Ogilvy had a diverse career span. After his experience with Aga Cookers, he came to America and joined in the efforts of many Madison Avenue firms, before signing up for the MI6 during WWII. He would eventually become known as the “Father of...

University of Texas - Dallas

When I was about eight years old, I stole for the very first and the very last time. It was a small drawing of the scrumptious Gingerbread House that Hansel and Gretel, the two lost kids, had been trapped inside by the evil cannibal witch. My ten...

Stanford University

The smell of clear hair gel, shoe polish, and satisfaction trails down the hall quickly on the heels of the prosecutor as he exits the room. He is followed a moment later by the scent of off-brand detergent, weak coffee, and defeat shuffling...

Dartmouth College

I’m not a piece of chocolate encased in a colorful shell, nor do I enjoy popping those suckers in my mouth, as I am more of a caramel guy. However, M&M stuck to me like Elmer’s extra strength glue and became a nickname that defined my presence...

Rice University

The smell of saltwater drifted on the breeze. I walked down the dimly illuminated path, palm trees to my side and stars above my head, searching for my destination. Clad in a suit and tie, I readied myself for the extravagant night ahead of me. I...

Stanford University

Brrring! In a flash my hand grabs the phone from its receiver: “Assemblyman Ortiz’s office, how can I help you?” I say, clasping the phone against my shoulder, so both hands can aid me as I struggle to open a drawer that has now become an adamant...

University of Virginia

Floccinaucinihilipilification [flok-suh-naw-suh-nahy-hil-uh-pil-uh-fi-key-shuh n] (noun) - The action or habit of estimating something as worthless.

As long as written languages have existed, curious words have been nestled in the pages of...

Carnegie Mellon University

With my parents beside me, I stepped through the door and onto the flight deck of the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier. Immediately, I was surrounded. Military aircraft from all through history glistened in the sunshine, just waiting for me. Each...

University of Pennsylvania

From the time of dispatch, an EMT has approximately 120 seconds to get to the patient before life expectancy begins to drop. A fire engine has the luxury of 600 seconds before the number of alarms doubles and triples. These estimates do not...

American University

Darkness permeates the early hours of a weekday morning as sleep wraps a blanket around New York City. The beaming moonlight penetrates the nighttime sky but steadily loses its strength as the first flickers of light appear. The color of the sky...

North Carolina State University

If you were asked to name five famous living female scientists or engineers off the top of your head, could you do it? The majority of people would probably not be able to name more than one, if that.

There are thirty-five members on my FIRST...

Southern Methodist University

My interest in film began with my first movie—or my first love: Monsters Inc. Engrossed in the magic of animated movies, I became an elementary school animation aficionado. As I was immersed in Disney 24/7, in films that taught me that stories are...

Georgetown University

As a child, I was obsessed with 80’s movies. I admired Ferris Bueller’s infectious charisma and fearless confidence. I dreamed of having my own Jake Ryan waiting outside the church, grinning an impish smile while standing by his cool red Porsche....

Grinnell College

The sunlight collapses lazily against the windows of our tall, stately house today, yet the gracefully arching pathways and crisp white paint job hold steadfast against the lackluster attack. To some it may be a palace, while others see only a...

University of Florida

The University of Florida's butterfly and moth exhibit houses more than 10 million variations of 10 million species! When I read that fact I couldn’t believe it. Each critter displayed in those glass cases is completely unique; now multiply that...

Georgetown University

The age-old question. Where is Waldo?

As a young child, I too struggled to find the ever infamous character with the bold yet ridiculously camouflaged striped shirt and mocking grin. I would pore over a page of my Where’s Waldo book for hours of...

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

It is Friday night and I am wondering how Frida Kahlo was associated with Leon Trotsky. Naturally this leads me to Lenin, who led the October Revolution, which brings me to the Russian Empire, which is very overwhelming and full of details about...

Brown University

For four dollars, anyone can buy a bag of heroin in a town five minutes from my school. Prescription cousins of heroin, like Oxycontin and Vicodin, have been over-prescribed for decades. But as the war on drugs has progressed, a crackdown on...

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Daniel's viola rings across the stage, and I tap my foot lightly to the beautiful melody. I feel myself exhale when he completes his solo, and in one motion, I lift my violin and join him with the rest of the orchestra.

The passion for music and...

Johns Hopkins University

The snow crunched underneath my feet as I walked, and I wondered how it must have felt to step on the moon. I had decided to make the most of the cloudy day by exploring and taking pictures at a local state park. Was the view from the moon...

Brown University

Grind the spices in the molcajete. Taste the gritty texture on your tongue.

"No, mija," my grandmother says as she shows me how to mash the cumin, garlic, onions, and tomatillo. She is in Michigan for the summer, and I think she is homesick. After...