First, should we capitalize the words in the title of the speech?"Princeton in the
Nation's Service" was title of a speech given by Woodrow Wilson on the 150th anniversary of the University.
I wonder if they capitalize it when writing it as their motto, like this:
It became the unofficial Princeton motto and was expanded for the University's 250th anniversary to "Princeton in the Nation's Service and in the Service of all Nations" (476)
Since my first science lesson, I have determined to be
involved in this world of imagination. At Dubai National School, I was one of the best students in the subject. I guess my fascination
with science can be explained by the fact
that, ever since I was little, I have loved to see the phenomenons through my eyes and found out why they happen. My
curiosity is the engine that
led me to the next stage of my wisdom, and without them, I wouldn't
be who I am today.
My
fondness for the subject gradually and unconsciously increased as I stepped into the world of science and technology. While in Dubai National School, I participated in many projects and labs, and sometimes, even designed my own experiments. At first, I thought it would be fun to do all these things by myself, but only after I joined home school, I realize it wasn't just infatuation. Learning all the enchanting
lessons by myself, in some way, attracted me deeper into exploration and everyday, I couldn't keep myself away from opening the pages. I became addicted in the
subject, because everything about it makes me wonder into wild imagination.
Home
schooling planted the seed of my interest,
which was nourished when I came to US, where I learned a valuable lesson helping others. It was a few days before Thanksgiving, and the street
was already filled with joy. As I walk back to the rented apartment, I saw the flyer for the Feast of Sharing. It's a charitable event that offers meals as well as activities for citizens before a big festival like Thanksgiving.
Volunteers were being recruited for the event, and since I
had never had any volunteer experience,
I thought,
why not give it a try.
Most workers there were
volunteers, and they wish for the betterment of the society. As soon as I was assigned with a chore, I quickly
put on the apron and entered the line of work, where I met the Elders from church. They
had come to preach the religion and help the society. "It's a honor to give a hand to your brothers and sisters when they need assistance."
They said to me, "You will be blessed with what you did." That moment, it seems to me, that I am about to ingress a new phase of life.
It was a sunny day as the residents in the area flew in to Walter E. Washington convention center. Starting from morning, there were people waiting at the door for this annual feast. Some of them wanted to spend time with their loved ones, some of them wanted a warm environment for reunion, and some homeless
people were simply looking for a warm meal during holiday
season. These people had different colors of skin and came from different backgrounds, but they had one thing in common. They were all grateful
for the event, which provided them not only with food, but
also warmth from the society as well.
Seeing so many delightful faces at the event changed my view of volunteering. Before I joined
as a volunteer, I thought help would not be much appreciated. When I was in the UAE, I never did any volunteer works because there
were no such opportunities. There, volunteering
as a nonprofessional seemed somehow similar to interfering with others' businesses.
However, now I can understand why people in the America
like to do charity work. They think that no matter how what you have done for the society, you are part of the things that makes it a better place. It's clear to me now -- the words of the
Elders, the
thanks from the homeless, the blessing from the chef, and the happy faces from the event.
It was incredible
-- both the people and the feeling. Looking back now, all I did in the last 15 years was looking for others' help and receive people's love. I didn't stop to give my candy to the orphan on the road, I didn't spare my allowance for the food of the homeless, and I didn't
think of contributing for the community's need. I didn't do it because I
didn't think they needed my
help; rather, I went on with my life without knowing that the society is made of every one linking to each others. This experience really
helped me to understand the true meaning of life. We are all one, and
the interconnectedness that we can feel enables us to live in bliss. We are nothing but a group of lonely creatures that
need love and warmth to survive. If everyone
ignores their responsibility in this society, what is left of us?
Understanding the importance of interactions in the world we live in, I started to volunteer and contribute as much as I can. I participated in the EssayForum, an online website that helps writing, and
I became a contributor for the website to help others with their
writing. I volunteered for the Art of the Arab World at John F. Kennedy Center, using my trilinguial skill and experience to help people view what life is
like at the other side of the world.
I can't say that my help is going to change people's lives or alter the world, but I can say that I certainly hope my contribution
will make their lives better, little by little. I like the way that I can contribute something to the community. And I like
the fact that volunteering helped me
understand my goal for the
future: I want to do something useful
for the people that I live with and hope that my knowledge and power can bring more smiling faces. This is my ultimate goal in applying to Princeton, because it's the place where I can be shaped into the person I want to be.
Wow, this is a very deep essay. I see that you work very hard to write well in English. You can speak three different languages?! I am glad we have you as a contributor now, at EssayForum. Good luck in school!Kevin, EssayForum.com
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