<p>need some feedback on this</p>
<p>UC prompt 1
I have always found value in pondering why people are who they are. Looking both internally and externally, I have sparked an interest in developmental psychology.
For kindergarten through fifth grade I attended Walden, an extremely unconventional school in both academic approach and culture. In academics, we had no grades, tests or anything that might create an academic achievement hierarchy. Instead we enjoyed a ninety-minute recess, camping trips and hours of silent reading. Left to play for hours each day with few structured activities, me and my friends would often play a game that we named simply, the talking game. With boundless imaginations we would create universes in which each kid played an independent character. The players determining the elaborate narrative, games would last anywhere from a day to several months. Although never memorizing the times tables, I had slane several dragons, a feat that I boasted to anyone who would listen. As I have been described before, Walden would sculpt me into a dreamer, always reflecting on what could and should be.</p>
<p>During highschool I would often reflect with spite and self-pity on Walden. Why they had done so little to prepare me mentally and in curriculum seemed tragically unfair. In retrospect I understand that Walden has not damaged me, but contributed to who I am. In what I find intellectually stimulating and exciting I have always engaged with my fullest intensity. Competitive by nature, I have always committed in full to my passions, my participation in Ultimate Frisbee being a prime example.
In academics, the loud bells and hard and fast rules of high school puzzled me.
In the numerical hamster wheel of grades I have for the most part felt uninspired and lethargic. Lacking interests in most standard subjects I would find myself unable to push myself solely for fear of an undesirable grade. The truth behind this mystery is that I did and still do not view myself as a Gpa or SAT score, but as an individual that cannot be ranked or categorized.
Outside of my personal life, my interest in developmental psychology grew into a more tangible passion due to living on the edge of Berkeley and Oakland, a direct split between wealthy and poor. What causes the achievement gap between friends living within walking distance but worlds apart has been a problem that I have long struggled to cope with. Witnessing friends be arrested for gang violence and others apply to some of the most prestigious schools in the country has provided me with a deep personal interest in asking why. Perhaps the greatest gift of Walden is a need to ask questions, and an understanding of why they need to be asked. With a passionate interest in what separates us I hope that I can aid the global community in bringing people closer together.</p>