<p>Hello! I've been applying to UWC through the National Committee of my country. As is of tradition with all of the UWC scholarship applications, all of the prospective applicants had to write an essay. I had a bit of a problem with the essay we had to write in English, and even though I have edited it a little bit, I am still struggling with making the content stand out. Would any of you mind looking at my essay and tell me if I actually stand a chance with an essay like that?</p>
<p>The topic was: What impressed you the most about your top choice UWC school?</p>
<p>What most surprises me about a considerably high amount of students in Slovakia is the lack of recognition and respect they have of the different packages humans come in, and the diverse content they are filled with. </p>
<p>Some children who look the same as I do have a hard time embracing the myriad of traits some of their peers have - their distinct dispositions and complexions, the complexities of their ethnic and national backgrounds, and their unusual sexual orientations. If one does not conform to the majority in all of the aforementioned categories, he is oft discredited, laughed at, criticised and bullied. In other words, if one is not a white heterosexual born in a first-world country, others can feel free to make derogatory remarks upon his persona almost remorselessly. </p>
<p>Public schools with an uncannily similar approach towards differences are abundant in Slovakia, and their teachers do close to nothing to change their attitudes. Schools providing a safe environment for their pupils are scarce and more often than not expensive (as heck). And sometimes even the seemingly secure and luxurious demeanour of these schools may gravely deceive. </p>
<p>One homosexual Roma friend of mine was transferred to a private gymnasium in Bratislava. The public school he had previously attended had not been kind to him. With high hopes of finding a compassionate and understanding community, where he could finally - with no difficulties and qualms - be himself, he started his school year. Nothing, however, went as smoothly as he’d planned it to be. The first day of school, a couple of children sniggered ruthlessly as he passed by, muttering racist comments about his descent and skin colour. He kept his cool and a calm expression; such behaviour could not blow him up, he was used to worse, after all. The worst was but yet to come, though. His classmates started to gradually notice that his sexual orientation was not semblable to their own, and thus they deemed it as a threat, for whatever reason. They started attacking him with their cruel words, telling him to jump off the nearest bridge or hang himself in a dark closet. And he almost did.</p>
<p>In the UWC USA, none of this would happen, or so I firmly believe. The set of their nine values is what struck me hard - positively. Ever since I skimmed through them, they’ve been spiralling in my mind, forcing me to make comparisons with my own school and the private gymnasium of my Roma friend. To attend an educational programme like Pearson College, where differences are valued and celebrated above all, where the staff and counsellors respect their students’ opinions and support their personal growth at every level, while challenging their perspectives and views, and push them to take initiative and action on account of their beliefs, would be a step towards a greater change for me and the environment in which I live at the very moment. I wish to take responsibility for the Slovak school’s bullying policies, and UWC USA is the place where preparation for such responsibility would be granted to me, through working on projects where handling problems such as this one is the key part. </p>
<p>There is but a few things you can do with what this school gives you, though, if you do not wish to contribute and better the lives of many. To me, UWC USA is a symbol of engagement and integration into the worlds of other people who may or may not be a part of the campus. A rainbow of populations in the district of New Mexico where UWC USA is situated is helped everyday by the students of the school, and each student has the ability to help a different group of people. They help eliminate the mutual suspicion of social groups by showing their large degree of passion for service and compassion for others, which I find awe-inspiring.</p>
<p>I believe people need to lean towards acceptance of the differences and diversities of every human being, and should learn that change cannot be brought about without showing solidarity and tolerance of others, while offering them what maybe they weren’t lucky enough to come by during their own education.
UWC USA is all about unity in diversity, and in union of many, there is strength. The school recognizes this as one of their values of utmost importance, as well as I do. And this semblance of views sparked my interest in particular.</p>