[Student Profile]
[Prompt & Essay]
Common App Essay (Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story. 650 words.):
In ninth grade, there was a second [name]. When I saw her for the first time, she was wearing a customized Minnie Mouse t-shirt that said her name, our name, on it. I was elated to see merchandise with my Indian name that was neither rare enough to be unique nor common enough to be printed on souvenirs. In an attempt to differentiate the two of us, boys began calling me “Dark [name].” I was shocked that even fellow minorities, who were supposedly more empathetic towards my struggles, would refer to me so condescendingly. The color of my skin became my identity, the first thing people thought of when they saw me. I felt naïve for believing that, after years of taunts and backhanded comments in elementary and middle school, the discriminatory and hurtful words would end in high school.
The “Dark [name]” nickname affirmed my belief that my darker skin meant I was inferior. I started hiding behind the camera during parties and school events, so ashamed of my skin that I didn’t want to ruin other people’s pictures. However, what started off as a hobby and a way for me to hide quickly became a passion and a source of strength. I saw the world in angles and curves and colors, noticing the hidden beauty in everything, from a fallen leaf to a crack in the cement. This quickly translated to the beauty in faces, and I fell in love with portrait photography. Being able to highlight the beauty of others made me incredibly happy, but I was disappointed by requests from friends to Photoshop certain aspects of their appearance, from acne scars to birthmarks to even their body shapes. Starry-eyed and perceptive, I quickly realized that these “flaws” were what made each person uniquely beautiful.
When junior prom rolled around, I began to notice that even the most well-meaning photographers would almost unconsciously edit their photos to make the subjects’ skin tone lighter. Girls with darker skin ended up looking seven shades lighter, and oddly enough they seemed to appreciate this change in skin color. I soon realized that this was my chance to put my talent to good use and give everyone a way to shine as their natural selves. For the first time, I started to reflect on why I didn’t like my skin. Was it purely because others didn’t? Scrolling through Pinterest, I quickly amassed a board full of work by my favorite photographers and magazine covers, and soon noticed the abundance of stunning models who had skin just like mine. Dark skin was beautiful and rich, adding a layer of dimension and vividness to any image. Slowly but surely, I began to see the beauty in my own skin, so contrary to what I had been told for years.
It took me almost 12 years to feel comfortable in my dark skin, and I appreciate it more each and every day. While the process may have been slow, I can’t even begin to describe how much more at ease I’ve felt since. My hope is that, by capturing why each person is uniquely beautiful, clients can start to embrace their own beauty and fall in love with their authentic selves, guiding them towards the self-appreciation they deserve. This same wish translates to my academic goals -- I strive to bring us closer to equality through my passions for philosophy and the law.
I want to create a world where skin color and predefined notions of beauty are irrelevant, and where talents, dreams, and character are what matters.