College Essay

During the humid blazing summer days I would sit under the air conditioning to stay alive. The heat was unbearable, the overexposure of the ultra violet rays caused intense burning of the skin. I would read monologues and audition techniques during my spare time to keep me cheerful and elated. About everyday approximately at 1pm I heard a basket ball being thrown against the backboard of a basketball hoop. Several teenagers next door to my house were hollering and creating pandemonium which was somewhat discomforting and also soothing at the same time. My freshman year of high school I was no longer invited to the basketball court because I was seen differently. During this time their skill level increased. I was labeled different because I didn't know how to dribble a ball between my legs or make a layup. I preferred spending my summer days reading my lines. Was it my love and dedication for acting that my peers could not accept?

As time went on having a conversation that was not of interest to all of us was difficult. During my sophomore year I didn't watch the most recent basketball games that LeBron James or Kobe Bryant played in. My friends were so passionate about this topic at our high school lunchroom that sometimes conversations escalated into screaming matches, causing irrelevant attention to be obtained. Although we were all equally distant from each other, I felt like I was not even in the conversation due to my lack of knowledge of sports. Whenever entering the conversation, I was cautious of the ideas that I brought up in order to avoid questions in which I did not know the answer to.

Growing up in an urban neighborhood, my peers did not except roles I had in the lion king and law and order. Some even correlated my acting with homosexuality. These were ignorant stereotypes that I didn't let affect my passions. Acting was a breath of fresh air for me. It was something that I enjoyed, it helped me become more expressive and open minded. Being in a theater environment I was no longer labeled different, I was not labeled. I was defined not by what I love to do but for who I am. Acting has enabled me to understand the meaning of life; it brought new and encouraging opportunities into my grasp and helped me feel comfortable with myself.

Diversity brings different views and cultures together in harmony. My peers will be from all different walks of life and backgrounds. Life only gets better in college; you are able to exist in your own skin and not afraid of being too eccentric or enthusiastic. Diversity is something that I have embraced and will continue to embrace because it shows that being different is not correlated with being weird; it means that you are comfortable being in your own skin.