Significant Experience, Application Essay Example

Sometimes we are so focused on differences among us that we fail to realize our similarities. The world becomes a better place when we learn to respect our differences and accept people for who they are. This is one of the most significant lessons I have learnt in my life and all it took to learn this lesson was a single thoughtful act towards a classmate.

When I was in middle school, a new studentnamed Jenny who had a mild form of autism joined our school. Jenny lacked social skills and didn’t fit in with most other students. In addition, she would often be blunt in her remarks. It was not that Jenny’s remarks would always be inaccurate but they would often be inappropriate according to the circumstances. For example, if she didn’t enjoy the class, she would blurt out that the class is boring.

Our school had a tradition that we would decorate the locker of a friend whose birthday may be approaching. One day in the month of March, I found out from a friend that Jenny’s birthday was on 22^nd March. I persuaded my friends to help me decorate Jenny’s locker and give her birthday balloons. When Jenny came to her locker on the birthday morning, she looked utterly surprised to find us with a decorated locker and balloons. One could almost see the tears in her eyes and it occurred to me that very moment that we all desire kindness from others despite our shortcomings and differences. Jenny that day was completely different from her usual self but that may be because no one tried to understand her before and when someone did, it made a huge impact on her.

When our teachers found out about the locker decoration and balloons, even they were taken by surprise but congratulated us for setting an example for others to follow. Even Jenny’s mom got in touch with our teachers because she wanted to find out who had been so thoughtful towards her daughter. She expressed her deepest gratitude because no one had treated Jenny so kindly before. According to her, it was the first time Jenny felt she was not alone or that she was different from others.

I still remember this incident like it just happened yesterday. I now understand we should celebrate our differences because they make us unique. They help us discover more about our own self and others. We all are born with different circumstances and may face different challenges but life becomes easier when we have people who accept us despite our imperfections. Despite our differences, our needs are often quite similar. We all desire kindness from others, thus, we should be equally generous with kindness towards others as well. A small gesture often makes greater impact than our expectations because others are capable of understanding our feelings as well.