Essay Masterclass / References
It was the first day of 5th grade back in my hometown. Although I was born in Brazil, I had spent the last seven years abroad; Portuguese was even my second language.
“Class, we have a new student. Her name is Ana Luisa,” the teacher said. All eyes were now on me. “Ana, please tell us a little about yourself... Where are you from?”
I hesitated. How could I limit my identity to my place of birth? Although I was born in Brazil, it didn’t fully encapsulate my cultural background. As someone who had lived abroad for almost half her life, I carried three distinct cultures with me: the warm and talkative Brazilian, the determined and polite Brit and the lively and active Houstonian. This unique cultural blend made me different from all of the other people standing in the room that day and had led me to face situations that transformed my personality.
When I was three, I moved to Surrey, without knowing a word of English. I would often go home after school having understood nothing of what the teacher said all day. However, because of my good observational skills, my ability to learn quickly, and my young age, I picked up the language fast and was soon able to connect with my peers. Two years later, I was in charge of helping people when they arrived at my school. Having been the “new kid” myself made me empathetic to their situation and allowed me to positively impact their adaptation.
But soon, I became the “new girl” again, now in Houston at a Greek Orthodox School. The culture shock doubled: not only did I have to adapt to the American way of life but also the Greek Orthodox tradition, attending church every Thursday, learning the language, eating the food and interacting with Greek families. Being exposed to this cultural blend that was very different to my own expanded both my open-mindedness and curiosity.
Back in Rio, my hometown, all these traits came into great use. The fact that I wasn’t afraid of change allowed me to question my surroundings and assess what I thought had to be improved in my school community, resulting in my election to the Student Council Executive Team. In this role, collaboration with key stakeholders - students, school administrators and the PTA - led to the creation of community spaces on campus, new extracurricular opportunities and academic support for students through a notes-sharing database.
Altogether, I try to make every new place I live feel like home. My open-mindedness allows me to connect deeply with others and through my collaborative leadership style, I attempt to help my fellow classmates reach their fullest potential so that together we can achieve great results. Whether it be during Fridays on the Quad at Brown or at Monday Bright Lights at Duncan, I can picture myself surrounded by friends, sharing interesting stories about our unique life journeys.