BenLaRoche

Honors100AE
Due10/12/2015
Assignment#1:WhoAreYou?
Similartomostpeopleenteringcollege,theprocessfordecidingwhichschooltogotowasnot
aneasyone.IdecidedtotoattendUWthedaybeforeMay1st,NationalDecisionDay.My
acceptanceintotheHonorsprogramplayedanintegralpartinmydecisiontogotoUW.I
thoughtthattheHonorsprogramwouldhelpmebreakdownthelargercommunity,organizemy
collegeexperience,anddiversifymyacademia.Thesewereallthingsyoumightfindinasmall
liberalartscollege.That'swhymycollegedecisioncamedowntoUWandWhitmanCollege.
Butwhenitcamedowntoit,Ialsolikedtheideaofhavingaccesstoalargecommunity,which
Whitmancouldnotoffer.

IbelievemyacceptanceintoHonorswassupplementedbyseveralnoteworthyachievements.
Butwhodoesnthaveoneortwonoteworthyaccomplishmentstowriteabout?Ithinkwhatset
meapartandactuallyearnedmyacceptancewasaletterofrecommendationIearned.The
recommendationwasfromDr.MichaelJensen,thelabdirectorforSeattleChildrensHospitals
BenTowneCenterforChildhoodCancerResearch(Dr.Jensenalsohappenstobeanaffiliated
UWprofessor).IwasluckyenoughtomeetDr.Jensenafterdoingseveralyearsofcharitywork
tohelpfundhiscrusadeagainstchildhoodcancer.

MygoalsatUWarefairlysimpleforfreshmanyear:havefunandtestoutthethingsIreallylike
anddontlike.FreshmanyearshouldbecenteredaroundbuildingacommunityatUW,through
sports,residenthallevents,classrooms,andclubs.Inadditiontocommunitybuilding,Iplanto
takesomeexperimentalcourses.Thisiswherethehonorsprogramcomesintoplay.Ithinkthe
interdisciplinaryclasseswilloffermenewperspectiveonmypaththroughcollegeandbeyond.
Classesexploringoceanography,socialsciences,andtheenvironmentareallhighonmylistto
experimentwith.

SofarIvetriedfulfillmygoalsbyjoiningclubs.SomeoftheclubsIveexploredaretheSnow
Club,Runningclub,Rotaract,SwingDance,andClubLacrosse.ForexampletheRotaractClub
seemedlikeanexcellentwaytobuildcommunity.Rotaractappearstobeaperfectjumpingoff
pointforservicelearning.WhenIwenttoRotaractsfirstmeetingthispasttuesday,Iwasnot
expectingakeynotespeaker.ThespeakerwasamanfromKenyawhocametoAmericaona
scholarshipfromtheUSGovernment.Hetoldusabouthisexperience,comingfromabsolutely
nomeans(literallyagrasshutinadesert).Hespreadhispassionforlearningandmakingthe
worldabetterplace.AfterheearnedadegreeandworkedforMicrosoft,hewentbacktoKenya
andhelphiscommunity.HesaidIfIcandothismuch,pointingtoaschoolhehadbuiltanda
communityhewaspullingoutofpoverty,thenwhatcanyoudo?.Thismademerealizethat
theimpactIcanmakeintheworldcanbeasbigasIchoose.

IlearnedthatifIactivelyseekoutnewexperiencesitslikelyIllbedirectlyexposedtonew
pointsofview,especiallythosethatIwasntevenawareexisted.Thekeynotespeakerat
Rotaractwasunexpectedandinspiring.Ilookforwardtohavingsimilarexperiences.