When I was five, I learned a valuable lesson: make sure the toilet seat is down before sitting on it. I only realized my embarrassing mistake when I stood up and my pajamas were soaked. Although both the babysitter and my brother were home, I could not muster up the confidence to ask them for help with my drenched onesie. Growing up, the same juvenile attitude about not asking for help would often manifest itself. Whether it was having to...

Passover is both a celebration of freedom and eight long days of unleavened bread. Yet, it is an annual reminder of the importance of perseverance and empathy. From the suffering of my people, I’ve not only learned how to overcome adversity, but also how to help others overcome their challenges. Every year, I stomach down Matzoh during the eight days of Passover even though it tastes like cardboard. Matzoh represents the pain that Jews endured in Egypt under the...

Duke is a great match for me because of the collaborative spirit the university propagates. At Duke, students are not driven by selfish motives, but rather a yearning to forge change together. I witnessed this firsthand when I visited my brother at Duke. Staying up until four in the morning with him while he worked on a group computer science project was eye opening for me because I saw how well the group of individuals worked as a unit. I...

Growing up, whenever I would talk back to my parents, I’d hear something along the lines of, “You’ve got some chutzpah to say that young man!” Chutzpah, my favorite word, is a testament to my heritage. Jews like myself learn from a very young age the power of generational teaching. Whether it was the Pogroms or the Holocaust, we have been subjugated throughout history, but what has helped us to endure until today is our capacity to remember...

No work of literature is as impressive to me as the Federalist Papers. Providing an explanation of the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, were one of the main reasons why the Constitution was popular among the people of the 13 colonies. However, my fascination with the Federalist Papers draws not from being impressed with their popularity, but from a feeling of awe that the Founding Fathers were able to foresee the many effects of American democracy. Written by Alexander Hamilton, Federalist 10 outlines...

I used to believe marijuana was the bane of our collective existence. As a child in health class, I was always taught that marijuana was a veritable sin, and I believed it without question. However, after taking note of the current national debate, I investigated the positive aspects of legalization including tax revenue generation, utilization for medical treatments, and addressing a component of America’s national prison problem. I now view marijuana’s historical prohibition differently and am now a...

As an American University Eagle, I will be part of a community that fosters tolerance, diversity, and intellectual curiosity. In my opinion, one of the most important skills to have is awareness, which is evident at American University as a vast majority of students believe that seeing the world from different perspectives is valuable. Being an American University Eagle means that I value civic engagement as a means to elicit social, political, and economic change. Being an Eagle means that...

At the University of Michigan, I plan on taking full advantage of the opportunities afforded by the flexibility of the College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts (LSA). As a student planning on majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, the malleable coursework requirements of the major, specifically in regards to being able to pick a theme, appeal to me. I firmly believe that an interdisciplinary liberal arts approach to education is integral to providing students with the resources, abilities and...

In May 2015, I was competitively selected to take part in Write On for Israel, a two-year advocacy program which teaches students to fight anti-Israel sentiments on college campuses through journalism. The program, in which participants meet one Sunday a month, brings in experts in media and political outreach to teach tactics and techniques to fix the negative image of Israel. While Write On is a powerful resource for me, it is only one small part of a much bigger community...

Northwestern will not only fulfill my academic desires but also provide vital career preparation for future success. At Northwestern, I plan on majoring in Social Policy in the School of Education and Social Policy because I believe public policy is the most effective conduit for positive change. The resources provided by Northwestern, specifically placement into valuable internships and a curriculum based on flexible coursework, will make my Northwestern experience invaluable. I have long been a believer that in order to...