Sunfood Nutrition and Enlightenment: College Admission Essay Sample

I vividly remember running home from the library and locking myself upstairs to begin the reading. I rifled through the nutrition book with as much excitement as if I had found the Holy Grail. I stayed up all night to read it, to consume it, to have it become one with my soul. That was the moment when everything came into focus, when all of the little seeds planted by days of research came together, pushing me toward the same conclusion: I was now a conscious-living ethical vegan.

After eating the standard American diet of pizza, French fries, and doughnuts for most of my early childhood, I started to gain an interest in reading health and nutrition books. At the time, that reading reflected only a minute level of interest in self-growth, but it soon grew into something much more. Eventually, I came across the vegetarian diet with its claims of longevity, lowered risk of cancer and heart disease, and increased vitality and energy. The idea of a plant-based diet appealed to me, and once I went on the 30-day challenge, I was hooked. Soon after, I transitioned into becoming vegan, which led me to experience an incredible feeling of well-being -- not just physically, but also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

As a vegan, I learned to value the simple things in life. I gained endurance on the track team. I developed greater flexibility during my morning yoga practices. Though most people are kept alienated from the creations of the Earth, blocked off by the walls of a concrete jungle, the city girl in me finally started noticing Nature again. I became a positively charged, upbeat individual, even in times of stress, because now I knew how fortunate I was. I grew addicted to that way of life, and I knew that I had stumbled onto something good.

Although my curiosity was initially driven by self-interest, over time I began transforming into a more compassionate being -- not just toward animals, but toward people as well. Realizing that factory-farmed animals have to undergo horrendous treatment prior to their slaughter made me more sensitive to the pain and suffering of others. That feeling of concern only grew over time until finally it was as if something in my spirit unlocked. One might say that converting to veganism opened up my heart chakra. I suddenly became more intuitive, self-aware, and willing to explore new things. My new diet eventually led me to discover my purpose in life. I began to see that the choice to abstain from animal flesh had a major impact on improving my health, minimizing my ecological footprint and, most importantly, helping me realize my true calling: environmental conservation.

I never used to pay attention to environmental concerns such as the growing pollution or the crisis in conserving limited natural resources, but I now see these matters as personal responsibilities. As a living, breathing resident of the Earth, I feel that it is my duty to take the Earth under my wing and dedicate my life to preserving what little we have left. Now that I have shed the ecologically destructive practice of consuming animal products, it is only natural that I channel the extra energy I have gained toward something even more rewarding.

In essence, becoming a vegan was not simply a fad diet for me, though it is often marketed that way in the media. Instead, it was a lifestyle choice that completely changed my outlook on the world. It freed up energy and motivated me to examine new things. Becoming a vegan has most definitely been my proudest decision yet.