My Motivation to Study at Ohio State University

“Everyone is kneaded out of the same dough but not baked in the same oven. ” Diversity manifests itself in many ways, and this Yiddish saying embraces this notion. Our local communities and wider world are characterized by such diversity, and I am proud to contribute my unique spices and flavors to the melting pot that is America.

As a first generation American Arab Christian born in Jerusalem, I moved to the U. S. with my family at age three and was raised in a Greek Orthodox community. While my race, ethnicity, and heritage have made me unique as an individual, it has actually been my everyday exposure to diversity – the faces, clothes, attitudes, values, traditions, behaviors, and beliefs of others around me that have led me to understand and appreciate diversity’s value and important role in society. I have become a diverse individual through my involvement as a Science Olympiad participant, athletic student aide, local soup kitchen volunteer, church member, and through my experiences working with children with autism at my school. These opportunities to learn about and share my diverse interests, talents, and ideas with others were invaluable, making my high school years a more enriching experience, and ultimately cultivating me into a better and more accepting person. In particular, my experience working with children with autism has had a profound effect on me.

Centerville High School has an extremely strong autism program and students are encouraged to get involved through assisting in special needs classes or taking a gym class with the autistic students. I have had the opportunity to spend time with autistic students since my first day as a freshman. My involvement with autistic students includes a girl who is a fellow athletic trainer. Although she cannot fully participate in assisting the team, she is always present at practices and games, and can be found hovering around the head trainer trying to learn. These experiences have taught me that there are different kinds of people in the world and that they should not be treated any differently because of appearance, race, or disability. I have become a more understanding and accepting person and come to realize that a great deal can be learned from others. Diversity has helped me to better understand the world and who I am as a person.

In researching various colleges, I was looking for a school that embraces and shares my same appreciation of diversity on all levels – ethnic, cultural, social, and more. With a student body of 60,000, Ohio State stood out to me for this exact reason. I am strongly attracted to Ohio State’s intellectually vibrant and socially just community. I look forward to meeting students and faculty from various backgrounds at Ohio State and learning from their past encounters. I believe that I bring the ability to become an outstanding ambassador of diversity at Ohio State – not just through my appearance or ethnicity, but also through my varied interests, unique talents and qualities, friendships, and outlook on life.