Over the past four and a half years, I, along with the other members of the Admission Committee, have had the pleasure of reading through hundreds of admission essays from students applying to NJC. Although the essay topics have changed over the years, the purpose has always been to give the Committee added insight to the student’s personality that they would not otherwise be able to discern from an application form and reference letters.
Most applications for the 11/12 academic year were reviewed in January, with others continuing to be reviewed as we fill the remaining spaces. This year’s candidates were asked to tell us about two people: one whose life exemplifies peace, courtesy or respect, and one who inspired them to pursue international education. They could be friends or family members, historical figures or current leaders.
There were the expected, albeit well-written, essays about the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. However, I found the most popular choice to be inspirational in its own right. The person written about most often was Craig Kielburger, who co-founded Free the Children along with his brother, Marc (NJC ’95). According to the organization’s website (www.freethechildren.com), their mission is: “Through leadership training at home and community development projects abroad, Free The Children empowers youth everywhere to make a difference.”
Applicants could choose to write about anyone, and the fact that so many of them wrote about a young Canadian and his charity, leading the way in inspiring today’s youth to make a positive difference in the world, says a lot about the global consciousness of these candidates. Thanks to real-time technology, this generation of students is more attuned to the world around them than any other generation.
And they are not just writing about world issues. They are organizing fundraisers at school, travelling abroad to participate in service trips, leading awareness campaigns in their communities and much more. Today’s high school students are not only inspired, but also inspiring.
If you had to write Neuchâtel Junior College’s admission essay today, about whom would you choose to write and why?
-Anne Hamilton (NJC '01), Admission Officer
