Creating Strong Identity | A College App Essay by Anonymous

Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

Beyond what you've read, I want to share my story about creating a strong identity: a journey progressing through sexuality - and the tragedy of my endeavor. Something I want to embrace in college through activism, being gay is the most life-changing thing that has ever happened to me. Originally, I thought I was taboo, something - no, someone that should not exist. I was raised in a devout family who wanted me to memorize verses of the Quran in my spare time. Because of this, I could not reconcile the idea of being both gay and Muslim. But I had someone to thank for my rejection of that stigma. In eighth grade, I met this girl - Aria. We shared a love for books and volunteered at our school library during lunch. We got closer over-time, and she shared that she had a girlfriend. I was not shocked, but I had been questioning myself so I never mentioned anything about me identifying as queer either. Though I lived vicariously through her, in one year, we would eventually head to different high schools and see each other less.

She was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma in early high school and ultimately passed away after a long battle. It made me analyze who I was, who I wanted to be. My one regret is that I had not shared her lasting impact on me. I had not shared that her awareness about sexuality in turn made me comfortable with mine. The reason I'm not afraid to be confident if someone asks me about my identity is because I had that transformative experience, one that I keep with me today.

For what I uniquely bring to the University of California: I carry on the torch of acceptance and self-awareness, handed down to me by my dear friend. I offer my passionate support as an ally to any who may find themselves in need of one. And finally, I give my experienced, pragmatic support to the marginalized communities amongst us, for an achievable future: one that appreciates the subtle differences between each other.