Going to Senegal last summer with other high school students in the buildOn program to help construct a school taught me the fundamentals of life and being a voice for those who lack it -- and for giving back to my generous community when possible. It also gave me an opportunity to put myself in the position of less fortunate people. It made me even more appreciative of life; while I’m being ungrateful, others have no luck at all. I can be complaining about not having a certain pair of shoes while an individual in another country may have nothing to eat. Through this program, I was able to further learn more about myself -- my strengths, aspirations, abilities, and willingness to give to my community. This has led me to a fascinating career possibility: anthropology. This is the study of all human culture, and it would give me the chance to travel and write, a combination of the main things I enjoy. While in Senegal, I had the chance to experience the villagers’ daily-life routines, their culture, and their positive mental attitudes. Through the study of anthropology, I want to gain more knowledge about other cultures so that I have a better understanding of my own surroundings. I hope to study diverse topics such as tribes, languages, religions, and art. I remember that while there we would write down our thoughts and observations. I have always had a strong love for writing because from it I am able to express my feelings on issues that I am connected to. Writing brings awareness. Traveling is also an important aspect of life because it provides us with opportunities to be educated about other societies. Through being an anthropologist, I want to create change by traveling and writing. The more I write about different ways of life, the more others are informed and may be willing to give a helping hand.

Power looks like a strong black man. A person who can stand in front of thousands of faces and talk with a strong voice. When he talks, all you want to do is listen because he is a gifted public speaker. He is very charismatic. He wears a tuxedo and has a limo driver. He has a Muslim name. He travels around the world and provides what people need. Power comes from Education. He studied hard to make it to the top. To make it to the top, he had to start from the bottom. He was just a regular guy, but he knew what he wanted. He was committed. He was a poor black person and he made his way up. Power’s mother is Strength. She gave him Confidence. Power’s father is Africa. He gave Power the whole package.

Style is beautiful. Every- where she goes, people look. She wears cute clothes: nice jeans, stylish T-shirts. She tops it all off with some sparkling jewelry and a high bun. Style smells sweet as honey. Every day, she puts on that fragrance that makes all the boys fall in love with her. She used to dress down. One day, she looked at the mirror. She said to herself: “You are beautiful. Put on some fancy clothes and love yourself.” Now, when Style smiles, the world lights up.

Kindness wears a blue T-shirt. It makes him feel confident and able to talk with friends and help them with things that they forget. He always has friends with bad memories. Sometimes, Kindness looks back at his childhood. When he was young, he didn’t like too many people. He was friends with Loneliness. He moved to another school. The first day of classes, he wore his blue T-shirt. He tried to talk to more people and be nice to them. Since that day, he has gained true friends he can talk to and help. He knows that his life is much better being kind.

Beauty wakes up in the morning extra early to get ready for school. When she gets there, everybody looks at her. The way she walks and moves her hips is like a model. The way she talks really sweetly. The way she looks at you with her light brown eyes makes you feel special. Everybody is surprised. Nobody thought that the girl with big teeth, purple glasses, and two braids would be a Beauty now. She’s like a friend with confidence. She doesn’t care what people think. She’s always smiling. Beauty, though, had a rough past. She used to get bullied. She was friends with Sadness and Loneliness. She changed because she was tired of people calling her names and all that.