Berkeley Admissions Essay

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The election night of 2000 was a pivotal moment in my life. I stayed up all night on November 7th, 2000, not because I was enthralled with watching Florida flip-flop between Gore and Bush, but because I had an IV in my arm which made it impossible to be comfortable. Earlier that evening, I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes, a disease affecting 1 of 800 people in America. This was an especially crucial time in my life, considering I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis—an autoimmune disease that attacks the GI track in 1 of 1400 Americans—the June before, and I had my Bar-Mitzvah in September. According to the Jewish religion, I had become an adult, and as such, I had decided to greet my new medical challenges with gusto, attempting to see the silver lining from the very beginning. I cannot say that I am glad I was nature’s statistical anomaly, but I am thankful for the opportunity to see from a young age how to turn a tough situation into a positive. After almost nine years, I come back to this pivotal night in my life because it marked a change that still plays a part in my life now, and will continue to shape me in the future.

At only 13 years, I was disheartened by the thought of having to inject myself with needles daily. The bewilderment and anger I felt during the first few months was intense. A coach at my middle school took me into his confidence, telling me how his Juvenile Diabetes played an instrumental role in making him a healthier and more aware adult. After the initial shock passed, I volunteered with the Juvenile Diabetes Association, and took a proactive role in helping children enduring the same emotional trauma learn to cope with our familiar burden. I met with newly-diagnosed diabetic kids, between the a...

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...hnology productively will be the key to solving our environmental worries. Being comfortable in technology, accompanied by my legal knowledge gained at Berkeley Law I aim to make a positive impact on the upcoming environmental issues we all will face.

I am especially excited about the prospect of studying at Berkeley in the environmental department. The certificate you offer for Green Technology is especially appealing to me, it seems to be a unique program that will train its graduates in what I consider the correct approach to addressing our environmental issues, technology. This certificate and the CLEE research center is one of the main reasons I value Berkeley. I look forward the opportunity to study within a historic environmental law department, along with its location, which allows the department to connect to the vibrant and cutting edge local community.

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