Saving the world, one whale at a time
by Christina, who was accepted to UPenn.
Prompt: Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
A rapid camera flash of light blinds me, pi I will scare me down. As the girl who usually runs away from crowds. How did I manage to find myself about to speak in front of 1000 people? Smile, stand tall, be confident, I tell myself, I take a deep breath and step up to my microphone. From an early age, I embraced the solitude I found in nature. I fell in love with the escape from the urban chaos that the outdoors provided. And I spent hours each weekend heavily exploring the New Zealand parks and preserves by myself. I cherish this moment spent in lovely solitude, building immense appreciation overtime for these beautiful places I became passionate about preserving.
A few years ago, I was strolling down a quiet beach when I noticed a small crowd of people ahead. Instinctively I was about to turn around to avoid the commotion when I noticed the beached whale. As I approached, I saw the chain of strangers working together to pass buckets of seawater down the line to keep the stranded creature hydrated and cold. I rolled up my sleeves and was ready to join the rescuers. United by a common goal we passed down bucket after bucket for hours, keeping the whale alive until the high tide came in again. Later that day, I reflected on what would have happened had I stumbled upon the beach well without those strangers there to help.
Working together as a team to save a precious life made me realize that for years, nature had provided me with an escape from solitude. Yet, if I ever truly wanted to give back to the environment, I need to involve as many people as possible. To help save what I love the most, I had to be willing to step outside of my comfort zone. actively seek out the crowds instead of turning away to help spread my passion for preserving our environment. I started with small steps throughout high school first by joining my school’s environmental club, where I participated in local fundraisers and educational activities, and later by taking on responsibilities to organize those events.
Eventually, I founded and ran a district-wide Fairtrade club to teach students about the importance of sustainability for future generations. I was purely inspired by the team that I saw come across together in the community, which encouraged me to take a bigger leap in organizing a nationwide event, New Zealand’s first-ever fair-trade festival. With nearly 1000 attendees and press coverage from across the country, the festival raised awareness and resources for local fair-trade producers, while booting a community of environmentally conscious consumers. I’m still shy, hot, and passionate about preserving the environment. But most importantly, I realized that while change can start with one person, great change can never happen with just one person.
No matter how passionate you are about something, you must share and spread your vision with others to make a difference. Seeing the beached whale was a catalyst to my growth not only in public speaking but also in organizing and leading community events for a cause I love. Nowadays, I still enjoy the occasional solar nature walk. But I find so much more fulfillment in spreading my passion for the environment with other people. My experience and growth in school and community projects lead me to the present, where I stand voluntarily speaking in front of nearly 1000 people at the Fairtrade festival I organized. Smile, stand tall, be confident. I tell myself as I lean in and begin to speak, because only when we work together can we possibly take on saving the world, one whale at a time.
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