Elsa Althoff’s College Essay
After performing in a riveting production of the “Frog and Toad Musical”, twelve-year-old me approached my mother in the audience. After some congratulations, she introduced me to the man seated next to her: Jim Shields. He and my mother had been talking about the program in which he was an advisor; Big Picture, an independent, project and experience-based learning program within the South Burlington Public High School. Jim told me that students in Big Picture were in charge of their own learning and could choose what and how they learn. They could pursue internships, service learning opportunities, and all kinds of unique projects. I was ecstatic! Now, in retrospect, this is one of the most important ten minute interactions of my life thus far.
From a very young age, people in my life inspired within me a deep love of learning. I was homeschooled until freshman year of high school, and during those first 14 years, my mother demonstrated that I can and should pursue the learning that I find most challenging and engaging. This, by itself, is revolutionary thinking in the modern day school system. The outside-the-box thinking she instilled in me, along with meeting Jim, helped motivate me to pursue an individualized pathway through high school.
Four years later and I’ve presented at a national conference in Washington D.C., designed my own app to help adolescents with their mental health, worked with Walt Disney World on costume design, and had many other conventional and unconventional opportunities for learning. I have experienced so many things I would have never thought possible. I love learning now more than ever. Over my time in Big Picture I became more engaged and excited about learning, and found a family along the way. I’ve become the person I’ve always wanted to be. A person who takes calculated risks, who ‘s confident in themself, and who lives in a growth mindset. I realized there is no one way to live, no one way to learn. I feel prepared for the next step of my life and my education.
I am applying to NVU because although my time in Big Picture is up, I don’t want to stop learning. I want to find out more about myself and the world around me every day. While reviewing the possible courses of study at NVU, I was impressed at the opportunities to customize my education. In Big Picture I did projects regarding climate change, relational aggression, and business management. During my time at NVU, I aim to learn more about social justice, theatre, and racial equality. I plan to get my bachelor of arts degree in performance, art, and technology with a concentration in social justice activism. After college I want to create art that inspires positive change. As a lifelong Vermonter, I know that attending NVU is the best way to reach that goal. To conclude, I would like to quote Jim Shields, the man who inspired me to take hold of my learning and destiny.
“If the road to graduation is a road, in conventional school the teacher drives the bus with all the students on it. They make sure they all get to graduation the same way. We [in Big Picture] are all on bikes. You all can (and will) take different paths, and I am here to help get your bike out of swamps and cheer you on when you get to the finish line.”
-Jim Shields
I’ve gotten to that finish line, and now I can see the starting line for the next race.