Lily Rosencrantz

Honors 100
12 October 2015
Reflection
My journey to the University of Washington began with the additional space box in the
University of Washington application. I was not expecting to attend the University of
Washington when I began writing the application, as I had wanted to stray from the path my
father and three older brothers had followed as huskies before me. As I wrote a letter to the
admissions officer in the box, I imagined myself as a husky. At first, it was just for the sake of
the application, and not my true aspiration, but as I continued to write and envision myself on
this campus, I created for myself an enticing picture of Lily the husky. When my acceptance
letter came, I was elated, and in the subsequent weeks I found that none of the other acceptance
letters I received gave me the same feeling of excitement. From this, I realized being a husky
was the clear choice for me. I hope that at the end of my time at the University of Washington I
will look back and reflect that I made the right choice in attending this school; as of the first
week of class, I believe I have. I also hope that this perception does not waver or change, as I
feel that my life has already been enriched by the vast community of Huskies I have joined.
One of my older brothers has graduated from the University of Washington Honors
program, and another is a current honors student. Inter-sibling competition was one factor that
compelled me to apply to Honors. The other, more important, factor was the programs
curriculum of interdisciplinary courses and experiential learning, two things that were present in
the curriculum of the high school abroad program I attended during part of my junior year. I
loved learning in ways that involved me and my peers, and found that when I went out and
studied the history of Jerusalem in the Old City, or learned Arab customs by sitting down with a
Druze family for dinner, I was actively engaged and connected to my education. While I am part
of the Honors Program, my desire is to learn by exploring outside of the classroom, and by
making connections between the curriculum, my peers, and the world outside of the university
bubble. I have found in my past education that my most fun and valuable learning occurred when
I was able to connect myself to those around me through shared or contrasting opinions, and
respectful exploration of those opinions. I have already experienced this in small proportions in
my Honors 210B class, and that both excites me, and reinforces my decision to be a part of the
UW Honors Program.
During my time at University of Washington, I want to explore art and creative studies.
Until my senior year in high school, I had not taken an art class I had been interested in. When I
took Jewelry making in my last year, my interest in what had previously been an outside hobby
was piqued. I want to further develop my skills in and knowledge of three-dimensional art, and
potentially major or minor in an art that I could practice professionally in the future. Working
with my hands to create something I find beautiful is gratifying, and satisfies my desire to add
beauty to my surroundings. After my time at University of Washington I want to be a boon to
society, and actively participate in the improvement of the world and environment in which I
live. I have been given the opportunity to learn and make myself a better and more intelligent
person, and I feel that I must use my knowledge gained to create positive change wherever I go.