Photo courtesy of Jade C.
by jade c., ’29
The concept of balance guides me through life. At heart I am a figure skater. Since early childhood I’ve learned how to balance on and off the ice rink; to glide though skating routines and busy schedules. While I’m skating, time moves differently. I put my soul into each moment. I morph into the embodiment of my emotion and determination. I practice until it is perfect. I pass into a different state of mind, where I’m able to focus fully. I devote hours, and yet it feels as if no time is passing. I bring this pattern of dedication to all of the commitments in my life, and use my sense of balance to handle it all.
I keep moving, on and off the ice, from one thing to the next, because balanced doesn’t mean stagnant. In figure skating, and in life, movement helps keep me balanced. I’ve been raised entirely alone by my single mom, no custody time with my father. We live in an 1860’s log cabin with a lawn to mow, and feral rescue cats. We spend every July in a cottage in Canada helping my grandmother, and I help clean the AirBnB in our basement before every stay. It is important I keep gliding through everything in a timely manner, since it’s just the two of us, with lots of responsibilities, and no one else to pick up slack. From my mom I’ve learned early how to be resourceful, self-reliant, and to manage time effectively, including downtime. Sometimes that’s a challenge. Sometimes I start to feel off balance. Like when I’m in Boston for the Eastern regional synchronized skating competition, having to learn lines for my lead in the school play, and studying for AP classes. But my mom is always there if I need help strategizing. So when life accelerates, I take a deep breath. Even if the speed feels ominous, just like in skating, immersing myself feels liberating. It is all the more rewarding when my work is completed and I get to reflect on everything I’ve accomplished.
When I’m interested in something new to balance I look to my community. I am always the first to offer assistance at my school’s numerous volunteer opportunities. I regularly enlist in trips to a Rescue Mission, and have over 3 times the community service hours required to graduate. I also find activities through connections outside school. Like the Endangered Species Theater Project teen led production I was in last spring. On my own initiative, one of my passions is filmmaking. I plan to major in film studies. I enjoy the medium because it is the closest an audience can get to a story. I thrive in long editing sessions, writing marathons and as my own actor in solo projects. Every film project I create is another flex of my balancing skills.
Yes I’m a regionally qualifying synchronized figure skater, but I’m also a fourth degree black belt in Taekwondo; I’m three term president of my school’s student government association; I’ve been lead in the school play two years in a row; I’m an AP Scholar, a guitarist, and a pianist. I’m a leader, a fighter, a vegetarian, an actor, an athlete, a friend, a musician, a cinematographer, and a straight A student. For my endeavors to go smoothly I’ve honed my sense of balance, and dedicated myself: to the arts, knowledge, and community.
I’ve sculpted myself into a balance beam holding multiple high level skills at once. I love learning, improving, and making an impact in every section of my life. I feel proud of the work I am completing in such diverse ventures. I am always happy as a fulcrum, the balance point of a lever system, I am the “Renaissance man.” I love to succeed in each pursuit, to accomplish many things in a variety of areas, and I am always searching for more.
Admissions Committee Comments
Jade uses their essay to highlight the importance of balance in their approach to life. From figure skating to volunteering to theater, they weave together the importance of seemingly divergent interests to highlight how a balanced approach has built skills and perspectives that have shaped their worldview. At Hopkins, students will be confronted with a wide range of experiences, opportunities, and perspectives. This essay creates confidence in our committee that once a student, Jade will have no difficulty continuing to pursue a balanced approach that allows them to explore all that Hopkins has to offer.
Jade C.“Writing my college essay was a lengthy process so starting early was a big aspect for me. I wasn’t afraid to write multiple versions and pick and choose what worked. I think what helped me the most in reaching a final draft was letting go of the concept of what ‘looked best’ to focus more on what my truth was.”
