To Make the World a Better Place I developed a strong sense of social responsibility at Brown, partly because of the politically interested student body, and partly because I decided to focus on in political science with a specialization in political theory. I chose this topic because it was the one that made me think the most and energized me the most. My heart beats faster when I hear something new and compelling in class; the satisfaction I feel from writing a successful analytical article is, to me, proof that I made a wise choice. I also chose a topic that attempts to answer, or at least ask, questions that I think are very difficult, about justice, human nature, and how we live our lives. Brown has been an academic dream come true for me, providing intellectual challenges and exposing me to what I believe are some of the most important issues facing us as a society. I was always a school kid and Brown was my ideal school. Despite my general academic zeal, I simply decided not to write a thesis. I've always considered a thesis to be the crowning achievement of an academic career, but lately the idea appeals to me much less. Maybe it's because I was abroad in Sweden this semester and facing non-academic challenges made me realize that personal success can be much more important than academic success. Maybe it's because I'm thinking about graduating in a year and realize that my real-world experience is pretty limited. My extracurricular interests have also changed direction. Throughout high school and my first two years at Brown, I was very involved in theater; it's certainly a place to build a reputation and can be a useful tool for social commentary. However, I began to feel that I was living in a sort of privileged dream world; I needed to make something more substantial than a good show. I taught children with learning disabilities last summer and volunteered last semester at a preschool. I'm currently looking for a job in politics for this summer and hope to use my time next year to work on a large (as yet undetermined) public service project. I feel extremely fortunate to have studied at Brown and believe it is my duty to try to make the world a better place with the knowledge and skills I have acquired.