We were once high school seniors who sat across from our laptops and made a choice that had no guarantee of success. College admissions energy buzzed through every path we took; students, parents, and even counselors rallied in chaos. Deadlines were around the corner, and somehow our attention landed on UC Berkeley. For some, Cal might’ve been just another school among 20 others in a list. For many others, Cal represented so much more than a checkmark. It was the dream. Whichever was the case, to stand out among the thousands of applicants in this admissions process was no small feat. From the four personal insight questions we had to write to the activities resume we had to curate, that journey across our laptops challenged us to reflect on the story of our lives and find pride in them. Each of the prompts was a test of knowledge, a test of impact, a test of creativity, and most importantly, a test of uniqueness.
In this mass community, we are people from so many walks of life. Maybe we were athletes whose passion for their sport highlighted an academic path that we couldn’t ignore. Maybe we were performers who wanted to change the world through music. Maybe we came from a community, whether local, national, or international, whose curiosity led them to chase higher education. We all hit the books, excelled at our passions, and took a chance on a school that was truly different. Through all the early mornings spent writing, late nights spent spiraling, and days spent uncertain about how our application would come together, we were able to fit all the pieces into an extraordinary puzzle and pass the “test.”
“Through all the early mornings spent writing, late nights spent spiraling, and day spent uncertain about how our application would come together, we were able to fit all the pieces into an extraordinary puzzle and pass the “test.”
Sasha Kilgour
The real test, though, was waiting for us once we entered this land known as Bear Territory. We finally had the chance to call Berkeley our home, take the classes of our dreams, and with it, meet all the other people with “out-of-this-world passions” like our own. But with all that excitement came something we weren’t prepared for: the feeling of being surrounded by people who are just as ambitious and accomplished as we are. It can be an overwhelming feeling, wondering where our talent fits or how it will amount to those around us. This could be a fleeting moment of reflection, or maybe a feeling that weighs down on us consistently, but we persevere. We go to lectures, sit in discussions, join clubs, and try to make our mark on a land already filled with greatness. Maybe we don’t notice it at first: our spark dimming, our passions fading, and our certainty leaving. But as the weeks pass, more and more signs arise, all leading to one question: Who am I and how did I even get here?
Being exposed to so many people, wins, losses, and unfamiliar experiences can make us forget the battles we fought to earn a spot at this university. We start comparing, hiding away from our goals, using our voices less, and believing that our spark will be tossed into the bonfire, overshadowed by people who had success before we did. We need to stop at this moment and just remember.
Remember that person who sat across from their laptop and believed that they had what it took to win. Remember the person who was reminded of how hard it would be every time they typed a word, organized their resume, and searched for a story that they thought was special. That person believed they had what it took to get here. Now that same person has to believe they have what it takes to become who they came here to be.
So next time you find yourself wondering who you are or how you even got here, go back to that laptop and just do something simple: remember that overwhelmed but determined high school senior. They didn’t know exactly what the admissions letter would say, but they had an internal belief that they belonged anyway. This is the faith we need to carry with us throughout our time at Berkeley.