“Bagag nawong”, my Filipino friends would call me which directly translates to having a “thick face”; I was the person to go to if my friends had to talk to the “bully”, to a shy new student, to be the one to talk in front of class, or to ask for permission slips from the teacher. Confined in two words, I wish to continue to be brave, confident, energetic, curious, optimistic, and unafraid to be rejected because knowing I have tried liberates me from any regret nor longing. My first criteria for selecting a college would be the values it stands for because it should align and reflect my values and the person I wish to continue to be. Through the college, I wish to go beyond my comfort zone and venture into the unknown corners of courses to be free of misconceptions and lies which would eventually, primarily build my character as an individual, consequently reflect through my major and career choice. The college’s values matter to me since it would ultimately mold me as a person.

The idea of humans’ emotions being captured through contradictions such as loving hate, noisy silence, fearful bravery, malleable determination, and innocent pride provides a glimpse of the wonder of connotations. Unlike the black and white denotations of these words, connotations emphasize a sense of dimension and life, especially more so to pairs of contradictory words: oxymorons. My second criteria would be diversity at the college because I wish to broaden my perspective by meeting people different from me. Having to take a class that contrasts to my interests will help me produce something unique and meaningful that benefits me, moreover everyone I meet. Like connotations, I value the diverse perspectives that others share which is reflected through the learning experiences I had by living in vivid, new cultures while deepening my own. From the nature-oriented views in the Philippines to America’s mass manufacturing, and from Australia’s value for quality over quantity to India’s mass population, I was able to do, value, and know others, and myself in a deeper level. I would consciously grow not only through these perspectives but also through finding a connection which makes it meaningful to me.

Lastly, my third criteria would definitely be the food, dining options and quality of the food definitely matter to me. I wouldn’t be able to accomplish great things without good food. I would need nourishing and healthy food to overcome the pain of life’s heavy punches, even if I have a thick face.