College Admissions Essay: Global Citizenship

Words: 477
Pages: 2

Global citizenship is not something simply earned, such as visa stamps on a passport; rather, to me, it is the mindset that my life should be more than a pursuit of conformity or perhaps worse, comfort. I was raised in a stable home; the kind of home that produces conformed, comfortable people, yet I've learned that ease and placidity are overrated.

Unsurprisingly, my global mindset was not discovered in my home country. Rather, it was unveiled in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, on a service trip to build a home near the outskirts of town. I was awed by a new worldview where happiness is not dependent upon material wealth and people are not distracted by the developed world. Even those entrenched in poverty were not overly envious of me or my companions. Instead, they laughed and smiled like any other joyful people. Surprisingly, in some ways, I was envious of them, but in reality, my ideal was never
…show more content…
In fact, my desire began to grow to the point that I regularly began to go back to that same community in order to help. Eventually, being only a participant in the trip was not enough for me. I began to serve as the leader and organizer of an international trip of nearly twenty-five people. Because of this, I do not only better comprehend basic leadership skill such as public speaking or delegation; I have learned that a leader must keep their heart pure, even through the onerous details of organization. For global citizens, whoever they are serving, their true purpose and heart must shine through every detail.

However, one trip, no matter how many times taken or role served, does not solely make me a global citizen. As I said before, global citizenship embraces the mindset that service cannot and should not be left in another country. As I carry the memories I have made both at home and abroad with me each day, I strive to remember that, as a global citizen, my responsibility is not only to myself, but to others as