Student 29

My snow globes that I have collected since sixth grade represent that people seek knowledge to better understand the world. I collected these snow globes from little souvenir shops from various locations including Egypt, Atlanta, and London. This collection of objects represents traveling experiences that allowed me to develop understanding perspectives of different lifestyles. Particularly, I gained awareness of viewing the world through a new lens because these snow globes exposed me to unfamiliar settings, cultures, and traditions. Thus, by visiting unique places from each snow globe, I have expanded my knowledge of our world’s varied destinations.

Specifically, my snow globe with an Eiffel Tower reminds me of when I visited Paris as a 15 year old and gained insight into French culture through food, fashion, language, art, history, and architecture. By collecting snow globes from previously unexplored destinations, I collect new personal-experience based knowledge from that location. Experiences expose me to multiple realities within our world which broadens my comprehension of my surroundings. Thus proving that one seeks knowledge to develop new interpretations of our world.

Moreover, my object is justified to demonstrate that the more snow globes I gather when traveling, the more knowledge of the world’s intricate details I acquire. Rather than symbolizing physical spots I visited, these snow globes portray where I gained valuable insight into different cultures. As humans, we are unfamiliar with the entirety of knowledge regarding our world. Therefore, through these snow globes one desires to gain knowledge of what is around them to better comprehend the makeup of places that they are unaware of. This effect justifies that seeking knowledge is to improve a global understanding. By signifying new discoveries of the differences among societies, my collection of snowglobes shows how people constantly seek knowledge to obtain a personalized understanding of the world.

Upon finishing eighth grade, the Disney movie “UP” inspired me to collect my significant life moments in a tangible space, which led me to create my personal scrapbook. Here I keep pictures, birthday cards, certificates, and other items portraying future goals, such as college stickers and bucket list traveling spots. Ranging from the ticket of my very first concert to my grandmother’s most recent Chirstimas card, this book contains the most important components that make up my life. This scrapbook thus signifies that I seek knowledge to discover who I am.

Specifically, an example justifying my claim is the envelope that contained my first paycheck, a milestone for my teenage life. My scrapbook’s content, such as this envelope from my first job, allows me to gain insight on the significant events that have formed my character through experiences. Consequently, this drives my desire to understand how particular moments and memories shape who I am. Similarly as I do through my scrapbook, people explore their interests that have molded their past selves and affect who they hope to become by using knowledge from key life moments as a reference. Therefore, my object is justified to represent that people seek knowledge of their life in order to explore who they are.

Comparable to a map that guides people to a destination, my scrapbook guides me to reflect on personal history to discover knowledge of my individual values over time. From the knowledge I obtain from my scrapbook I learn to continue certain accomplishments, such as appreciating family relations portrayed from my collection of family pictures in the book. Conversely, items in my scrapbook also teach me to reflect on past mistakes to improve my character today, which is symbolized by the hospital band I kept that now teaches me to be careful on trampoline parks. Ultimately, because my scrapbook is a collection of significant moments influencing my life, it justifies the answer that we seek knowledge in order to understand how our personalized values form the people we are and our future aspirations.

Upon finishing her chemotherapy two years ago, my grandmother gave me a beautiful crystal box with the birth of Jesus in it which sits on my nightstand. This object is significant to me as a representation of her growth in faith through a sense of hope for overcoming adversity. Through my emotional tie to this box, it represents that I seek knowledge to better understand religious mysteries while creating a deeper connection to my faith through my family.

The sentimental value within this object drives me to grow closer with Jesus and my loved ones, thus exposing me to realities of why I seek knowledge. Specifically, this is noted when I look at the story of the birth of Jesus within the tiny box. The impactful story depicted in my object signifies human history as well as the basis to my religion. Therefore, this object is justified to represent that people seek knowledge that makes up their religion to better comprehend human history as well as their personal values from a religious perspective.

However, this object made me analyze the deeper concept of what knowers seek when we say ‘knowledge’. As humans, we are naturally driven to desire explanations for the unknowns surrounding us. My box symbolizes that seeking knowledge leads people to want to explain life’s meaning through religion and family connections. Consequently, this box allows me to understand that humans find ways to answer incomprehensible subjects of our world, like the meaning of life, with understandable concepts- such as religion depicted in my box being used as a truth to justify questions. Therefore, my object proves that people seek knowledge to develop their personal beliefs, specifically religious based, as a way to answer mysteries of life with new knowledge gained.