SSAT Essays

SSAT Jan 4, 2020 (Transcribed verbatim, for readability)

We all have between dreams to be successful in some way or another. When I was younger, I dreamed of becoming a teacher, a NASA scientist and a hairdresser. Our definition of success is perpetually changing.

We often rely on achievements to help us reach for the stars. We also rely on them to carry us to our definition of success. Achievements are constant, they don't change. A medal, grade, ranking, and our performance at a specific time will always remain unchanged because it's in the past. Dr. Seuss once remarked “Sometimes we don't realize the importance of a moment until it becomes a memory”. Our past will either haunt us to our deathbed or it will allow us to rise. “The moments of today will be the memories of tomorrow”. Therefore it's imperative to set short-term goals....continued

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and long-term goals, which I have been working on. 

We have the ability to change our definition of success, but the value of achievements will forever remain constant. Sadly, in some cases such as a job application one’s achievements, such as which college they attended and their performance define them, rather than their personality. This connects back to a poem I read in elementary school which stated that “All we need to know, we learned in kindergarten.” We learn to work, play, be kind and have manners. 

These same skills come can allow one to thrive for infinite lifetimes. Our achievements surpass the value of these essential in basic skills in today's society. This hampers the ability of an individual to meet their goal and become successful.

Everyone is so focused on getting certificates and scores, that there is no time left for curiosity and being kind. The greatest discoverys where made by people like Newton who sat under an apple tree and discovered gravity. By being mindful, he became one of the most renown individuals, even today. 

Success is how we define it and achievements is how society defines us. There are two solutions to become successful. We can emphasize that personality is equally as important than achievements, or we can change our own definition of success. My definition of success is being happy and being loved.

SSAT Dec 14, 2019 (Transcribed verbatim, for readability)

I’ve always felt distant from celebrities. The air around and feel so foreign that I have never really been able to connect with them. Rather, I feel much closer to people whom I know and am familiar with. In order to understand who a person truly is, you need to listen to the full story. One needs to understand the blood sweat and tears that a person went through to feel connected. That person is my grandfather. I grew up in a house of boys. I have five cousins who are all boys and older than me. Every summer we reunite in Brazil or at my home in Long Island. While they played on their Xbox or on their phones, my grandfather would keep me company with stories. He frequently tells me about his childhood in Campina grande, Brazil. 

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He explains the grueling 8 mile walk to school and back every day, and his constant fear of getting robbed and glancing behind his shoulder every second of the way. He never fails to shock me when I am told that he was the first to graduate high school in his entire village. As we sit under the sweltering Brazil air we look outside the window at the bustling market place and reflect on how much the small campina grande has changed.

Through my grandfathers tales, I am able to appreciate how fortunate I am. An annual summer tradition of my family is having a 3-week long science competition. Each day my brother, cousins and I prepare an experiment and present it to the adults. The one with the most votes win and receive sweets made by my grandmother. My grandpa was a chemistry teacher at the University in Brazil. He often helps me with figuring out the reson behind my experiments when I feel helpless. While the boys were playing in the tablets, I would create a solid presentation. I most often win which they credit to bias.

Having a shoulder to lean on is one of the most amazing things. Knowing my grandfather’s full story, I’m able to appreciate who he is inside. He has changed who I am today, and who I will be tomorrow.

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