Profile: College essay of Leah Knobler about her brother
NPR Morning Edition March 30, 2001 | RENEE MONTAGNE 00-00-0000 Profile: College essay of Leah Knobler about her brother Host: RENEE MONTAGNE Time: 11:00 AM-12:00 Noon RENEE MONTAGNE, host: here college essay topics
Today we finish a week of college admissions essays by high school seniors around the country. Leah Knobler of Cincinnati writes about her relationship with her older brother.
LEAH KNOBLER: `Oh, Jonah, play the piano for us,’ they cried. `No, recite the periodic table of elements instead.’ OK. So maybe nobody asked him to recite the periodic table of elements, but the fact of the matter is he could have done it.
On June 5th, 1999, our house was filled with relatives, friends and other members of the Jonah Knobler fan club for my brother’s graduation party. After all, he was the valedictorian. He did ace the ACT and he was going to attend Harvard in the fall. The spotlight as usual was on him.
Having an older brother like mine, I often get asked, `How does it feel to be Jonah’s younger sister?’ Most people assume my answer will be filled with self-pity: `My life has been awful because I can never measure up to what he achieves and I will always be stuck in his shadow.’ But the truth is different. I genuinely respond, `My brother is one of a kind and living with him has been an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.’ Jonah’s most obvious strength is his academic ability. I admire the effort and determination he puts into his schoolwork as well as the results he achieves. However, watching Jonah focus so much of his high school career on academics has motivated me to seek a better balance in mine.
I witnessed firsthand how my brother had to win awards and contests in order to feel good about himself. I saw his disappointment and panic if he dropped below an A on any assignment. My brother’s single- minded pursuit of academic perfection left him unhappy and a little lonely. I wanted none of this for myself. I wanted my confidence to be rooted inside instead of from external accolades. site college essay topics
I stepped out of his shadow and made his weaknesses into my strengths. I purposely sought balance in my life among academics, athletics and friendships. I’ve been on two varsity sports teams, captain of one and served on student council for three years while maintaining a high honor roll GPA.
But sometimes I find a moment in my busy schedule to daydream the following scenario: Two years have passed since Jonah’s graduation party. Harvard man is home for spring break. I’m a senior now and captain of the lacrosse team, so I invite him to the qualifying game for the state tournament. It’s tied with only a few minutes remaining on the clock and I score the winning goal. The fans go wild and I feel awesome. I see Jonah rush towards the field to congratulate me. A local reporter blocks his way and I overhear his question, `Jonah, how does it feel to be Leah’s older brother?’ MONTAGNE: The college essay of Leah Knobler who attends Sycamore High School in Cincinnati.
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