Yes, I'm alive. I may have sold my soul to the University of California, Berkeley, but I'm alive.
So, I believe my last post was right around the time I got accepted to Cal, and I haven't had the time to write since. Whenever I did get some spare time, there were just so many things to say and I didn't know how to say them all.
Recently, I was asked to write a thank you note to the donors who are funding my scholarship. I started writing and it felt like the process I went through with my UC personal statement; it was so clichè and I didn't hear my voice at all. I decided that, at the risk of looking like a horrible way to invest scholarship money, I would write a somewhat unconventional thank you letter that still showed how incredibly thankful I am for their generosity without losing that ever so unique (and ridiculous) Angie touch.
Although the letter was kind of weird, maybe even inappropriate, I don't think I could have been any more honest about how I feel about Cal. So enjoy my first (and depending on the donors' reaction, possibly my last) post as a proud Cal Bear.
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It is needless to say that I love Cal. I love every aspect of the campus, the people, and the culture surrounding this historic university. But my most favorite part of Cal may come as somewhat of a shock. It’s not the campanile; it’s not Sproul Plaza or the Big C. It’s not Oski or Memorial Stadium. It’s the soap dispensers in the bathrooms. More often than not, I am running around campus, my lunch in one hand and a study guide in the other. My nose is either buried in a book or in front of a computer screen, and it feels like the only time my hands aren’t furiously typing or scratching down pages of notes is when I’m washing them. Only when I’m washing my hands am I able to stop and take a break from transcribing information from mind to paper. Every time I reach for the soap and see the blue and gold Cal insignia printed on every dispenser, I am reminded that I go to the #1 public university in the United States. Every time I go to wash my hands, I am reminded that all of my hard work, in addition to your gracious donation, has made my dream of being a Cal Bear a reality. With that thought alone, I am revitalized and ready to take on anything that Cal can throw my way.
It is with your generous donation and noble commitment to education that I have the opportunity to explore the world and everything it has to offer. At UC Berkeley, I have access to some of our nation’s most highly respected scholars, state of the art resources and facilities, and an environment that is conducive to intellectual and personal growth. And your generosity has done far more than just alleviate financial strain on my family. Receiving this scholarship has helped to inspire my family to reach higher and never give up hope because I’ve proven that no dream is unattainable. As a transfer student, doubt and insecurity about one’s future is inevitable. Your kindness has opened the door to my future, and ensured countless opportunities for a lifetime of happiness and success. No amount of “thank you’s” could ever repay you for the incredible, life-changing opportunity you’ve given me. And, most of all, thank you for having faith in me. I promise that not one second I spend at one Cal will be wasted or taken for granted, and I will always be sure to take advantage of the fact that with this incredible education, I will hold the world and my future right in the palm of my (washed and squeaky-clean) hand.
