Personal Statement
I believe human purpose comes from within, when we feel a sense of alignment with our surroundings and our spirits are content.
The sun's pinkish hue illuminated the evening sky behind the city of Durban, an eastern coastal town in South Africa. We had just finished playing beach soccer with some local guys and started getting ready to head back to the hostel where my friends and I were staying. We were looked after by Christian nuns who provided us with delicious food and shelter. We were there to offer a helping hand to the South African community conflicted with AIDS and the lasting effects of apartheid. The beach was right next to the city, and as we walked back to the street we ran into a group of jovial schoolboys who were eating colorful ice cream cones outside of a corner store, facing the sunset. We walked up to them, asked them in Zulu, "Kunjani?", meaning "How's it going". They immediately recognized laughed at our foreign accents, and replied in English, "Nothing too much". We laughed as well, went inside the corner store and bought some ice creams from the elderly woman running the store. We joked with them about school and dating advice, finished our treats and said our goodbyes as the night began and street lights turned on. As we journeyed back through the Valley of 1000 Hills to the nunnery, my friends and I continued to laugh and talk about the memories we made throughout that day. I couldn't help but feel imbued with a sense of purpose. I was 8,000 miles away from home, but it didn't even matter. The orange streetlights flooded the dirt road lined with tin roof homes and it felt like I was walking back home. I came here to volunteer at orphanages and assist ICU nurses at the local AIDS centers, but I was engaging with everything and everyone around me. Every part of the day was exciting and inspiring, whether it be eating the Bunny Chow the sisters had prepared or fetching IV bags for the nurses.
