A Growing World 

成长中的世界

Ever since I was little I’ve been captivated by the world around me: the squirrels in my backyard, constellations that adorned the night sky, and trees whose roots form communities spanning hundreds of miles. Every week at the library I’d check out as many animal fact books as I could carry; books became my way of exploring the world until I could experience it myself.

从小，我就被周围的世界深深吸引：后院的松鼠、点缀夜空的星座、根深数百英里的参天大树。每周，我都会在图书馆借阅能拿走最大限度的有关动物知识的书籍；在收获亲身经历之前，书籍一直是我探索世界的方式。

Once I learned about the life of Jane Goodall, I dreamed of following in her footsteps: going away for years to live in the wild and study animals. The grassy Savannah, coral reefs deep underwater, and the jungles of the Amazon called for me to discover their secrets. I spent hours crouched in the grass or behind trees with an iPad, waiting to get the perfect shot of a grasshopper or cardinal for my own books that I would write about my travels to the great unknown land of my backyard.

当了解珍·古道尔（英国生物学家）的一生后，我梦想追随她的脚步：在野外生活多年，从事动物研究工作。草长莺飞的大草原、深海静谧处的珊瑚礁以及亚马逊丛林似乎都在召唤着我去探索它们的奥秘。因为热爱，我会花几个小时一动不动地蹲在草地上或树后，举着 iPad 等待拍下属于蚂蚱或红雀的完美镜头，而它们将会用作我对自家后院这片未知土地探索游记的重要素材。

图片为珍·古道尔（英国生物学家），图片来自网络

Since then, I’ve changed in many ways: I’ve moved to New York, made new friends, and dyed my hair, but I never lost my imaginative spirit and love for learning. Going to a small school there were few options for Science electives, so I sought other ways to explore new areas. I discovered our school had a Science Olympiad team and knew I’d feel right at home; It strengthened the sense of wonder studying science brought me when I was younger. I could be an Astronomer exploring the creation of the universe, a Forensic Scientist examining evidence to solve a crime, or a Geologist studying the rocks and minerals that form our home planet; Every day presented me with new challenges and adventures.

从那时起，我的生活也发生了很多改变：我搬到纽约生活，结识新的朋友，染了头发，但是我从没有失去属于自己的原发的想象力以及对学习的持续热爱。在一所规模比较小的学校里，科学选修课的设置及选择也相对有限，这也迫使我去寻求其他方法来探索新的领域去学习。当找到学校里科学奥林匹克竞赛队时，我有了一种回家的归属感。加入团队后的学习经历增强了年少时学习科学带给我的惊奇。未来的我可以是一名天文学家去探索宇宙形成的奥秘；我也可以是一名法医科学家去集证破案；或者成为一名地质学家去研究构成地球家园的岩石和矿物质；每一天都会带给我新的挑战和冒险。

Through all the time I spent with my teammates studying and building together, we became an incredibly close-knit team. It was the first time I made friends who shared the same nerdy interests I did. Some of my favorite memories in high school were running tests to perfect the design of our car, studying astronomy facts by pretending we were Jeopardy contestants, and the excitement we all felt seeing our teammates succeed. I’m fortunate to have worked with so many incredible people: I got to appreciate the unique perspectives and strengths of each person, and I’m proud to say they’ve become some of my best friends.

一起度过学习和磨合的时间，让我和队友们成为一个无比亲密的团队。这也是我第一次结交到与我拥有同样痴迷学习书呆子般兴趣的朋友们。高中时代最难忘的几个瞬间是和他们一起度过：不断测试去完善我们的汽车设计方案，假装自己是危险游戏竞赛（美国知识竞赛）的参赛选手来学习天文，以及看到队友取得胜利的兴奋之情。我觉得自己很幸运可以与这么多了不起的人一起并肩同行，我欣赏他们每一个人对待生活的独特视角和自身独特的优势。我也可以很自豪地说，他们中有些人已经成为了我最好的朋友。

图片为危险游戏竞赛（美国知识竞赛），图片来自网络

In astronomy, my partner Isabella was amazing at memorizing facts and understanding the intricate details of a topic whereas I was good at understanding and applying general concepts. Dividing the work allowed us to support each other’s weaknesses and let our strengths shine. By communicating to understand how we could support each other, we became partners working together towards a common goal instead of just two people who both happen to be participating in the same event, allowing us to accomplish more than we ever could have on our own.

在天文学方面，我的搭档伊莎贝拉擅长记忆事实和理解题目的复杂细节，而我则擅长理解和应用通识性概念。分工合作让我们能够在发挥各自长处的同时再互相支持对方的弱项。通过有效地沟通及了解如何进行互相支持，我们成为朝着共同目标而努力奋斗的伙伴，而不仅仅是碰巧参加同一活动的两个独立的个体，这让我们收获了比单枪匹马参赛的更大成就。

I used to think the key to success was personal dedication because I was used to working alone to accomplish my goals. I believed the team would succeed if each person became an expert in their events, but it was communicating with each other and learning to work well as a team instead of as individuals that allowed us to succeed No great feat or discovery was the work of an individual. From flying to the moon to sequencing the human genome, it took thousands of people working together to make it possible. I never would’ve made hundreds of amazing memories or gained a whole new perspective on the world we live in without my teammates.

因为习惯于独立完成自己的目标，我曾经认为成功的关键在于个人的努力。我也曾认为如果每个人都是自己领域内的专家，聚合到一起的团队就会取得成功，但是真正成功的秘诀是我们相互之间沟通以及学会如何达成团队合作而不是单打独斗的结果。从飞到月球再到人类基因基因测序，都是成千上万人共同努力的成果。如果没有我的队友，就没有无数个美好回忆的瞬间，我也不会对我们生活的世界有一个全新认知。

At eight years old I thought I had the world at my fingertips, but as I’ve grown, my horizons grew with me. Although I’m no longer traveling the world with nothing but my trusty books and imagination, I’m still always seeking out my next adventure, and now I know I’ll have my teammates by my side to support me.

八岁时，我以为世界就在指尖，但随着成长，我的认知边界也在不断地被打破。虽然现在不再只靠书本和想象力周游世界，但我仍然一直在寻找下一次冒险的机会，而我知道身边的队友会一直在。

Admissions Committee Comments

招生委员会反馈

Calla highlights her early wonder by dreaming of future expeditions and playing them out in her backyard. As Calla grows, so does her curiosity and ambition. She joins a team of dynamic peers within Science Olympiad. Through these experiences, Calla celebrates the strengths of those around her and realizes the importance of teamwork. She also demonstrates her multifaceted interests, and we can envision her succeeding in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment like our Homewood campus. This desire to pursue discovery in a community of diverse thinkers aligns with our university’s mission to create knowledge for the world.

Calla通过对在自家后院探险经历的描述，凸显了她梦想探险未来的好奇心。从文章中也可以看出随着Calla的成长，她的好奇心和雄心壮志也在不断增强。她加入到一个充满活力的由同龄人构成的科学奥林匹克竞赛团队。通过相关经历，Calla不仅能够欣赏身边人的长处和优势，过程中也认识到团队合作的重要性。同时，她也展现了自己多元的兴趣爱好，我们可以预见她将在霍姆伍德校区这样一个跨学科的合作环境中取得成功。这种在由不同思想家构成的社群中追求探索与成长的渴望与我校为世界创造知识的使命不谋而合！

本文内容来自 Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions

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图片来自约翰霍普金斯大学官网