(College App. Essays from 3 years ago. hehe)
Jillian Conner Hope College Application: “Something That is Important to Me”
The most important things in our lives are usually the things we put the most into: the most energy, the most money, the most effort, and the most time. It is easy to see where and how much people will invest in certain areas of their lives but sometimes this is not enough to measure true importance. The better question is how is it invested? That is why it took me the longest time to identify something that is important to me. What I did not understand was that there comes a point when we no longer feel we are constantly expending ourselves. Instead this certain aspect has become a part of our life, our identity. What has become one of these to me is the Youth Dance Ministry at my church.
Our Youth Dance Ministry began only a year ago as just a small group of girls meeting together once a week to dance, laugh, and eat brownies. It usually happens that where two or more teenage girls are gathered, gossip, drama and cattiness are sure to follow but thankfully this is not so with our group. Over the past year we have shared our stories and our vulnerabilities, which has connected us on the deepest level. It makes me laugh when I look back on what I used to call deep, meaningful friendships. Now I see those were just friends who were around me at the time, had similar interests and could tolerate me and vice versa. This group, our Youth Dance Ministry, is so much more than just a new set of friends—it is a community. Community is defined as a group of people with a common purpose. A community, though made up of individuals, is bigger than the individuals that make it up, just as its purpose is bigger than the community. Each individual contributes to the common interests of the group so that we can remain focused on sharing our faith through the art of dance.
The leader and founder of the Youth Dance Ministry is my dance teacher, Bethany Pellow. She continually shows true dedication to see the ministry and the people involved grow and mature. Because of Bethany’s naturally nurturing personality, her dance classes are often transformed into a form of dance therapy. Most of the girls involved have somewhat of a shy, demure nature, but Bethany has provided an environment where they feel free to open up. These girls who would never dream of even reading the announcements in Sunday School are up in front of a congregation of one-thousand, two-hundred people leading improvisational dance worship. The confidence we have all gained together never ceases to amaze me.
Bethany is more than just my teacher. She has been my mentor. A mentor, for me, has to be someone whom I respect and admire who is at least one life-stage ahead of me. Bethany is always willing to talk, to advise, to listen, and to care. This kind of care has been contagious; because of it I am now mentoring some of the younger girls in the ministry. I know what a difference it has made for me to have someone whose guidance I can trust and I wish to do the same for other girls. It is so significant when they open up and share with me about their day-to-day lives and the struggles they meet. I am able to look back and pull from my experiences and the guidance others have given me to guide them. The best thing is that they actually listen. Because I am not related or considered ancient, I am unable to receive the infamous “you don’t know what it’s like” in response to my advice. I am able to use my influence as a “cool senior” in a positive and very rewarding way.
The Youth Dance Ministry is a community where each individual supports one another emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We are able to reach out to the world around us even further because we have the assurance of that support. By learning to work together under pressure without snapping, we have come to recognize and be comfortable with people’s differences and preferences. We have had to engage one another in order to continue to bring ideas to the table, to create costumes, dance sequences, organize trips, rehearsals and much more. Because of this ministry each of us has become more the confident young women of God, ready to strive forward and make a difference in the world and that is something important.
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