Benjamin Franklin Motivation

November 2003. I jump through the hole in the Button as a last resort. I don’t want to lose the game of hide-and-seek that my brother and I started to entertain ourselves during Homecoming. November 2008. I laugh as I race around the Button, attempting not to get tagged. We’re older now, but the energy is still there, just like it is every Homecoming. September 2015. I stand with my college tour group and smile at that Button, thinking of the memories it holds and the new ones it will help create. I turn to the statue of Benjamin Franklin and look around at the institution he created. It’s then that I make a decision several years in the making. I’m going to be Benjamin Franklin. Sound crazy? Let me explain.
Ben Franklin was a combination
I want to be part of the Biological Basis of Behavior program to continue my passion about neuroscience and the human brain, but be able to cross campus to meet with my theater group and explore my other interests. I want the opportunity to do cutting-edge research through Penn’s emphasized research programs, like the Vagelos program, then join my friends the next Saturday afternoon in the stands as we throw toast to show our unwavering support for our Quakers. I want to think across academic lines, instead of having to pick just one interest. I want to be a building block in a supportive community. I want to collaborate with my peers and learn alongside students who will help me grow stronger and to strengthen them as well. I want to try new things and make mistakes. I want to learn about the world in a way that is not just limited to a college degree. I want to experience, I want to feel, I want to understand. I want to shout about my craziest, most far-fetched dreams, that I want to cure cancer and save the world, and I want to be told that they’re still valid and that here, at Penn, I can accomplish