Read The College Essay That Helped Micheal Brown Sweep 20 Top Colleges And $260,000 In Scholarships

Almost all American high school students who apply to college write one basic essay they give to every school. Micheal Brown, the Houston public high school student who got into all 20 of the top colleges where he applied, wrote not one but three main essays, then submitted the one he thought was most appropriate to each school. I asked Micheal to share one of those essays with Forbes, and this is the one he picked:

I jumped up and down and started shouting, “Yes we can! Yes, we can!” But my mother was quick to correct me.

She told me, “Yes we did!” because Barack Obama had been elected the first Black president of the United States.

November 4, 2008, marked the beginning of my personal infatuation with politics. I was inspired that a Black man from humble beginnings could ascend all the way to the presidency. From that point on, I took up arms for the Democratic Party, interning for a litany of Democratic candidates in local elections.

During my internships, I heard many similar campaign promises from Democratic hopefuls. But as elected officials, those who were once hopeful fell flat on their political promises. I was disappointed with the political party that had previously inspired my political activism.

Until recently, I had never questioned my affinity with the Democratic Party. I realized that neither party was always "right," and soon thereafter, I realized that the weight of political identification requires a process of self-discovery that is thorough and complete. I desired to experience the full political spectrum.

I progressed along the onerous process of political identification during one memorable meal. For weeks, my friend, Chandler, was ecstatic about an upcoming spring break trip. She invited some friends from the tennis team to her family vacation home in Horseshoe Bay, TX.

Once we arrived at her vacation house, we unpacked our luggage and gathered around for some steak and potatoes. 

I went up to Chandler’s father at the grill and asked for a medium-well steak. I sat down, cut into the steak, and the myoglobin rushed out onto my plate.

For the next few minutes, I ate my bloody steak in silence. I knew that Chandler’s mother was a board member for the Harris County Republican Party. We had previously discussed issues like environmental regulations and tax policy, but I had never listened to the logic behind Mrs. Vrba’s opinions. Tonight's discussion was going to be different.

Still sulking over my rare, soupy steak, I thought intently about which areas of political discussion would be featured on the menu. Regardless of the specific topic, I was ready to have a translucent dialogue, a free-flowing exchange of ideas.

In between bites of steak, Mrs. Vrba would ask about my views on various political matters. I would provide substantial responses based on my personal rationalization of the "standard" liberal position, and I was surprised whenever Mrs. Vrba would agree with my opinion. I'd never thought that a self-identified Republican would be both pro-choice and pro-marijuana.

Mrs. Vrba's disposition challenged many of the perceived notions and stereotypes that I held about the average conservative. She explained that her general political affiliation stems from her childhood experience. Growing up on a farm, Mrs. Vrba’s parents emphasized the absolute necessity to work hard for everything in life. Her humble background meant that, politically, she would be more concerned with maintaining a strong conservative view on fiscal issues rather than focusing her personal political capital on social issues, where she leans towards the political left.

“Republican” and “Democrat” are labels that we use to categorize and simplify our opinions. My experience with the 2008 election pushed me to label myself as a “democrat,” but I’ve come to realize that I maintain a few conservative values. And even when there are values with which I disagree, I’ve come to respect and understand the logical and emotional basis of the opposing viewpoints.

323 million Americans may never agree on every single issue, but we must come together. Mrs. Vrba and I had civil discourse over a rare steak, so maybe if we all sit for a meal, we may discover the intersections of our political affiliation and our living reality. Humanity reigns over political identity because our identities are cumulative reflections of our life experiences, communities, and interactions.