哈佛申请揭秘：10篇真实文书，如何写出属于你的独特故事？（四）-新东方前途出国

Of the memorable moments in my life when I have discovered one of my passions, almost all of them involve my bright yellow Crocs. Buying rubber shoes in such a conspicuous color was not a spontaneous decision; it took me two months to choose. I had been stalking crocs.com, clicking between the color options, and asking for the unsatisfying opinions of friends before what felt like my rom-com “meet cute” moment: a girl wearing a black tracksuit walked past me in Crocs the brightest shade of yellow I had ever seen. That very week, I opened my laptop and decisively purchased a size 8 pair of “Lemon” Crocs. Ten business days (and two months to build up the courage to wear my eye-catching kicks out in public) later, my self-discovery began.

I was wearing my Crocs when I recognized the importance of activism in young communities. This revelation came on a Saturday in March 2018. I took a 25-minute train ride down to Washington D.C. to participate in the March for Our Lives rally—my first protest. For all 25 anxiety-inducing minutes, my heart raced and my muscles tightened as I tried to ignore the probing stares from strangers wondering why I decided to pair yellow shoes with a green coat.

But my fears (both Croc and non-Croc related) quickly dissolved as I stood alongside activists that were my age; in front of a stage dominated by leaders that were my age; making me realize that the only thing stopping me from being a student activist, at my age, was effort. The young voices calling for change inspired me to step into my responsibility to use my voice to help those whose voices are being suppressed. I stood there for one hour, but what I saw was enough to encourage me to actualize my vision for a world where students are driven to engender social change through service. So, five months later, I co-founded The Virago Project (TVP), a student-led organization focused on building a community of activists like the ones I stood alongside in March. A “virago” is a woman displaying exemplary qualities, but the term has been twisted to demean assertive women. From its name to its activities, TVP is about redefining leadership.

After my day in D.C., I wore my Crocs to every student meeting TVP held. I wore them as we sold 150 handmade bracelets to raise funds for a local children’s home and again when we posted colorful cards with encouraging messages all over my high school. Walking into rooms full of ambitious student leaders using TVP as a jumping-off point for their own service projects, I beamed as their gaze met my sunny shoes and then shot up to my equally cheery smile.

“Dunni, why do you wear such noticeable shoes when you lead these meetings?” asked one of our activists.

Pleasantly dumbfounded, I could only respond with a curious smile—it’s not often that frivolous items lead to unintentionally philosophical inquiries. So, I held my tongue until the answer struck on a late-night in November 2019.

I wear such noticeable shoes when I stand in front of other student leaders because I want to model the kind of leadership that is as smile-inducing, deliberate, and visible as my Crocs. TVP has trained me to be, above all, altruistic, and I love that I get to learn and model this with a generation of world changers. It took me two months to decide I wanted a pair of sun-colored shoes but only two seconds and a model to realize that I desired the option I’d once overlooked. Now, I realize that, to curious strangers, I am the girl walking past in Crocs the brightest shade of yellow they have ever seen. And I am delighted with the thought that I could be the one to break someone’s cycle of indecision and social apathy.

从一双黄 Crocs 到学生运动：她如何走上领导力之路

📝 学生原文摘要：

Claire 用一双“柠檬黄”的 Crocs 开场，串联起自己踏入学生公共事务的转折点。从刚开始在华盛顿参与游行到创立学生组织 TVP，她以轻快又坚定的语调，讲述了如何在年轻群体中实践有温度、有辨识度的领导力。

🎓 顾问点评：轻巧开篇背后，藏着成熟的公共意识与自我表达

1️⃣ 符号化切入：从“Crocs”引出价值观的过程自然可信
文书以一双醒目的鞋作为切入点，不仅增强了辨识度，也构建了独特的个人意象。她并未急于引出“领导力”这一主题，而是循序渐进地展示了自己如何从被他人激励，走向激励他人。这种从细节生发的结构，在众多申请文书中极具新鲜感。

2️⃣ 不只是做了什么，更在反思为什么
Claire 在文中没有停留在“参与活动”或“创办社团”的表面，而是反复强调行动背后的意义。例如，她对“Virago”一词重新定义的设定，就让组织的初衷与女性领导力之间建立起深层连接。

3️⃣ 情绪真实，语言风格松弛但有力量
这篇文书展现了作者的情绪张力，却不矫饰。她既能用幽默调侃自己的穿搭焦虑，也能在段落结尾稳稳落地，将“visible leadership”作为一段旅程的总结。这种自洽的表达，是当前精英文书中较为稀缺的特质。

✅ 顾问建议：

✍️ 总结一句话：

领导力不一定是站在高台上的演讲，也可以是穿一双黄 Crocs 走入他人的视野，并点燃新的行动火花。Claire 用这篇文书，恰到好处地诠释了这一点。