McKenzie Templeton

HONORS 100 | Portfolio Statement

As a student at the University of Washington, I have realized that my ideal world
has become my reality-- a scholastic utopia, where I can develop intellectually while
learning about my distinct abilities and personal goals in the process. My aspirations have
changed here, as I have been influenced by a multitude of forces, including my
International Studies courses, my professors, my extracurricular activities, and my
knowledgeable and culturally diverse peers.
The classes Ive taken, both general and from the Jackson School, have revealed
to me my love of academia, my propensity for languages, and my relative obsession with
international affairs. Ive discovered that learning, as opposed to the utter memorization I
endured in high school, is beautiful. Some of the most poignant memories from my
education have been remarkably simple, like discussing the Enlightenment and Deism in
a study group, or having a literary epiphany on Jane Austens Persuasion over Starbucks
coffee. Ive learned that the purpose of a university is not only to prepare an individual
for a career, but also to teach one to think critically, on a variety of subjects. Moreover,
International Studies has proved itself to be my perfect major. I am fascinated by
international relations and contemporary events and their origins in the past, which is a
theme that all my International Studies professors have advanced. I feel empowered by
the research I conduct, notably for a paper on the Muslim Brotherhood and the Arab
Spring, by studying these historical connections. In conjunction with International
Studies I will also continue to study Hindi, a language that I have a special aptitude in.
Learning Hindi has been very challenging, yet also gratifying: Whether learning it in the

classroom at the University of Washington, or haggling with the autowala in India and
watching old Bollywood movies with my host sister, I highly value the knowledge I
attain from testing myself, from simply being bold enough to converse with a native
speaker in Seattle or travel to India to further develop my newly acquired communication
skills from UW. This experience has confirmed that learning Hindi will be a life-long
process, but one that is well worth the ability to come to recognize and grasp the diverse,
internal social, spiritual, and political ideologies of India. Through the all lectures that
Ive absorbed and formidable reading lists conquered, these classes have challenged my
views, have allowed me to appreciate difference and complexity of thought, and have
instilled in me an insatiable curiosity.
In my time at UW thus far, I am astounded at how much I have learned from my
peers. The friends I have made here always offer me different perspectives, enabling me
to understand global events or cultural paradigms through other individuals: a friend from
Aleppo, Syria who despairs at not being able to recognize her own city on T.V. Another
who has relatives hiding in bomb shelters in Israel, and decries American media for
unbalanced coverage of the violence in Gaza. And another whose parents compel her to
live in accordance with the values of the cutthroat Indian education system. I am more
globally aware at the University of Washington than I have ever been in my life, solely
from the experiences that my peers share and the ideas that we form collaboratively,
whether in formal section or in a debate in Model United Nations on foreign policy,
where I received an award for best position paper. Living with these sorts of individuals
intensifies this experience, for my roommates are the most ambitious people Ive known,
and have driven me to be more involved in my community and connected to campus

while balancing my course load and internship. My peers inspire me everyday to be more
informed and to strive not only for academic excellence, but also for extracurricular
commitment and experiential learning. Ive come to understand that much learning is to
be done outside the classroom: therein lies the difference between wisdom and erudition.
Returning to my small hometown, I have realized how much I have developed
intellectually, my vastly enhanced cultural literacy, and my improved ability to argue. It is
said that a mind broadened by new experiences and knowledge cannot return to its former
dimensions, which Ive found to hold true in that Im no longer amused by habits turned
stale: gossiping with old high school friends or visiting the local grocery store for the
same narrow chatter. The University of Washington has changed me, and has deepened
the pleasure I receive from complexity and global awareness, as well as from cultural
knowledge. While I still enjoy the comforts of home and recognize that I am a familyoriented person, I have learned to live independently, think analytically, and reflect
meaningfully on my time here. Im impressed by the amount of confidence Ive gained,
and envision a future at the University of Washington of continued self-realization and
progression towards a role in diplomacy and in the international community.