Mountcastle 1

Tristan Mountcastle
Dr. Kelber-Kaye and Dr. Stacey
Honors Forum
8 September 2014
Personal Statement
I don't know how fervently I believe in the existence of any permanent state of self, so
describing who I believe myself to be right now is something of a moot point from my perspective. In
my experience ephemerality and openness to change has always been an asset, and a facet of myself
that I hold as paramount to my mercurial sense of self. By constantly reevaluating how I feel and think
I am able to effectively combat the toxic thinking I've been indoctrinated with as a member of a
relatively warped and extremely pervasive culture. I strive to constantly update myself and recognize
the different experiences others live with and try to accordingly adapt to an understanding of the
struggles others face. I believe that right now I am a fairly righteous fellow, but that's strictly because
I'm writing with such ardent propriety right at this moment. Although I certainly do maintain these
ideals in my waking life, when thinking critically about my person it is easy to elaborate on the values I
most actively try to uphold and manifest regularly.
In my efforts to consistently live in a manner that positively enhances the people I
encounter in my life I do indeed believe I have accomplished some good through living out these
habits. I enriched a group of kindergarten aged youths with feminist ideology at a Summer camp my
junior year. I ran a workshop for middle schoolers in my county which was centered on developing self
love and rejecting harmful stereotypes. I'm proud of these endeavors over most others I undertook in
high school, surpassed by only the fulfilling relationships I've made with friends and peers. Friendships
are of the utmost importance to me because it's such a monumental force that can be achieved with
minimal effort. Simply by being kind and accepting of others bonds and supports that mean a great deal

can be accomplished easily.

I am enchanted with the world and all of its contents. The inhabitants of this planet, both
living and inanimate, inspire me endlessly. I am constantly learning and growing and absorbing new
ideas and I hope that I can continue becoming. The process of life itself is becoming. There is no actual
definitive endpoint for anyone outside of death. I hope that I never cease becoming new.
My top tier goal is to enact radical social change in the Western world, ridding the
populace of archaic oppressive ideals and harmful social norms. My peak career path would result in
me working as a lobbyist for the Human Rights Campaign, fraternizing with the enemies of all that I
value in return for capital. I'm really excited about all of the possible outcomes that could develop in
my life, though. I could live a happy life as a social worker, or an activist, or a gardener, or a poet. Life
is so varied just as I hope to be.