Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community?
Sometimes, an institution or an after-school music, poetry, or sports program can have a lifelong impact on the person's journey. In this example, the applicant and his brother found the library to be a sacred space to stay out of trouble. The mother found it a cheaper alternative to arranging for babysitting. The experience of growing up, relying on the wisdom of Newton, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Galileo, Warren Buffet, and Aristotle sets the tone for the value a library offers.
The second half of the essay is about replicating the same value in a modern attention-sparse society. Even in this tech-heavy reality where information is available at your fingertips, the value of the library as a space for mentorship and facilitating the sharing of wisdom is a re-imagining of an old institution.
Sample Yale SOM Community MBA Essay: Library as a Community Space (489 Words)
In the mid-2000s, my mother struggled as a Single Parent. The babysitter’s schedule and the steep cost of managing two boys in New York City created anxiety in her. She found a quick hack – drop us off at New York Public Library for her afternoon shift and pick us up on return. The librarian caught onto the arrangement, but she never intervened.
I was in awe of the opportunity to just flip the book and be transported to the world of Newton, Gandhi, Martin Luther King..
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