It filled me with tension, hovering my mouse over the “open application” button.
My stomach twirled when I purchased tickets for a seemingly endless flight.
My chest tightened sitting outside of Davenport College before walking in.
With every step of my YYGS application and acceptance, anxiety was my shadow.. I was not alone in my fears, to be sure – anxiety plagues nearly a third of students globally. However, community in discomfort did not make my restless nights any easier.
Yale Young Global Scholars was the pinacle of my success and anxiety intertwining. I wrote honest essays, bared my seemingly average grades to the admissions team, and waited for what felt like years to know my fate – all achievements to be proud of. However, just like any good best friend would, anxiety followed me.
My daily questions consumed me. Would they see through my Cs and Bs and into my perseverance through hardship? Would my essays paint an accurate picture of the person I am? Could I overcome the mountainous applicant pool? For every interrogation, anxiety threw at me a devastating assumption. I swore there was no chance I’d find my name on a YYGS certificate.
But alas, my anxiety was wrong.
My anxiety was wrong when it spoke to me the most unsightly version of a future I worked so hard for. My anxiety was wrong about cross-country flights – no Boeing incidents for me. And most importantly, my anxiety was wrong about Pierson College and Yale – my anxiety was wrong about YYGS.
When I stepped through the vintage doors of Stairway G I could finally breathe. Tears filled my eyes as joy filled the void that my anxiety left. With every early bird walk I took through the halls of Pierson and Davenport, I felt anxiety let go of my hand like a mother finally letting her youngest child out of the nest. I had dreamed about Yale for years and it accepted me like a friend you’ve never met but somehow feels so familiar. Yale – and YYGS – became my second home the moment I set my suitcase down. Nothing can replace the feeling of turning that G11 dorm key.
Between my newfound friends from corners of the world I could only dream of touching – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and Kenya to name a few – and the endlessly empathetic and inspiring staff, YYGS exceeded all of my expectations and silenced my anxieties. Everyone I met at YYGS had a little slice of home in them with their remarkable knowledge and curiosity.
Anxiety was my best friend when I applied to YYGS – and it still is now! With so many daunting figures surrounding the application process, being admitted can feel like an impossible mountain to scale. The anxiety of applying almost steered me away entirely. However, YYGS taught me to forgive and welcome my anxiety – to embrace the discomfort in such daunting experiences. Behind unfounded fears lies the most life-changing experiences. Take the leap, reader, YYGS is waiting for you.
Paxton, YYGS 2024, USA