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I Still Believe in Magic

Accepted to Stanford, Class of 2027

Prompt: Tell us about something that is meaningful to you and why.

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I still believe in magic. 

 

Since I was an unusually socially anxious ten-year-old, my parents were delighted when I joined the local magic club and participated in my first show. I pulled out my well-worn deck of Bicycle Rider Backs and performed one of my favorite card effects for the audience of parents and neighborhood kids. I really did start with “Pick a card, any card…”

 

Since then, many things have changed. The pandemic disrupted in-person meetings and shows and they never really came back. However, magic transcends space and time. Without magic, I would not be the person I am today. 

 

In magic and life, to trust oneself is incredibly important. The anxiety that had plagued me throughout my childhood had me examining my every word, terrified of slighting someone. Magic made me realize that no one seemed to notice my mistakes (which were acutely obvious to me). A plethora of apologies and requests for do-overs used to accompany my botched effects, but eventually I realized that most audience members failed to detect when I messed up. I found that I could even make the mistake part of the effect with some quick thinking.

 

Such is life. I learned to trust my magic skills, along with my words. I learned when to apologize, and when to dismiss the voice in my head telling me that I needed to be sorry for everything. 

 

My belief in magic allowed me to believe in myself, and it still does.

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