Noah, if you'd like. I'm the one on the left.
Here's what I ended up submitting:
The Moonlight Amphitheatre, a local semi-professional theater, was my sanctuary for years. Musical Theatre always acted as constant in my life. I performed in musicals every summer, and when I wasn’t performing, I was volunteering. Either selling raffle tickets or ushering, I stayed involved however I could. The experience revealed my want to embrace and seek out diversity as I pursued the future.
The performing aspect wasn’t what attracted me; I never minded being in front of people, but I never found it that rewarding. However, I could never get enough of the atmosphere. Theatre naturally attracts the outgoing type, and the people I met were of the most interesting and diverse group I had ever been a part of. Many roles were profile specific, which led to a constant flux of different people. Meeting and watching this ever-changing mass interact showed me how people really should be treated. People in theatre always seemed to be open to people, rejecting childish stereotypes and not passing the sort of judgments I had been exposed to for so long in society.
The summer entering my senior year, I was hired at Moonlight’s restaurant and concession stand. It was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. I started as the cashier for the stand and absolutely enjoyed what I was doing. The work itself was generally bland and unexciting, but the constant interaction with strangers and co-workers was both enjoyable and enlightening. I learned how to play off of aggressive personalities, how to react to timid ones, and how far being polite and having a smile can go.
My experiences performing and working at the Moonlight directly shaped my aspirations. To not only accept diversity, but to seek and embrace it. To constantly surround myself with new people, and to show everyone the respect they deserve. I now know that no matter which way my life goes, I’ll be content as long as I’m perpetually searching for, learning from, and embracing different people, different activities, and different ideas.
edit- thanks everyone who actually took some time to offer constructive criticism. I really appreciate it