Admission Essay Sample: Volunteering at Saint Peter’s Hospital in New Brunswick

One of things that I have prioritized for most of my life is always being productive. I’ve always had a drive to do the most that I can and take advantage of all of the opportunities that I have been provided with in my life. Being a three season athlete surely attests to this characteristic. Freshman year, I wanted to get involved in my school in the most ways possible, therefore, I joined the field hockey team with no prior experience. Not only did this sport keep me active, it allowed me to make new friends in a school with students that are diverse geographically. I went a step further and participated in winter track and field as well as spring track and field. Though sports have been a constant in my life, so has the dire need to help others in any way I can. I knew that from the constant knowledge that I was learning in the Animal and Botanical Program, I could apply what I knew in a positive way. Thus, coming across an ad for the Bluemont Sanctuary located in Colts Neck, felt as though the perfect freedom to fulfill my desires but also explore my possible career paths. After communicating with the family that owns the sanctuary, my preconceived assumption was that the sanctuary just took care of animals that were no longer wanted. However, I soon found out that the sanctuary did much more than that. A majority of the horses and other animals were brought there due to injuries, medical issues, age, and overall animal neglect. 

Though, like others, I saw the occasional ASPCA commercials of dogs and cats who’ve been neglected and abused by their owners, I never knew the true extremity of these situations. However, after visiting the Bluemont Sanctuary, I knew that there are animals that I can do my part in helping in my own community. Not only this, but after seeing the intentions and goals of the owners, I recognized that they aligned with my own standards for the things that I wanted to achieve and provide for others. One particular animal that I remember encountering the first time I was at the sanctuary was Moses, a draft mule who had worked in the Amish community. Moses was said to be a working draft mule for 24 years yet still ended up in a cramped and unhealthy holding place until he was to be slaughtered or auctioned off. These holdings of mass horses are what are known as kill pens and are where a majority of the animals in Bluemont Sanctuary are rescued from. As I was being told Moses' heartbreaking story, I observed the old, tranquil mule as it ate hay. There was not a single reason that had crossed my mind of why this animal did not deserve to live out the rest of its life. Though a stranger, it strolled over to where I stood and allowed me to touch him without a hint of the terror or abandonment surely left behind from it’s previous owners. From there on, I recognized that these animals had serviced humanity, whether it be breeding, racing, or as working horses, but had been unrightly discarded after they were of no use. Though a tough realization to come to, the opportunity to volunteer at Bluemont Sanctuary allowed me to compensate these horses even just a hint of what they deserved. 

I also learned through becoming a volunteer that I was not only assisting animals, I was aiding those who did not have the proper facilities to take care of these animals. In certain situations, an owner will need to get rid of their horses because they are too expensive, they are moving, or they can not keep up with the medical treatments needed. Like in the sanctuary, it is important that people possess the correct abilities to take care of themselves. Through volunteering at Saint Peter’s Hospital in New Brunswick, I was able to observe the health disparities in that own community.