College Essay # 39 Santa Clara University

Tell us about the most embarrassing moment in your life. (Santa Clara University)

In the year 2001, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the summer weather was one of the hottest I had ever experienced. Being the hottest day I’ve experienced, it had to be fate that the air conditioner in the room which my sister and I shared was broken. I had been concerned about the length of my sister's hair for the past week and I was contemplating on asking her whether I should give her a hair cut or not. I was afraid of her answer. Finally, building up the courage, I approached her and asked her “Hey, would you like a makeover?” and of course, her being three years old, she nodded her head agreeing merrily. Who knew that it was doomed to be a disaster? Both my parents were out that day and our worker had to keep a close eye on us. Afraid that she would tell my parents, I took my sister to the walk-in closet between our room and the bathroom, and told her to sit back and relax. I told her she need not to be afraid and she trusted my blindly. I cut her hair layer by layer, gleaming to myself at what a wonderful job I was doing. After I was done, she asked me “Does it look pretty?” and all I could do was scream. It was in my best intentions to cut her hair short so that she wouldn’t feel so hot in the summer but all I ended up doing was making her hair short, choppy with a really crooked fringe. I was afraid my mom would see so I told my crying sister to wear a hat. She was so embarrassed that she did as I said. My parents came after a while and my sister was still wearing the red baseball hat that I provided for her. My mom asked my sister why she was wearing a hat inside and my sister’s answer was “WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!” My mom looked at me and I gave her my guilty, puppy dog face. She gave me a time out and told me to sit in the corner of my room. I watched my mom tend to my sister’s hair crisis, which I of course, instilled. I watched my mom look through my sister’s hair as though she was looking for gold and couldn’t help wondering where I went wrong. After all, I tried to help, but I guess it wasn’t needed. Watching my sister cry while my mom helplessly cut her luscious locks off, was THE most embarrassing day in my life. Never will I try to make anyone look pretty again.   

Number of words: 438