Connection; A skill that can never be mastered by Pari

Connection; A skill that can never be mastered by Pari - April 2026 Scholarship Essay

Hook, Luffy, Silver, Sparrow: all fictional pirates. My greatest talent is my ability to make connections. The New York Times “Connections” puzzle is a small part of my daily routine, but it reflects something important about how I think. I enjoy taking ideas that seem unrelated and figuring out what links them. Sometimes the category is obvious; other times, it takes slowing down, looking closer, or rethinking what I assumed. Unfortunately, connection is not something you can master; you can only try to perfect it.
Over time, I realized I approach people the same way. I enjoy the process of figuring out what connects us, especially when it’s not obvious. Making connections became a real skill only after I understood how active it is. I started noticing how differently people communicate. Some open up through humor. Some through silence. Some through direct questions that show I’m genuinely listening. Learning to adjust my approach to each person taught me that connection is something you build with intention.
I also learned that everyone carries an invisible context: family expectations, quiet dreams, insecurities they might not say out loud. Understanding this changed how I interacted with others. Instead of jumping to conclusions, I learned to ask questions. I realized that asking questions creates bridges faster than assumptions ever do, and that understanding isn’t about proving someone wrong. More often, it’s about finding the place where both people might be right.
Through Future Business Leaders of America, I pushed this skill further. When I campaigned for national office, I spent months talking with members from across the country. I collected their concerns, hopes, and ideas. Through conferences, webinars, and Zoom calls, every voice became a piece of a larger puzzle. My campaign turned into a mosaic of everything I heard, shaped by experiences far beyond my own chapter or state.
But I know this is still a skill I’m learning. In the next few years, I want to keep putting myself in situations where I have to meet new people and understand different perspectives. I want to get better at listening and asking questions that go deeper than the surface. I also want to challenge myself to connect with people who are different from me, because those are often the hardest and most important connections to make. At the end of the day, it is those diverse conversations that help build a more understanding and educated mind.
Whether I’m doing the NY Times connection or meeting someone new, I use the same instinct: to look deeper, notice what others miss, and find the connections that help me understand what others miss.