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You all know the March Madness Meme. It refers to the audience's expressions during the annual NCAA college basketball tournament. Some people are laughing, some are crying. It varies. In the era of social media, more than one meme is created each year. The following are the most popular ones.  Left, Roxanne Chalifoux of Villanova University, Crying Piccolo Girl of 2015; Middle, Ashlyn Whimpey of Utah State University, Crying Cheerleader of 2023; Right, John Phillips, Son of Northwestern Athletic Director Jim Phillips, Crying Northwestern Kid of 2017. Being famous is great, but not always. In the era of social media, one can become famous overnight, but often at the cost of facing online harassment from strangers. Becoming famous can be a good thing, but if not handled properly, one can end up being a loser. The three individuals mentioned above provide us with valuable lessons on how to deal with sudden internet fame. In the middle is Ashlyn, a junior student and cheerleader at Villanova University. Her meme just went viral, but before online harassment could strike, she took matters into her own hands and posted it on TikTok, saying, "Now I am a meme." The potential online harassment was thwarted by the sympathy and encouragement of those around her. After Roxanne, on the left, became an internet-famous meme, she proactively embraced reality. Taking advantage of the sympathy from a large number of Utah State fans, Roxanne was admitted to Salus University, where she completed a four-year program to earn a Doctor of Optometry degree. She also secured three smooth internship positions as a practicing doctor. Salus University even featured a special report on the successful graduation of Piccolo Girl in 2019, demonstrating that internet fame had long become Roxanne's social capital. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, shortly after graduating, Roxanne successfully matched for a residency program, and now she has been practicing optometry for three years. Isn't she lucky? On the right, there's John, who became famous when he was just a 12-year-old boy. His story, from the perspective of many parents, can be considered a classic in the classics. Why? Because in 2022, John secured admission to Harvard, and his personal statement revolved around the theme of "Crying Northwestern Kids." Would you like to hear more about it?  On March 18, 2017, John accompanied his father, who was an Athletic Director at Northwestern, to support the Wildcats in their game against Gonzaga. From the beginning, his enthusiasm caught the attention of CBS cameras. Unbeknownst to him, the cameramen continuously focused on him, adding drama to the broadcast. At the moment Northwestern lost the game, the cameras captured John's emotional breakdown, as he burst into tears. This scene quickly caught the attention of television viewers and spread on Twitter. Gonzaga fans joined in, leaving a string of offensive comments. And that's how the online harassment began. After the game ended, John's parents realized that their son had become "famous." They immediately activated social protection measures, but it was already too late. People were everywhere, keeping an eye on little John. Some approached him for autographs, while others mocked him from a distance. John's good and difficult days began simultaneously. On one hand, friendly individuals offered comfort and encouragement, but on the other hand, many unrelated people enjoyed teasing and making fun of him. Such individuals seemed to always be around, whether at school or on the court, always ready to mock him from a close distance. This experience provided John with an opportunity for social growth and rapid maturity. He understood the importance of shifting his focus away from the comments of strangers and unrelated individuals, and instead, he found solace in the love and support of family and close friends. His parents were particularly supportive, adopting a protective mode that involved teaching John to stay away from social media as much as possible. This habit has stayed with John to this day. Even when he secured admissions to Harvard, Duke, and Northwestern in 2022, there was no trace of him posting any remarks online. In 2018, Pizza Hut approached John with an offer to use his meme for advertising during March Madness. The advertisement would span fifteen minutes and reignite the frenzy surrounding the "Crying Northwestern Kid." It was an opportunity that he could have easily accepted that year. However, at this time, John took the initiative to conduct his own research. He looked into Pizza Hut's corporate news and discovered that the company had a dedicated philanthropic foundation called Book It, which aimed to promote children's literacy. Inspired by this, he decided to accept the advertisement offer and donate the received copyright fee of $50,000 to Book It! Indeed, it was a very clever decision. On one hand, it provided John with a powerful psychological affirmation that he had moved past the shadow of his past experience. On the other hand, it allowed him to preemptively counter any potential online harassment threats through this act of kindness. By empowering himself and undermining his adversaries, he achieved two goals with a single stroke. Absolutely, it's a threefold benefit. Four years later, when John needed to write a Unique Experience essay, his mother, Laura, remembered this unique experience. In fact, this idea had been jokingly mentioned five years ago. But now, when it was brought up again, Laura was serious about it, and so was John. They decided to give it a try and write about it.  Even though Loyola Academy, the high school John attended, may not be a top feeder school for prestigious universities, John himself excelled as a high-achieving student and a student leader. He served as the captain of the football team and was recognized as a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist. Furthermore, his classmates recommended him to be the founding member of the Hope Squad, a group dedicated to saving suicidal youth. Having emerged from his past experience with online harassment, John undoubtedly possesses a strong understanding of addressing mental health issues in young individuals. Outside of school, John is truly an angel among us. Grounded in his Catholic faith, he remains committed to promoting social equity and helping those marginalized in society. For him, these acts of goodwill not only serve the purpose of philanthropy but also provide valuable learning opportunities. During his time volunteering at a senior living facility, he had the chance encounter with an art historian, with whom he engaged in lengthy conversations and learned a great deal about Renaissance history. This experience sparked his interest in taking AP European History, further expanding his knowledge and passion for the subject. That's the story of John Phillips, who was fortunate enough to secure admissions to Northwestern, Harvard, and Duke during the regular decision period in 2022. In March 2023, John once again accompanied his father, Jim, to the live event of March Madness. As the cameras scanned the crowd, the audience immediately recognized him. Well, to be more precise, they first recognized Jim, who was now the NCAA director. However, as their gaze shifted to John's face beside him, it suddenly dawned on them: Isn't that the Northwestern kid? He's here again! The atmosphere at the event became electric. Media outlets rushed to report on the sighting. It wasn't until after the game that John was finally interviewed, and thus the story for this article came to fruition. Now let's discuss John's widely talked-about Harvard essay. Although I don't have access to the full text of John's essay, several key sentences from his essay have been reported in the media. In his essay, Phillips wrote:  This is a simple and great story. Past internet celebrity stories easily resonate with readers' nostalgic feelings. By using the theme of online harassment as the focus, the adversity plot becomes more relatable. Then, the healing of oneself may be seen as a common resolution, but the act of donation introduces a subplot that elevates the values from self-healing to helping others. It contains both fame and hardships, not only healing oneself but also benefiting others. A personal statement with such a story should not be too perfect!
If these events were to happen to you, what kind of personal statement would you write? Why not give it a try now? If you need some inspiration, below is a list of web information about John that you can refer to. You can check back in a few days after I post several recreations of this essays by ChatGPT and real persons like myself.
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