LEDA Personal Statement

Leading a meaningful life meant breaking away from the fear of criticism or rejection; conforming to society limits Illgunas’ definition of life. Illgunas’ suburban upbringing makes the danger of social conformity clear to him. Surrendering to society would consequently cause him to completely lose himself. After graduating from high school, Illgunas and his classmates follow the conventional path towards a higher education. Illgunas explains, “My high school class and I moved like a school of fish: we graduates were capable of going off on our own, in whatever direction we chose, but something demanded we all swim as one…” (6-7). Parallel to the claim Illgunas makes, graduates that do not attend college are stigmatized. Society has created a paradigm: after graduating high school, students should attend a traditional four year university, and then enter the “career world.” In Illgunas’ perspective, people in

Sociological imagination played a part in this story because the author Wes Moore made connections on how personal experiences relates to public issues. He grew up in poverty and maintained ambition to receive proper education. Thus this tells readers not to let where you came from or your downfalls hinder you from being successful. The Author Wes Moore displayed that education was the key to all future success. He also showed that there should always be a backup plan in case the funding runs out. In the book it wasn’t luck that determined the fates in

The inconsiderateness of the clinic for my father’s injury only further fueled me to research and contact many lawyers to find the best one to represent my father. I continued to lead my father through this new and unfamiliar situation. I further developed my researching and inquiry skills to uncover resources and opportunities for the benefit of peers as myself. Bright prospect is a program aimed to empower students to gain admission, and graduate from universities. Currently, I’m the crew leader of my Bright Prospects team. Many of my crew members were unaware of the benefits and opportunities offered by their community. One of my crew member wants to pursue a career as a firefighter, but was confused about how prepare. I led him to ask around Pomona City Hall and introduced my crew member to various internships opportunities within and around our hometown. Because I pursued a positive change in myself, my family, and my peers, I took the initiative to find organizations in which I could take on leadership roles. I continue develop my leadership skills to persuade others to be active in communities and to seek opportunities to achieve their personal

I did not get to where I am today alone; I had mentors and teachers who believed and invested in me. I had Upward Bound as a college preparatory program to assist me in attending college as a first generation student. I had generous friends who provided me transportation and meals in high school: things that my parents could not provide all the time because of our circumstances. A

Flavia Hannigan had been born and raised outside of Drogheda, Ireland. Her father was a local fisherman, her mother a charwoman, her siblings, many. There was never enough of anything to go around so the kids were excluded from the majority of local activities. She took little solace in being an “A” student for all the good it did until the day she had learned scholarships were available to students who

A fire rose within to burn social economic barriers that imprisoned me from achieving an education. As a member of a low-income household, I continually witnessed my parents struggling to pay for utilities, rent, and groceries. Although we received government assistance, it never seemed to be enough. My father worked long hours at a dairy factory to provide for our family, but his addiction to alcohol took most of his income. My mother depended on government assistance due to her chronic asthma and arthritis. Not being able to rely on my parents for stability, my six older siblings were forced to drop out of high school to become providers of their own.

I felt my heart racing, heard my name being called, and suddenly, anxiety turned into elation. Within moments, I was walking across the international stage in Orlando in front of 16,000 people. I had won 5th at DECA Internationals!

I didn't have enough for books, or for food, or for the rest of it. So I was mentally prepared to work. As a student at Oakwood, I worked for the school as a security officer on campus, $3.25 an hour. And I did about 38-40 hours per week, it still wasn't enough to take care of all the financial obligations. So I had a job off-campus where I worked another 40 hours per week. And I was able to take care of myself. And in 1990-- when I got a scholarship to UAH-- even though I had a scholarship, I still had to work. I worked 60 hours per week. And there were times when you could only have one meal per day. But this was just a road to the destination that I wanted to go to, and that was to finish college. You follow what I'm saying? Even though it was financially challenging, you couldn't go and buy a new car. You had to fix up your whole car. And many times in the winter, when the car wouldn't start, you had to walk to school. It was very challenging. But the whole idea was the goal, the destination, was to finish college. And being able to do this, now I can tell my 13-year-old daughter, I will not accept an excuse for you. Because it can be done. And if you work hard, you will get to where you want to go”. This story tell you that your current situation can’t determines who or where you will be. This documentary show me that the issue that is a

Many raised in urban less affluent areas can quickly become dissolution with the education system being offered to them. Ultimately, resulting in dropping out of High School and continuing in the vicious cycle of poverty. However, “Prosperoman” knew that escaping the harsh living conditions from the inner city would require him to worship and put all his faith and desires into education, books and knowledge as he knew that religion alone would not be sufficient. He was raised by an illiterate single parent but would not allow his circumstances to define his future. Therefore, “Prosperoman” dedicated himself to graduate high school and continue to higher education at a prestigious University where he majored

My area of interest in PICA is women’s mental health from a developmental perspective. As a young adult woman who struggles with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I have always been interested in what causes anxiety, specifically in women, and why it seems to be heightened in the adolescent years of a woman's life. I remember how frustrated I was with myself and my situation when I was first diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder as a teenager. I had no idea what it was, why I had it, and what to do next. I also remember how hard it was for my parents and siblings to see me struggling with a mental illness and being unable to help me because they also lacked the sufficient amount of knowledge to make a difference.

Poor education in school and no access to money is no excuse to give up because if one does not have an adequate education, they cannot qualify for a degree that will potentially elevate their socioeconomic status. Born into a struggler family infested with homelessness, destitution, and poverty, I chose to educate myself outside of the classroom because my school failed to provide an adequate education to be successful in today’s world. I chose to study abroad in France, which was a complete learning experience in itself. Despite being in a struggler school, an exchange student foundation, American Field Service (AFS), presented the idea of studying abroad. They offered anyone who wanted to embark on this once in a lifetime journey a full scholarship of $15,000. Initially, I thought that it was too good to be true, but I ended up being the only student in my school that went abroad for a year. After experiencing an entirely different way of life, I recognized the historical differences of

In January I went to a seminar that was filled with tons of people. The area consisted of smiling faces that greeted everyone at the door, notebooks in hand, and a sense of passion cascading from every voice heard within the crowd. A stage in the front of the room, and tables with chairs set up for the extensive note taking on self-improvement and success. The pencils scribbling frantically on paper about to be heard once it had begun. These individuals were from all walks of life, poor, wealthy, short, tall, old and young, however, we all had something in common. We were all dreamers. We all were there because we were not content with what life had meagerly put out for us. We wanted more than the average, we weren’t average, which was why

Mark Caine once stated, "the first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself." Growing up in the Bronx, New York, this quote greatly applies to how the environment in which I grew up in shaped my aspirations. Living in the Bronx can prove to be difficult and it requires strenuous effort to find exceptional opportunities. Resources that are provided towards education are limited, meaning that most supplementary aspects that we need to obtain a "full' education is not granted to us.

She sobbed as if she were a mere child and lost in a new city, because in her head, she was. In reality, she was not a child; she was a freshman in college only two hours from home. Those two hours felt like too many, especially separated from her family. She found herself in room 512, Florida Avenue Residence Hall fully immersed in isolation and dependency. Nevertheless, I knew, at this moment in time, this was my turn to twist, bend and to recast all of my hopes into success.

I am interested in attending Alvernia for many reasons. I have heard many great things about it from my parents and at college fairs held at my high school. It is also a Catholic school, and I have attended Catholic school for 13 years of my life, so attending this school would be a comfortable environment for me. This school is also close to home, so this means I would be able to come home frequently and visit my family and friends, which is something that is very important to me Alvernia also has an excellent Physical Therapy program, which I would like to be a part of. This program can educate me and help lead me on a successful career path. Alvernia can help to shape me as a person and give me the right oppurtunities to prepare me for