Statement of Purpose
From the early days of my life, I set goals beyond those of my peers. I did my bachelors in one of the top public schools in Afghanistan and graduated with a remarkable GPA. I was interested in both managing and teaching at the academic institutions. In order to use my time effectively and pursue my ambition, I decided to get a diploma in business administration while doing my bachelor’s and to enhance my understanding of management. After getting my bachelor’s degree, I decided to challenge myself and pursue a master’s degree in applied linguistics in the U.S. Therefore, I applied to get a Fulbright scholarship which is the most elite scholarships in the world. A total of 4000 participants applied from all over the Afghanistan in 2011. It seemed almost impossible to get the scholarship among thousands of participants; after several interviews, TOEFL tests and GRE, they have selected only the top 40 students and I was one of them.
I came to the U.S. in 2012 to get my master’s degree in applied linguistics from Old Dominion University. As a Fulbright scholar, the faculty’s expectations were different from me. I was expected to do great in every course that I enrolled. Meanwhile, I was interested in research and statistics aspects of my degree, therefore, I took a Research Methods class which taught me how to do research and analyze data in advanced ways such as using SPSS. In my last semester, I was required to teach at the English Language Center (ELC)
Words cannot express my gratitude. Receiving the Bettye McDonald Caldwell and Fred T. Caldwell, Jr. scholarship is truly an honor! After the lottery scholarship, I end up having to pay for about half my tuition, which makes this gift is an incredible blessing. Going to school full-time and working full-time is a difficult balancing act, but not working is not an option. When I opened the email stating I had been awarded this scholarship, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment overtook me. It gave me a deep and powerful feeling of success. This scholarship award is proof to me that hard work does pay off. It is a motivator to work even harder to achieve my goals and reach my dream career. I sincerely thank you with every piece of my heart.
As children we all dream, we dream about toys, monsters, castles, fairy tales and most importantly, we dream about our futures. I have always dreamed about success, but when I was younger I was not sure of what exactly success entailed. As I grew older and continued to grow physically, spiritually, and mentally I was able to discover my true aspirations and goals.
I intend to use this scholarship to help pay for my tuition and books at the Southern Arizona University of Phoenix- Online. I would like to be considered for this scholarship because I have no financial help from my family. This means that I have to be able to pay for college on my own because of the fact that my father is no longer in my life, and my mom has my other siblings to take care of. My father is no longer in my life because he now lives in Mexico with his other family. I don’t have financial help from him because he has a wife and six other children. My mother would like to be able to help me, but she has two other children she’s taking care of by herself, and she has to prepare for my sister's graduation next year as well as mine this year. I plan to get a job after I graduate to help pay for the expenses of college, but since I am going online the expenses of college are going to be a lot less than if I were to go on campus, this is the main reason I am planning to go online, and to take a lot of the stress of being totally alone off myself because I will only be twenty minutes away from my family instead of an hour or two.
Thank you for the opportunity of allowing me to be a finalist for the Daniel’s Fund Scholarship. I am a high school senior enrolled as a concurrent enrollment student at the Community College of Aurora through my high school, Vista Academy. I am also a first generation prospective college student with a Mexican background. Neither of my parents went to college, though, I know in my heart I need to earn a college degree; they are my motivation. I also know in my heart that I will be a great Daniel’s Fund Scholar because I possess maturity, strength of character, leadership, a well rounded personality in one way, shape, or manner.
As I go into my second semester of Northampton Community College my interests have certainly changed. I have turned to a student who thrives to succeed in my current goal which is a stepping stone in my life time goals, this stepping stone is to attend Lehigh University upon completion of receiving my associates degree. With this stepping stone in mind I realized I had to make my academic resume stand out to say the least. I talked to many professors of this goal and they all told me the same thing honors, so I worked my hardest and the work was certainly worth it I got in. That wasn't enough for me though I am going into my second semester with a plan I plan on joining two more academic clubs Phi Theta Kappa and Psi Beta (with my passion for
When I think of Illinois State University, I think of the endless amount of possibilities and outcomes for my future. Not only is it a dream of mine to attend, but I feel as if it could have such an immense impact on the overall direction and quality of my future. Financial hardship has been an ongoing struggle for my family ever since I was younger, therefore it has always been my main goal to break the continuance of that cycle. Attending Illinois State would allow me to be the first in my family to obtain a degree and build a better future for myself as well as my family. My mother has had such a tremendous impact on who I am now, as she has always done her best to encourage and support me wherever my dreams may take me, hence why I’ve gathered the courage to apply.
Without that advantage, attending my dream college will surely leave me swimming in debt. While I am aware that there are other students who possess equal intellectual ability, I can guarantee that there are very few who are as hardworking and dedicated as I am. Once my mind is fixated on something, there is little that can stand in my way. Since a young age, I have greatly enjoyed helping others. I have participated in many service projects such as Kids Against Hunger, clothing and item drives through my youth group, ringing bells for the Salvation Army, and many more. Because I am passionate about helping others, my goal is to finish college and then spend a few months volunteering in poor Spanish speaking countries as an English teacher to the children there. I will then return to the United States and find work in the international business field where I can launch my professional career as an interpreter. In order to do this, it is imperative that I have the opportunity to complete my college degree. While being an interpreter is not something that I have fantasized about since a young age, I am proud to have found a career path that will bring me both feelings of success and allow me to continue using the language that I have fallen in love with. I only hope that with the assistance of this scholarship, I will have the opportunity to achieve my
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be recognized for my exceptional behavior that is displayed in everything I do. The National Honors Society can benefit me in accomplishing that goal. I enjoy learning new things daily, and applying it to my own life. I am doing extremely well in all subjects, but apart from classes, I am actively involved in school activities. For instance, I participate in cheerleading, basketball, softball, Heroes and Cool Kids and student council. The purpose of participating in these activities is to succeed. In order to succeed, I feel one must be focused, confident, responsible, creative, dedicated, and hardworking. These characteristics lead me to be successful and to dedicate myself to my academics.
Continuing with my graduate studies at UNO would be vital to my continual growth and developmental, in both the academic and professional realms. Having done my Undergraduate studies at UNO was an eye opening and extremely beneficial opportunity which I will be eternally grateful for having and something that I would love to continue with my Graduate studies within the university. Completing my Bachelors of Arts at UNO granted me the opportunity to work with amazing professors who helped shape me into who I am today and granted me the opportunity to expand my knowledge further than the classroom with helping me to conduct my own research. I was able to conduct two research projects focusing on the issues the Hispanic population face, both of which have been presented at the Midwest Sociological Society’s Annual Meetings. My hope is
Coming from a family that receives only one source income, for me to receive the Coolidge Scholarship will be a blessing in helping me achieve my dreams of attending college. In the future I plan to be an attorney, law has always interested me and I would love to use my knowledge to help others in that are in need. What had motivated me to want to attend college were the stories from my favorite past teachers who I got to meet and absorb their knowledge due to them receiving a college education, they had the ability to not only teach me, but to also capture my heart. I enjoy school and use it as my safe haven, my escape; it had protected me from situations at home. Education is power and I see that first hand from my parents my father didn't
In college, I plan on taking the courses needed to qualify for admission into medical school. My number one goal is to continue making all As in my college courses. I also plan on being an active member in many clubs and taking advantage of community service opportunities. After finishing my bachelor degree, I plan on attending medical school, and from there I hope to become a psychiatrist. Hopefully, I will be able to obtain a job working for the VA where I can help provide care for veterans. My main goal from then on out would be to provide the best care possible for my patients.
Honors class is a place where kids with passion are able to dive further into their interests and allowed to be in a place where they can become the best students they are capable of being. I have a passion for ELA and I know that for me to become a great learner, I should be in a classroom which encourages that and allows me to be surrounded by students with the same aspirations that I have. I recognize that all intellectual and logical thinkers have a solid command of their language, and as I pursue becoming one of those people I realize that taking honors ELA and becoming strong in communicating is essential to become a successful and articulate person in this day and age.
I had the dream of studying abroad since graduation and always knew it would be very difficult. throughout last year, I received about 14 negative answers to the scholarships I tried, they said I did not fit the profile. After each disappointment, I spent a few hours sad, but soon remembered where I already were and where I wanted to go, I continued working even harder and I was approved in two different scholarships at the same time, I chose the prestigious Fulbright and today I am here as a sandwich Ph.D. student.
When I first came to the U.S and started to purse a college degree at the University of Iowa, I tried a variety of courses, including chemistry, biology, art, and so forth, and most courses did not elicit strong interests in me but lowered my overall GPA a great deal, until I took a course Motivational Interviewing in which the Professor inspired me in learning how to motivate and pursue clients to resolve ambivalence. I was immediately drawn by the study of persuasion and mental health counseling. After the course, I decided to keep exploring my interests in this field and I was informed that the best major for me would be psychology which later became life-time career goal!
I strongly believe that everyone should have access to a high quality education and to have the opportunity to academically develop to their full potential. With each decade we enter a new era of globalization, and our classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse. My main goal as an educator is to provide students from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds with tools to support their intellectual, social, cultural, and emotional development.