Personal Statement: Pursuing A College Degree

Everyone has something that drives them to succeed every day. Some people feel a need to compete with others around them while others feel they need to make their families proud. For me there are two major factors that encourages me to try my best. One is to show my parents that everything they have done for me has not been a waste and the other is my curiosity.

Pursuing college has always been one of my biggest goals to achieve in life. After high school, I will higher my education by attending college. My ultimate goal will be to one day become a veterinarian. The love and compassion I have for animals plays a big role in choosing this course of study. Growing up on a ranch, I am exposed to animals such as horses, cows, dogs, chickens, and rabbits. Tending to the animals and keeping them in good health gives me the experience I need to see if the veterinarian study is fitting for myself. Furthermore, I plan to attend BYU-Idaho which offers a pre vet course that gives students who are seeking to become veterinarians the opportunity to intern at a vet

I have always been a fun and happy person. I loved to dance, go shopping, hang out with friends,watch movies with my family and go on vacations. Many people go through adversity that change them in significant ways and I was one of them. My way of getting through my issues was going to activities such as dance, cheerleading, and wrestling and it seemed to be working until one day at wrestling practice where I hurt my foot and had to go to the nurse. At the nurses office I had to take a survey that asked if I had ever been sexually assaulted, I answered truthfully and circled “yes.” I figured they would ask me about it however I didn’t expect them to call my mom and social services. I cried

Through college you learn many skills that will help you in your career. One reason I want to go to college is that more jobs are available after completing college. Many employers look for a college diploma on a résumé when hiring. I want my future job to interest me and this will help. With more options I can get a job that pays good and interests me. This way I will enjoy going to work everyday. I also need good pay so that I can get the things I need. Of course this all will help provide for myself. For example, food is an obvious priority. Also, I need clothing and a home. Overall college is a great way to prepare for a job, provide for my everyday needs and get a career that interests me.

When going into the 5th grade, I would drive by kipp every single day. Every time I would drive by, I would constantly tell my mom that I wanted to attend kipp my 5th grade year. When I got accepted into kipp, I was so excited. At the age of 10, I was being introduced to college. My very first homeroom was Brown University. Kipp pushed students to want to attend college to better their futures. I stayed in kipp from 5th-12th grade. Those years in kipp, we went on plenty of college tours so that the students could get a feeling of how college is. In high school when preparing for college, kipp offered so much help when it came down to ACT prep and also preparing for college interviews. Kipp offers plenty of support, they want to see their students shine. For instance, in my 12th

Ever since my brother came back home from Illinois State University with many positive comments about the college I have wanted to go there. He told me about all the different things one can do there, and how easy it was to make friends. He also talked about how great all his professors were. I was instantly intrigued by all the university has to offer in activities and academics.

For the past two years I have maintained a part time job as well as being a full-time student. I have been promoted within my job due to the dedication that I have displayed during the last few years. Due to my busy work and school schedule I have not had the opportunity to become a part of any extracurricular activities. However, I hope to become a part of volunteer services during my time at SF State particularly with children because I have a desire to help children and the community as well as gain experience for my future career as a teacher. Attending college is important to me because I believe it is the best way for me to help others and myself.

My central belief about post-secondary education is that a university's obligation lies not only in challenging its students, but also in providing opportunities for those students to challenge themselves. The Wharton School's prestigious concentrations in business, specifically in Finance, Accounting, and Statistics, will fulfill both of these educative undertakings. What I have found in my research in the University of Pennsylvania is that The Wharton School offers me exceptional opportunities to draw upon intellectual resources that I have never before acquired in the pursuit of my education. After looking at the content of these three business programs, I am convinced that they will provide the most exciting and challenging world of learning with the purpose to find new

My decision to return to school has proven to be a very good choice. I have been successful in banking for 21 years; however, I am in the highest position I can obtain without having a college degree. The goals I have for myself and my future exceed where I am right now in my professional career. By obtaining my degree and utilizing the skills I gain from my higher education journey, I plan to advance my career. I am currently manager of the loan department at a credit union, but I would like my career to develop into branch management roles. Additionally, my daughter is beginning college in the fall and I believe I have set a good example for her, as well as demonstrated how difficult going to college

When I graduated in June of 2014 I really wasn't sure what I wanted out of life. I was prepared to go to the local community college undecided. I was dragging my feet when it came to getting ready to start school in the fall, and I knew I wasn't ready. I approached my mom with the idea of flying out to California and get to know my family and grandparents there better. 3 weeks later I was on a plane flying to Sacramento, as all my friends began their freshman year of college. I'll admit it was tough to see all my friends take the next step in life and I was a couple thousand miles away with nothing planned out. I decided to take that weekend and head to Lake Tahoe. It literally was a breath of fresh air for me. I was at (debatably) the most beautiful lake on earth. Things seemed clearer to me after that trip and I was able to remind myself that not everyone takes the same path in life, and we definitely won't all end up in the same place. I took the rest of those few months to be outdoorsy, paddleboard, hike and ride horses. When November came and it was time to come home, I was ready.

Anytime I feel like taking a break or getting wrapped up in a job or two, I always have to check myself on why I want to get my degree. For me, it's to add options to my life and my family's life. If my husband gets injured in an accident or passes away and I have kids to finish raising, I can't afford to go back to school when I should be making money. I don't feel comfortable putting all of my eggs into one basket meaning that we only have the option of my husband to make a high income and have insurance. My motivation is that I can offer another option.

After days of sorrow and helplessness, I contemplated quitting everything. However, I then got results that I had been accepted into my second choice university. I realized that I did have a future, just not the one that I had planned perfectly. I could still become a successful nurse and still help others by taking a different route. This experience taught me to become flexible I was so used to everything taking place the way I wanted it to that I forgot that some things are beyond my control. This challenge helped me to realize that there are more paths than one in life. With an optimistic attitude, I can still succeed and contribute to society. I also learned that my time spent studying and participating in extracurricular activities was not wasted. The memories that I made from participating in the activities are worth the time and effort. As a result, I came to not regret my spending a great amount of time toward my education. It still helped me develop into a well-rounded student. I learned that I will continue to face more difficult challenges in the future as I enter college. However, I will continue to persevere with a positive outlook because the challenges will one day serve as memorable experiences that I can learn

The moment I knew I wanted to pursue a scientific degree was when I started high school. I tested high on my science tests in middle school so I enrolled in the honors biology class. The man who taught biology was known to be a bit strict, but I soon found out he would be one of my many inspirations. He didn't just teach you, he made sure you knew exactly what you were talking about. He made sure you could stand in front of a group of people and lecture them on cell division, meiosis and mitosis, human anatomy, and so much more. As I studied for his tests, I found myself making connections to my previous knowledge. I found myself wanting to know as much about biology as I could. That led me to taking almost every class he taught. I found my

One of my academic goals is to get the best education possible at Allan Hancock College before I transfer. I will accomplish this by always paying attention to all my teachers and do all my work and most importantly make school my number one priority. Another academic goal that I have is to transfer to Cal Poly or Long Beach and obtain my Master’s degree in education. I also want to graduate with honor and with a 3.5 GPA or above. I decided that I wanted to be a teacher because I like helping people out and also I enjoy working with kids. I selected these goals because my economic background is not the great, most of the money that my family makes goes to the rent and daily expenses. We live in a small apartment and we are a family of five; we don’t usually go out and eat at restaurants only in special occasions.

For many, after graduating high school the next big step is college. I never asked myself why or if I even wanted to. Yet, since I was not yet ready to join the work force, and didn’t want to disappoint my parents, I simply followed the path that I was supposed to take. For a while I had no direction, but through the loss of my high school English teacher and my dream of making my family proud, I discovered that college was the place I wanted and needed to be.