Personal Statement: Where You Will Be Living

I never in my life did expect one day to write an essay for the Spanish Travel Scholarship and to write it in English! Fifteen year ago I was a typical Italian architecture student who, beyond doubt, had not yet established her role in the local, national, and global community, or her purpose in life. I spent my college years making my parents proud, and fulfilling teachers’ expectations. Nevertheless architecture wasn’t my college decision. It was my dad’s dream. When I was six years of age, he lost his engineering firm because of a stroke. He reinvented himself various times, after the stroke, but he has never been able to rebuild his engineering firm from the ashes. My architecture degree was his last opportunity to reopen his beloved

I was born in Iran (or Persia), and lived there until I finished first grade. Around that time my dad was already a western medicine doctor, but he decided to attain a PHD in Chinese Medicine by enrolling in a program at “ Beijing University of Chinese Medicine”. Thus, before I attended second grade, my family and I, sold everything we had in Iran, in order to begin a new chapter of life in Beijing, China.

I was not born here in Canada, I'm originally from Haiti. I came to Canada when I was young and I only spoke French and Haitian Creole. In the beginning it was really hard adjusting to the new culture, life, school, making new friends, etc. it was like my world just turned upside down and I had to start all over again. Although Canada is a bilingual country where I was living, which is Windsor Ontario the majority of the people spoke English, most of the schools and government facility were also English places. I used to be really shy and quiet because I was afraid to be judged for not pronouncing or not understand what the words mean that is why when I went to school or any place that required me to speak English I just stayed quietly in a corner.

Those who know me personally, know that I wouldn’t be where I am right now without my parents. In order to give me the best opportunities, both my parents, born and raised in Vietnam, made many sacrifices, one of which included moving to the states. Larissa Martinez, McKinney Boyd High School’s 2016 Valedictorian, words, “while parents metaphorically move mountains for their children, you (her mom) literally moved countries for my sister and me,” have left a mark on me and although my story may not be to her extent, I can certainly say that my parents did the same.

I choose to attend the University of Florida for the culture of community that exists on the campus. The University of Florida has always been a school that wants its students to succeed, but what is the most interesting aspect is that the students push each other together to achieve their goals. We live in a society where it is a "Man vs Man" world and that only one can succeed. Here at the University of Florida, we challenge those social norms and try to create a pathway that fits for everyone. Here, we just don't have dreams, because as gators, we make those dreams plans and those plans into reality. Being able to accomplish or do something that makes your life fulfilling is what made me want to come to the University of Florida and continue to give back to the place that gave me the chance to improve myself and help others improve too.

Everyone has an event in their life that helped changed them in some way or stood out to them in some type of way in their life. Rather if it is, something like a birth of a child, a death of a family member or even receiving a job. A significant event in my life and helped me grow as a person was when I decided to pack up and move to Houston, Texas. My move to Texas may have been short but in that short period it helped me to grow to be more independent and to provide for myself and much more. When I made the moved to Texas, I moved with family members that I knew but I was not close with it.

Standing 6ft 6 inches tall, I’m a hard person to miss. Playing basketball in college afforded the publicity that some students would dream of -- and others would dread. All throughout college I carried the image of the basketball player. I wanted to be known for academics, for my character and who I was as a person. Although basketball opened the doors for me to attend college which allowed me to matriculate as a Political Science major, I was ready to move on.

I've been meaning to write, but work has been mighty tiring. Sally and I are in good health thanks be to God. I was also blessed to find both lodging and gainful employment. Our living arrangements are modest. Sally and I share two rooms in an attic for which we pay $4 a month. We live in what is called tenement housing. It is rather dark and it gets hot enough during the summer that we escape to the roof for respite from the heat. There is also the spread of disease to worry about. Sally and I have been lucky enough to avoid getting sick, but with people living so close to together and houses being packed closer together than sardines I fear that our luck will run out soon. We try our best to keep our home tidy, but there is not much we can

Ah, Graduation. It seems as if it’s a long way off from today. However, that does not mean that we should not construct ourselves for the best career changer of our lives. Even though, I am not much of a partier, I do know of a few venues I would like to remunerate myself with family and friends in attendance. I know I may have to have at least two parties. My home away from home is Pensacola, Florida. So it's just essential for me to want to have a commencement party with my friends residing in Florida.

Growing up in Nepal, I had to face the adversity of being a female in a community where women are expected to get an arranged marriage at the age of 19, surrender any dreams of education and dedicate their lives to bearing children, preferably boys. However, my family was progressive and fostered in me that scholastic pursuits should always be a priority. So, I immigrated to America by myself with a profound tenacity, in hopes to achieve a college degree in public health. Overcoming all financial hurdles, I was finally able to pursue a college degree successfully. I aspire to be that healthcare professional who yearns to live in the service of others, which for me would be a public health dentist. I am now on my path to achieving a master’s

I have chosen essay topic number three. Describe a time when you realized something was not as it seemed and how it affected you.

I came to the United States when I was 15 years old to live with my mom and my two siblings. My mom is a single mother and head of the house who worked 40 or more weekly to give what my siblings and I need. She works in a pipe company cleaning and installing screws to pipes approximately around 25 pounds. She decided to work in a man job so she could get some extra dollars to fulfill our needs. However is not enough to pay for my books and tuition. I decided to work as well so I can pay some of my tuition and some of my other necessities. But what I earn is not enough to continue with my dreams. My dream is to be the first member of my family to earn a college degree. I want to encourage those people who are immigrants and had to get use to

While I was growing up, I lived in many places. I was born in Budapest, Hungary and lived there until my father finished his medical degree when I was two years old. Soon after, for financial reasons, my family and I moved to the United States. First we lived in Missouri for five years, next we moved to North Carolina to be closer to our family. Periodically we returned to Hungary to visit relatives. With each visit, I learned more and more about Hungary, the language, and European culture. Luckily my mother had the wisdom to take my brothers and I back to Hungary to do a year of schooling there. That single year expanded my perspective of the world, it was no longer the United States as a separate entity from the rest of the world, but it

I come from a country, Afghanistan, where 99 percent of the nation is Muslim and the majority of the people are illiterate. I am Muslim and grow up in an Islamic country. When I was in Afghanistan, I had no knowledge about other religions. Since I moved to America, I am thrilled that I started my school and got so much knowledge about others religions and cultures. In addition to that, our country’s government is very weak and people are suffering a lot in terms of all lives aspect. I always wanted to study something so that I can at least bring a positive change into people’s lives. I am very delighted that from such a poor country I came, study in America.

I am in the military and currently stationed in Maryland. I have had the opportunity to be stationed in more than 4 states in the United States and also had overseas duties in three others different countries. Not knowing where my next duty assignment would be after the completion of this current assignment, and having few more years before my retirement does not really give me the option to decide right now. Furthermore, I am not near graduation, this is my second year.