Columbia University is a place of familiarity for me. Having lived in both New York City and its suburbs, Columbia has been a sort of landmark for me in the city, since my very first Easter spent hunting eggs on the Barnard campus. Since then, I have also got a good sense of the academics at Columbia, mainly through the two semesters of the Science Honors Program that I participated in...
My older brother has always been an influential figure for me, although his role has changed over the years. As a kid in elementary school, I idolized my brother. I wanted to be just like him growing up: play the same video games, tell the same jokes, study the same subjects, have the same success in school – I even hung around his friends when they came over. The books I would read, more often than not, came off my brother’s bookshelf, despite his stern injunctions to not touch his things...
It’s 2:32 pm, I’m anticipating the bell to ring to signal the end of the school day. The drawn out beep signals a reflex in me to gather my books, and make it out the door, before I know it I am in the dance studio pulling my hair into a bun and running the coda of the Le Corsaire variation of the Odalisques in my head. The first breath into the plié lifts the day’s stress of my shoulders; as I port de bras and I am home...
It’s the last hour of my ballet class and I’m quickly tying my pointe shoes, warming up my feet, and trying a couple of turns to find my centre. After my personal ritual the class moves to the center of the studio to receive direction from the instructor on placing for the end of year show. Suddenly I heard my name being called to be placed in the front. As if rehearsed everyone turned around to look at me.....
Attending graduate school has been a personal goal of mine since I started my undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland. It is my belief that the extended studies offered by graduate programs allow for a student to fully concentrate his or her studies to a targeted field and acquire skills that will broaden their opportunities. That is my general purpose for attending graduate school, to enhance my learning and allow me to improve my future’s career’s potential...
I thought I would be perfectly suited to volunteer as an Emergency Medical Technician. With a longstanding penchant for stoicism I thought I could handle any pressure, surprise, or danger that the job could possibly entail, while remaining as coolheaded and detached as always. No blood or guts or gore had ever wrought out the bile in me. And besides, if I were able to thrive under the immense pressure of handling a dual curriculum, why couldn’t I handle the scene of an accident, or a medical emergency?..
Uncovering truth and using it to persuade others to act has been the most rewarding work I have known. As a journalist, I have employed existing fact to extract deeper information and analyze it to craft powerful stories that have real impact. My time as an investigative reporter, leader of editors, and a manager of Apple employees and has left me eager to unveil truths that remain unknown and fashion them into fair, actionable narratives...
My world has been almost completely shaped by the single most influential person in my life: my mom. She shaped my world to be one where I am not afraid to speak my mind; one where I can be surrounded by poverty and gang violence, yet feel as if I'm completely safe and have the ability to rise above my surroundings (through various means)...
Strange how falsely echoed the dichotomy between East and West was while growing up, seeing only the pallid, heavily-lidded faces of Caucasians on television. These images settled in my mind as desirable: they were each stars, magnificent and bright. And we, we manifested as lumps of coal raised with aspirations of milky skin, so sought after by my own mother. The hermetic upbringing of my sister and I spurred fancies of stuffed animals for friends and normalcy built around TV dinners...
Professionally, I hope to utilize my time at Wharton to complete coursework that rounds out my skill set and allows me to explore several business concepts I’ve developed. Having taken note of the constantly growing immigrant population in the country, I believe a strong demand emerged for products and services that help newcomers to the country integrate into their communities, such as English lessons that include culture immersion experiences and products that help foreigners understand something as simple as what is on their TV...
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