Optional Personal Statement My Experience

Optional Personal Statement

My experience as an undergraduate was most definitely not typical. I started my undergraduate degree in the fall of 1998 and I will graduate in December of 2011. Here I hope to explain why it took me so long to finish my undergraduate degree and why I believe that the circumstances enhance my candidacy for admissions to your school.

First of all, From November of 1999 to November of 2001, I worked as a faith-based mission. This extraordinary experience was so special for me because it helped me to gain a greater understanding of the world we live in and of myself. I feel that this was a learning experience in its own right and that there isn't a classroom in the world that could have prepared me or given me the experience that it afforded me.

After my two years of service as a faith-based mission, I began pursuing my degree again, mixing courses from the University of Utah and Cascadia Community College. I obtained my Associate in Arts from Cascadia and then went on to BYU-Idaho for a year; however, my success there varied to a certain extent and thus I left school after that year to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. At the time, this seemed like the correct choice for me in that time of my life.

After several years in the workforce, which included substantial time in a real estate project of my own, working for a boutique investment firm, and working for Wells Fargo, I started see just how important it was to have a college education -- both for my own personal success as well as for my success in the world of business. After this realization, I left my job at Wells Fargo to continue my undergraduate studies. I was hoping to finish them as quickly as possible because I needed to get back to work, but I also wanted to get as much from them as possible. While in school, I was brought back on with the boutique investment firm as a consultant to help facilitate a number of their current projects.

While I have always valued the idea of having a college education, it has not always been easy for me to pursue due to a learning disability. My struggles with this disability in college have been quite challenging and it has taken me years of frustration and hard work -- as well as a lot of self-understanding -- to learn how to not only cope with these struggles, but to be able to rise above them. The struggles with this disability have tested my character and have made me a stronger person, which I am very proud to say.