Preparation for college through educational opportunities and personal qualities

¶ … Personal Challenges

Early on in my educational career, I have diligently taken measures that would ensure that I am constantly exposed to complicated yet challenging activities and endeavors. One of the hardest and bravest decisions I ever made was to transfer from Los Angeles to San Francisco during 11th and 12th grade, in order to get a better education. Upon my transfer, I sought to challenge myself and test my limits in studying by enrolling in AP and honor classes. For my AP class, I engaged in Calculus, Chemistry, Environmental Science, while in Honors class, I was involved Pre-Calculus. I am proud to say that my enrollment in these classes equipped me with the proper knowledge and skills to pursue a better and more advanced education centered on the sciences.

In addition to taking AP and Honors classes, I was given the opportunity to get involved with and experience college life during a summer session program at University of California Berkeley. This experience enabled me to know more about and be prepared for college life. Apart from improving myself academically, I also joined clubs and engaged in activities that enhanced my leadership skills in various fields of study, such as the arts (film, jazz, and yearbook clubs) and sciences (environmental science).

One of the most important qualities and experience I had the privilege to have is my ability to generate understanding and properly handling cultural diversity. Being an international student allowed me to know other people from different cultures and societies, thereby widening my experience in interacting with other people, especially those who are just starting to immerse themselves in American society. Thus, as an educational institution known for its focus and receptivity to cultural diversity, University of California Berkeley is, for me, the right place where I can contribute to the improvement of understanding cultural diversity as well as developing a "global state of mind."

On a more personal level, my skills in communicating and relating effectively with other people and being passionate and responsible in the tasks and activities I am assigned to do are talents that will enable me to accomplish my objective of being actively involved in socio-civic endeavors while at the same time, pursuing an education centered on the sciences. Communicating effectively with other people is an essential requirement when relating to other people, necessary in making people interested and educated in my advocacy, which is social justice (i.e., particularly dealing with social justice issues). Similarly, one must have the passion and sense of responsibility to become actively involved in every activity and undertaking needed to promote awareness about social justice.

During my junior year, I decided to undergo a significant change in my educational career, which is to transfer from Los Angeles to San Francisco. My decision to transfer to another school was anchored on two objectives. My first objective was to transfer to a school where I will develop my knowledge and know my limits in studying, particularly in the field of natural science. My second objective, meanwhile, was to attend a school that has a curriculum structure and format that complements my needs -- that is, to attend classes centering on natural science and mathematics.

It was noticeable during my junior year that I experienced difficulty in excelling in my humanities class. This was due to the difference in the format of teaching humanities between my old and new school. In the new school I enrolled in, humanities class was handled differently, requiring greater classroom (teacher-student) interaction, which my humanities class in my old school did not engage in. However, this difficulty was just a transitional phase; soon after I became acquainted with my new school's curriculum format and getting used to my new schedule and classes, I started improving my grades, and successfully excelled in my classes.

My adjustment in my new school also enabled me to cultivate new relationships with other people. I met new people who share with me the same passion I have for the sciences and socio-civic activities. I have become a familiar face to teachers and mentors who I constantly inquire about not only academic concerns, but mundane issues relevant to us as well. I have come full circle in my new school, and the great period of adjustment had passed.