Personal Statement What Is Your Intended Major?

Personal Statement

What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the field developed and describe any experience you have had in the field - such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities - and what you have gained from your involvement.

My planned major is Sociology. My interest in this field stems from my own life's challenges such as being brought to the United States from China when I was a child and having to grow up without the presence of my parents. Rather than feeling sorry for myself, I have healed my own personal pain by reaching out to others.

In the ninth grade, I became a member of the Mandarin Baptist Church and was elected the youth leader of its love fellowship program. In this role, I have helped organize activities such as community clean up efforts, walks to raise money for the hungry, and drives to solicit toys for disadvantaged children at Christmas. I have also been on a mission trip to work with habitat. I joined Mandarin Baptist Church's College Fellowship in 2005 and became its spiritual devotion leader. I am also a fund raiser for the Mt. Sac Asian student club and am proud of my efforts that raised more than $20,000 for Asian Tsunami victims.

My involvement in the church and the student club have taught me that no matter what obstacles I have faced in life, there are always people that are confronting even greater challenges. I have also discovered that the best one to overcome one's own tragedies in life is to help someone else overcome their own personal pain and suffering.

Question 2: Tell us about a talent, experience, contribution or personal quality you will bring to the University of California.

Sociology includes cultural components and, therefore, I believe we cannot use only the American standard to judge everyone's issues. Coming from a different country, I appreciate the importance of history, traditions, and cultural values that can influence people and am anxious to share my views with my fellow students. For example, contrary to Western cultures, Chinese families regard the elderly as family treasures. Perhaps these values can be useful to fully understand the implications of the disintegration of the traditional family in America.

I also bring to the University of California a strong work ethic that I would like to use to inspire others. Coming from an economically disadvantaged background, I have far more work experience than the average college student that gives me a more mature understanding of how college can make one a success. Already, I have held several jobs in sales, customer support and marketing. Using my own earnings from these jobs to finance my college motivates me to get everything I possibly can from my college experience.

Additionally, I have a strong desire to help others. Throughout my life, I have experienced hardships. However, I have survived these and have become a better person, in part because helping others has made me a better person. I will continue to contribute to community service through membership in college organizations in any way I possibly can.

Question 3: Is there anything you would like us to know about you or your academic record that you have not had the opportunity to describe elsewhere in this application?

I was born in China and moved to Sacramento, California when I was 12 years old with my mother and my brother. This transition was not easy for me for several reasons. My parents had recently divorced and, therefore, my father remained in China. This separation was very painful for me. To make matters worse, I did not speak English and was not familiar with American culture. Despite these obstacles, I assimilated very quickly, learning a new language and making many new friends.

Just as soon as I was beginning to feel settled down, my mother moved my brother and I to Los Angeles where she had found work. At this point, my mother decided that she could not take care of us and placed us in the care of a guardian. While a very strong woman, my mother was not educated and had to work long hours to support us financially. Her hard work and dedication has had a huge impact on my life, values and purpose in life. Her friendships with people throughout the world have helped me to develop my social skills.

Without parents, I learned to be very independent. Unlike many younger children, I had to do a lot of things myself such as cooking for myself and managing money. I walked and rode the bus to school by myself. Realizing that team work is just as important as independence, I began basketball practice to gain experience interacting with others.

I also socialized extensively to fill the void caused by not having parents in my life. I believe that socializing with others is one of the key elements of my life. I really enjoy socializing with people because I find them interesting and because it's fun to become a friend and really understand a person. In particular, I love to talk to people from different races, backgrounds and gender to learn about them and to obtain different view points and understandings of our society and the world.

In 2003, during my junior year of high school, I returned to China because my father had died of lung cancer. Although grief stricken and disappointed that I had not been able to be with my father while growing up in the United States, I learned to be strong to overcome my fears and problems. To cope with this experience, I developed an inner strength that made me believe that I could live through anything.