Personal Statement What Is Your

Personal Statement

What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject 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.

As the world continues to shrink due to globalization, business and economics are emerging as key areas from which the leaders of tomorrow will emerge. I believe that individuals well versed in the business practice and theory, supported with a thorough understanding of economic principles are in a position to become very influential individuals. My intended major is economics, as I wish to become adept in applying economic principles and theories to real world problems. Some might see globalization as a negative concept, one that robs developing nations of their cultures and identities, but as an individual who grew up in a struggling nation I see the value that can come from a global economy and desire to be a part of the process. I want to be a part of the solution that transforms countries like my own country of Indonesia from one that struggles with the challenges of poverty and widespread hunger to one that emerges as a sustainable and independent nation. I believe that by majoring in economics and becoming well versed in the basic theories I will be much better equipped to meet these goals that I have set for myself.

My interest in economics has grown through my experiences living in Indonesia and seeing how this country interacts within the global economy and also how economic principles are relevant within this nation on a smaller scale. The world is drastically divided into wealthy nations and poor nations, and even within these nations there are further divisions between the wealthy and the poor. A poor man in America may be a rich man in Indonesia, but this fact does not alleviate the poor American of his daily struggles and suffering. Wealth can be a relative factor, but suffering and poverty can be a great equalizer. I hope to one day be a positive force in the global economy, striving for a greater division of the wealth, such that nations are treated equally, and individuals within nations also experience equal access to opportunities and advancement.

As a high school student in Indonesia, every year I participated in helping my school secure funding for our sports programs. In order to participate in championship competitions against other schools, our school needed to be able to raise a significant amount of money in order to provide the sporting equipment, uniforms, and transportation required in order to participate in the competitions. Each year I volunteered as the fundraising executive for the sporting committee and through this position I gained valuable experience in working with corporations to find solutions that met their needs and the needs of the school. I was successful in gaining sponsorship for the school by creating a market within the school for the corporations to sell their products. The results were successful; in that many of the corporations I initially approached to sponsor the school became repeated annual sponsors. The arrangement worked well because the corporations saw results for their sponsorship, and as a result of the sponsorship our school was able to perform well at many of the sporting competitions. This experience helped me to learn the importance of meeting needs in business negotiations, and finding out what the target wants in order to be able to get what you want from the deal. The process was also significant for me because it showed that it was possible to spread wealth from a highly centralized location (the corporation) to a more widespread and evenly distributed location (my financially struggling high school).

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?

I believe that my greatest quality is perseverance. History is often told to us as the chronicle of great people doing great things, and while these stories are important, the majority of us experience life through smaller moments. It is the small choices and the small decisions that add up over time to create our life as a patchwork of these choices. Our choices and decisions define who we become, and ultimately it is the sum of all of these seemingly small decisions that determines whether or not we can be proud of ourselves at the end of the day. Thus far in my life I am proud of who I have become and what I have accomplished, but I see a long road ahead of me of upward battles if I am to meet all of my goals. Yet I am aware that life rarely turns out in the way that we plan. Unexpected things happen all the time, and we never know what challenges we will face tomorrow, next week or next year. I believe that how we meet these challenges makes a large difference in whether or not we are happy and proud of ourselves at the end of the day. I like to meet each new challenge with a sense of optimism and excitement. I see challenge as opportunity, and without challenges and unexpected twists and turns, we would likely miss out on many of life's exciting surprises and possibilities.