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Free Sample Personal Statement in Eastern Asian Studies
It's not often that a kid growing up in New Mexico strikes up a
passion for Chinese civilization. Nevertheless, my interest in different
cultures flourished during my childhood and adolescence in New Mexico.
The beauty and breathtakingly scenic landscape of this state is enriched
with the pronounced cultural diversity brought about by Pueblo, Hopi and
Navajo nations and a large Hispanic population that represents close to
50% of state. When I was in kindergarten I attended a bilingual school
in Lemitar, a small town in southern New Mexico. Most of the children at
this school were Hispanic. This allowed me at a very early age to
experience a language and culture different from mine. My father has
always had a keen interest in people from other countries and cultural
backgrounds. As a librarian, my father has always encouraged me to read
not only Western Philosophy, but Eastern Philosophy as well. In
addition, he inspired me to see life from a different perspective.
To a large extent, and by most definitions, I have always been a
non-traditional and unconventional student. I went to a high school with
a curriculum that was as challenging for me as any course I have taken
in college. This high school was unique because we studied everything
from the origin of Western Civilization to modern-day Western thought.
Another unique feature of this school was that at the end of our senior
year we had to give an oral presentation in front of a host of panelists
from St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This experience helped
me develop my ability to think critically and present a cogent thesis.
It forced me to grow not only as a student, but more importantly, as an
individual.
When I graduated from high school I rebelled against traditional
education and decided not to apply to college. This decision was to the
great dismay of my parents, who had entered college immediately after
high school. With much resistance, I enrolled at Santa Fe Community
College. This was just to satisfy my parents' wishes, and I spent only
one semester there. Although I wanted to study and continue to learn, I
yearned to reach out to people and find a different mode of study--one
which would allow me to understand myself better so that I could relate
better to the world around me. With this goal, I decided to attend the
New Mexico Academy of Massage and Advanced Healing Arts. The school
provided me with a unique mind/body balance that has helped me become a
more well-rounded person. I studied subjects that ranged from Anatomy
and Physiology to Yoga and Tai Chi. After graduating, I got a job at the
Santa Fe Sport Medicine Institute as a Physical Therapy Assistant. I
used Massage techniques to help people who were injured in auto
accidents or sporting events. This type of work allowed me to directly
help people-- the people I massaged told me that the pain they
experienced prior to the massage had subsided. Relieving the pains of
these people nurtured in me a sense of purpose. In addition, it
increased my interest in Eastern Philosophy, making me want to learn
more about Asia.
I began to read many classical Chinese texts to further my knowledge
about Chinese Philosophy. Soon I developed a profound interest in
learning how to read and speak the Chinese language. The opportunities
for studying Chinese were very limited, however. At 22, I had saved up
some money and now decided to go live in Asia to experience a Chinese
culture first-hand, and to learn how to speak Mandarin Chinese. My
desire to go to Asia was spawned by a genuine interest in reconciling
differences I found between Eastern and Western cultures. Similarly, I
wanted to pursue this experience because it would provide me with a
unique opportunity to broaden the perspective I had on the world as a
whole. This is how I ended living in Taichung, Taiwan and visiting
mainland China.
When I arrived in Taiwan, I remember getting off the airplane and
hearing everyone speaking Chinese. Everything I saw and heard was
unfamiliar to me. Seeing a different world made a huge impact on me; I
can still recall how exotic my environment was. In Taiwan, I went
through an intensive Chinese language immersion program. Slowly I began
to feel more comfortable living there, as I learned to communicate with
people in Chinese. I was invited to teach English at a private school
for children, but I told the school that I had no teaching experience.
The school informed me that if I took a short teaching training class, I
would be ready to teach. And they even offered to pay me for the
training classes. However, I refused to be paid for the training. The
school was so impressed by this that after I completed the training,
they appointed me director of the English Language program. I was
astounded by the generosity and honesty that I received from the people
in Taiwan. This was a truly remarkable experience.
In Taiwan, I lived with a Chinese family. This allowed me to assimilate
my culture with the customs and habits of this particular Chinese
family. We had long conversations about fundamental aspects of Chinese
culture and philosophy. The family also brought me to all the Chinese
festivals and celebrations. It was in Taiwan that I realized I must
return to college in the United States, and earn a degree in East Asian
Studies.
After spending a year in Taiwan, I returned to the United States to
complete my degree. My time in Taiwan taught me so much about myself,
and it gave me the perspective to see things from both a Western and
Eastern point of view. Since my return to the United States, my life has
seen some exciting changes. I got married about a year after I returned
from Taiwan. My wife is originally from Venezuela, and she has
introduced a new host of cultural norms that I am learning about. During
my free time I teach my mother-in-law English. She, of course, insists
that I need to attain fluency in both Spanish and Chinese. And that is
exactly what I am doing. My wife and I are both students at Rutgers
University, and we share our ambitions, hopes and expectation of
attending graduate school.
Currently I am a senior, majoring in East Asian Studies with a minor in
Political Science. The growing importance of Asia as a determining
factor in global economy and the increasing interaction and commerce of
the U.S. with China, suggests to me that pursuing a career in law would
be pertinent and appealing. My knowledge of Chinese culture and mastery
of the Chinese language would be a very strong asset, and it would let
me make a significant contribution to the political, commercial and
cultural exchange between the U.S. and Asia. |
