Scholarship / "it ain't over till it's over" - gks personal statement draft [3]

Every student likes to study freely but from my young age it was a dream i was hoping to be true to study free from financial constraints.Gks is an opportunity for me to build the gap between my passion and me. The passion brought me here today- writing thus essay with hopes of pursuing future studies in Korea,a land of opportunities.As the financial constraints kept on stepping my education. I was searching for an opportunity to stop this and study freely and gks will playback huge role in Me by removing this financial constraints and which will help me focus on " how the human body works?"instead of " how to pay the tuition fees?

Growing up as the only girl in my family ,I witnessed sacrifices everyday after my dad passed away and my elder brother sacrifice his own dreams to help me achieve my dreams. their support fueled my drive to work harder and I understood that learning is the key for a better life.

I took STEM strand during my high school in pursuit of passion for medicine. During the high school I did participate in extracurricular activities such as net ball , marathon, 100m race , relay , cycle race,etc.
while I was in High school my biology teacher, who was a microbiology majored student back in her days , shared her stories doing lab practicals and about heart miracles. I started my IALs but after 1½ year due to a sudden increase of tuition fee my family had no other options but to stop my education. And I had a 1 year long break but not break I didn't stop studying my books and getting notes from my friends and I planned to IELTS to go abroad and did prepare but my family was against it because I was only 16.

There's a saying that " it ain't over till it's over",this quote became my motto of life.The education I thought that stopped didn't stop. I enrolled to a foundation program in NSBM Green University. There were other subjects other than my major (science) such as maths and quantitative techniques, principles of management and English and soft skills.These subjects did help me to build such skills like management , leadership, problem solving, etc.
As of September 2024 , I completed the foundation program and unfortunately had to return home without being able to apply for a degree program.As I deepen my studies, I became increasingly fascinated with South Korea's medical advancement , excellent healthcare infrastructure, strong emphasis on medical research.also i could be exposed to a thriving scientific community and can gain global connections for my future career as a cardiologist . I'm excited about the opportunity to study in South Korea, where I can grow academically and personally and build the foundation I nee to pursue my career.

I choosed to study biological science for my undergraduates because or is a great foundation for medical school. it gives deep understanding of essential subjects like anatomy, physiological and biochemistry.I am confident that I can thrive in South Korea. I believe studying in Korea will all9w me to deepen my knowledge, contribute global healthcare and experience its rich culture of progress and learning. I have already proven that I can live independently
and manage my finances. during the year in capital so I believe even if living
in colombo and south korea is different the basic skills wanted is already and I'm looking forward to improve myself personally even more by surrounding myself with new people's,new thoughts and new environment.

I aspire to become a representative, using my experiences and education in healthcare field to bridge gaps and foster mutual understanding between nations. Through the program, I aim to contribute to global progress ,particularly in healthcare and serve as a positive example of collaboration and growth. thankyou for taking time to evaluate my application.

Scholarship / gks sop - majoring in biological science [2]

Motivations with which you apply for this program
- Educational background
- Significant experiences you have had; persons or events that have had a significant influence on you
- Extracurricular activities such as club activities, community service activities or work experiences
- If applicable, describe awards you have received, publications you have made, or skills you have acquired, etc.

During my high school IALs first year many students in my class started to dropping out for abroad studies and there was a small group so it was easy for the teachers to interact with students very directly. That's when everything started to get serious- we got professional lecturers from universities for our studies for each subject and I met my motivator on that day- my chemistry lecturer. She was really professional, which encouraged us to be disciplined in that subject so when I was studying that really with my wish not by the homework or exam pressure I found chemistry as a fun subject, it answered many of my curious questions Studying it out of passion rather than pressure led me to excel, and got the highest marks in my class for chemistry for the first time surpassing our class topper and I had that proud face because it was all my hard work and knowing an answer in the exam was the best feeling forever. And this particular moment was the moment I started to run catching my childhood dream to be a doctor.
Growing up as the only girl in my family, I witnessed sacrifices daily. After my father passed away, my elder brother set aside his own dreams to support mine and fund our education. Compared to my siblings, my educational journey was far more challenging, as I studied in a private school with excessively high tuition expenses. These sacrifices taught me the value of perseverance and drove me to honor my family's efforts through academic excellence.
But due to a sudden increase in my school tuition I had to stop my IALs and I had a 1-year gap during that gap I hoped to still go back but the tuition fee, paying it each and every month was so hard to even think. I got a feeling that ill never go back to school, it gave me chills "will I never learn chemistry ever"? because that was my favourite subject I really worried a lot. Then my family told me let's do diplomas in either English, IT or graphic design, I remained focused on finding a path to university. I continued studying independently, collecting notes from friends and researching options until I discovered the foundation program at NSBM, equivalent to A-levels in Sri Lanka.
Doing a foundation programme in science at NSBM was one of the best decisions I've made, as it also included extra subjects that enriched my studies So, the next best decision was not giving up studying in that gap year because all that knowledge was really useful at that time in university. That decision simply made me get good results. Also, the university studies are totally different than schools in schools we get everything study materials and notes to our hand but in university if you pay attention and get notes only you can study, I was able to strive through this because in my high school last year I studied with lecturers in the same method. During this foundation year I learnt many things, something very new for me was presentations, standing Infront of 200 of students, making projects, doing lab works, leading projects and lab reports but it was exciting and there was an one particularly memorable experience was the math and quantitative project it was a statistics-based project. I lead a group and the topic we choose was "music vs studies" which was inspired while I was in dormitory my roommate was noisy and I had to use headphones while studying and it helped me to focus. I created a survey and my group members shared it across the university and we used those responses and made our presentation by each member should explain each topic but during the presentation day when we had rehearsals I found 3 members didn't prepare the script I gave to them and they had a hard time explaining the topics and the lecturer said them to stop and asked who will volunteer to explain these and as I was the leader I had to step out and lead the presentation including their parts and at the ending the lecturer complimented me for saving the group project. Beyond academics, I developed critical skills in teamwork, adaptability, and public speaking during this time.

After successfully completing my foundation programme, I got a call from my home saying I can't do the degree with upcoming batch because they got into a debt and again gap I returned back to home and they promised they'll let me joining with the next batch and during that 3 months I was just with nothing to study , but during that when searching something to learn I was looking at the basics of Korean language and I saw the story of king Sejong it was really inspiring and motivated me to learn Korean and his efforts to create a language accessible to all but to be real in Korean language I feel that I'm able to express my words more beautifully than the language I'm familiar and also I started to teach English for a kid which further developed my communication and mentorship skills.
Choosing Korea for this journey feels right, as the country is renowned for its cutting-edge research, advanced technology, and world-class education. I have chosen biological sciences as my major for undergraduate studies, as it will provide the strong foundation I need to prepare for medical school, including subjects like biochemistry, genetics, and physiology. Also, through this scholarship I will gain network and cultural experiences My next step after doing an undergraduate degree was med school so choosing the right undergraduate degree was important for me.
The advanced medical knowledge and top-tier research experience I will gain in Korea will enable me to promote and improve both nations' healthcare systems. I hope to contribute through research collaborations and international healthcare projects that bridge the gap between Korea and Sri Lanka. I believe that strengthening global medical ties will not only benefit my home country but also enhance Korea's role in international healthcare cooperation. I am committed to honoring the opportunity provided by the South Korean government by using my education to make a meaningful impact. Thank you for taking the time to evaluate my application.