Undergraduate / I am not rich, hairy or fluent in Farsi, but I do speak Korean. (my talent) [6]

Prompt #2 - 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?

Many people have certain preconceived notions about Persians. They are rich, hairy, and understand Farsi. I am, for some reason none of these. I am not rich, hairy or fluent in Farsi, but I do speak Korean.

As a student in middle school I had many friends of Asian descent, so I wanted to learn Korean. When I reached high school, I enrolled into Korean 1AB. Towards the end of the school year my teacher informed me that there was a scholarship program I could apply to so I could go to Korea during the summer. I submitted an essay to the foundation of Koran Language and Culture in the USA. Out of all the applicants in the USA, I was one of the twenty-one that were chosen for the 2008 Summer Scholarship Program in Korea. While in Korea I excelled my knowledge of their culture and language. Being respectful and polite is a very important aspect that is highly expressed in their culture. I learned that they bow slightly when greeting or thanking someone. They also do not wear shoes in their homes so to be respectful you must always remove your shoes whenever you enter a home. In the Korean language there is also honorific forms in which you use to speak to anyone older than you to show respect. Learning and practicing such things allows me to be a better person and helps me to get farther in life.

I also applied for a university course at the University of Hawaii in Manoa. The selection process required an interview in Korean. Although I was anxious about the interview, the interviewer said I did exceptionally well for a Persian American. While in the program I learned a great number of new vocabulary words, how to properly pronounce certain difficult words and to converse fluently. That class was somewhat difficult because I was the only non Korean student while the rest of the student were Korean, so when the teacher talked I couldn't fully comprehend where as everyone else did. I had to work hours on end to read, translate, understand and complete the homework so I could be at the same level as everyone else in the class. Those six weeks might have been some of the hardest but they were most rewarding as I learned an advanced myself in communicating better in Korean.

These experiences of being chosen to learn more about a culture and language first hand have in themselves been very exhilarating, especially for me. I have studied a language that is very unique from all the others offered in my school like Spanish and French. I did not have the advantage of my parents speaking the language like some of the other students in the Spanish and French classes. I had accomplished these experiences solely through my own self determination which has made me more confident and well mannered. My persistence to learn a language that is considered one of the hardest to learn coupled with my resilience to continue despite obstacles in pronunciation has become a catalyst in bettering myself through how I present myself and in how I grasp any knowledge that comes towards me. These experiences make me proud to be the person that I am.

Undergraduate / "Genetics through music make an impact in this world" - where I come from [3]

Prompt #1 - Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

People in life always strive to find their own purpose. "Why am I here?" This question is undoubtedly asked by everyone at one point in their lives. The truth is, our purpose in life is shaped by the world and people around us. In my case, my aspiration has been influenced by my music teacher Mr. Bortz.

Wanting to see my friend's band practice, I went to school during the summer after my tenth grade year. Knowing that I have previously played the French horn, they have continually asked me to join the band to fill up the vacant spot made by the previous brass player who had graduated. They encouraged me to just try and march with them. And at first I was reluctant, but I eventually grew to like marching. Even though it was extremely hard to play and march, my curiosity and passion for music and marching quickly took over me, so I enrolled in the class the upcoming year. During the long hours of toiling works and practices that I spent in class and on the field, I developed a close friendship with my music teacher, Mr. Bortz who was a caring optimistic person with cystic fibrosis (a fatal disease that affects multiple organ systems and is genetically inherited). At first this was very intriguing to know someone with CF, because it is something that separates him from the usual music teacher, but despite the disease my teacher remained passionate of his job and willing to give a helping hand to everyone. During an afterschool practice he was trying to help me play louder on my instrument so I could be heard on the field during the show, but I kept saying I couldn't do it. But what really stayed with me was when he said, "I wish I could take a full breath like a healthy person." This comment had really struck me for I've never had any grave injury or disease that made me realized how fortunate I am to be a healthy person. From then on I wanted to pursue a path that would allow me to help those that have been robbed of a chance to live a normal life. I truly wanted to do something that could help people that have genetically inherited diseases like CF, either with finding a cure or bettering the treatments that already existed. I wanted to make a difference in their lives just like how Mr. Bortz did in my life.

Meeting my music teacher has caused me to see the world in a different way. Instead of taking things for granted, I learned that good health doesn't always come by easily. I discovered that we must always work to keep ourselves healthy and strong. Most importantly, I found a purpose in life: to help people suffering from crippling illnesses at the best of my ability. By furthering my education, I wish to fulfill this dream that I established and make an impact in this world.

any help with grammar and spelling would be nice and anything that should be cut out