Undergraduate / challenging coursework; Sounth CarolinaHonors College/academic goals [3]

The University of South Carolina Honors College is one of the best in the country. As a college student, I have realized there are many opportunities one can achieve with great effort and dedication. I have been able to acquire a new perspective and I have a great appreciation of the opportunities given me.

I was raised in Lima, Peru. The opportunities in this country for a higher-level education are both scarce and highly competitive. This country, with its twenty seven million inhabitants, has less than thirty percent of its population attending a vocational school or university. This, of course, makes it much harder for any individual to fulfill their dreams of pursuing a chosen career in order to provide for their families. My parents have always longed for me to achieve every goal I have set for myself and strive to become successful in whatever I do. Being raised in this type of environment has provided me with a deep appreciation of the importance of achieving a respectable education. I was willing to leave the culture that I was familiar with and move to the United States in order to enrich my knowledge and gain the education that I desired. There are many ways in which the Honors College will contribute to the achievement of my goals. I am both eager and willing to accept the challenging coursework that the Honors College offers and deepen my academic awareness. Through the individualized method of educating students within this program, I will gain a greater opportunity to achieve my personal and professional ambitions. I am highly motivated to excel in my educational aspirations and am certain that this scholastic environment will enrich my future goals and needs.

Learning in the Honors College will not only deepen my knowledge, but will prepare me for future endeavors in my career and educational objectives such as attending graduate school. Additionally, the Honors College not only provides students with a deeper knowledge, but shapes them as future leaders. Given the opportunity to become a student of the Honors College, I will strive my very best to achieve the education goals set before me in order to deserve this prestigious honor.

Undergraduate / List and discuss your most significant leadership/service activities/award [2]

When I reflect on the word leadership, I think about my family and the way we adjusted ourselves to the American culture. When I left Peru almost three years ago, my life changed drastically. I had to move in with my father, whom I have not lived with at any point in my life and adjust to a lifestyle completely different from the one I had in Peru. When I arrived here, I had to not only become accustomed to speaking English daily, but also had to start learning about the way the educational system was structure and how it works. I was usually in charged of handling my own paperwork and making decisions regarding my education. A year after I moved, my parents decided that it was time for my sister to move to the United States to continue her education. Ever since I was young, my sister has viewed me as a role model since she looked up to me for advice and encouragement and because of that, my parents have always been stricter and more demanding for me to be successful. My sister, who is two years younger than me, felt overwhelmed by all the changes in her life and so I had to become emotionally stronger and lead her throughout her journey in here. I had not only to continue my responsibility as a role model but also assume a new role as a guide in her adjustment to this culture and educational system. This experience has not only helped me to become a stronger person but also influenced me to work hard and persistently in school. There is a saying that leadership comes with responsibilities, and from what I have been through, I have fully recognized the value of it.

As a student at the -------------, I have been involved in leadership activities. I joined the Global Business Council and the Women business Council in order to further my experience as a leader and further my knowledge in the business world. This semester, I was a member of the leadership team, composed by Global Business Council members, in charge of organizing the event, World Tour: The International 5k, which took place on April 7th. As a team member, I was in charged of recruiting volunteers as well as gathering donations to cover the expenses of the event. We were successful in fundraising one thousand dollars to donate to Kiva, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals start their own businesses. Moreover, I have been elected as Fundraising Chair of the Global Business Council for the next academic year and have already started planning, along with the executive board, the activities that the Global Business Council will organize.

Additionally, I have also been involved within the international community as a member of SALA (Students Associated with Latin America) in which I have recently been elected as Public Relations Chair of the executive board for the next academic year as well. Even though I am greatly involved within my culture, I am planning to get involved within other cultures also. During this summer I will be traveling to Delhi, India, as a volunteer to not only offer aid to those who need it but also gain a better understanding of the issues affecting that part of the world and immerse myself into their culture.