Undergraduate / UC Prompt #1 - Transfer - Psychology [5]

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.

I have always been intrigued by the science of mind and behavior long before I ever knew it as psychology. I would go out of my way to observe others and assay their wits; how they think, how they react, and how their emotions coincide with their behavior. I first heard of psychology in elementary school when kids would imagine and tell their own fallacy about what psychologists do. Some would jest by relating them to people who read minds or never let lies go undetected while I enjoyed relating them to professionals of a universal language.

Communication between my loved ones has always been the stepping stone for my ambition in psychology. Coming from an immigrant family, raised by a Pakistani father and a Korean mother, there has always been a cultural and linguistic barrier which we learned to overcome together. Words might not have been the easiest way for us to express ourselves but, our actions became capable of speaking louder than any sentences could. Altogether, the way I was raised taught me a lifetime of speaking and understanding without words.

Looking back on my childhood, I remember walking home from school more vividly than what I wore yesterday. It had nothing to do with the trip from school but, the time I spent with my native Korean grandma. While my parents both spent their day working to provide for me and my two older sisters, my grandma was there every day to walk me home right when the bell rang. This was where I spent most of time connecting with my grandma. I always look back and reminisce over our walks together because we still created a magnificent bond in the absence of dialect. Although I couldn't speak with her in fluent Korean, the way we harmonized in our understanding of each other was a blessing to the loving and unique relationship we share. Getting to know my grandma, I learned that words and actions are the difference between seeing in light and seeing with fire. It opened my eyes to staying away from a self-centered career and essentially taking action to help people in life. Every day that I am able to speak more Korean and carry on a conversation with my grandma, the more astonished and inspired I am by the potential of studying nonverbal communication and human behavior.

The ones who raised me have been the greatest influence inspiring my intuition to help others through psychology. Furthermore, my family encouraged me to appreciate how psychology is experienced and needed everywhere on individual, societal, and cultural levels. Their motivation alone helped me take action by moving towards my goal of becoming an effective communicator. Through reaching out as more than just another person, my fire may one day illuminate the dark for those who just need a spark of their own.

- Please help me find any grammar mistakes I missed
- Also, I feel as if my introduction is too straight forward but, transfer students are supposed
to talk more about how they came to choose their study than about themselves. so its all good.. right?
- Tell me what you think. Please feel free to add criticism, advice, anything!