yauheniya89
Feb 1, 2014
Undergraduate / Personal statement for UW Bothell (CS major, undocumented student) [3]
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Thank you very much!
I really appreciate your feedback!
yauheniya89
Jan 31, 2014
Undergraduate / Personal statement for UW Bothell (CS major, undocumented student) [3]
Being an undocumented student has made me overcome significant obstacles to receive education in America. I came to the United States from Belarus and my dream of studying at an American college seemed unreachable, because of my status, as at that time I was not aware of HB1079 legislature, passed in Washington State. I had to work in fast food restaurants for 60-70 hours a week at a minimum wage rate to make the ends meet, until I met my future spouse (also an undocumented immigrant), whose support was crucial on my way to getting education in the United States. With my husband's help I was able to work less and started the research on where and how I can receive education I was so ready for. I went to a community college and spoke with someone there about my immigration situation, but they told me there was no chance to be enrolled and pay in-state tuition being in the country illegally. Eventually, I realized the person misinformed me, as one day I came across the information on the Web, regarding HB1079, and this day was one of the happiest of my entire life. I went on getting my GED and completed all the tests with the highest scores. Soon after that I was helped by an admissions advisor at Bellevue College to prepare all the necessary documentation and was admitted to a degree program in October 2012.
Currently, I am completing the Associate Transfer Degree in Arts in Sciences to be able to qualify for the admissions at the University of Washington in Bothell. Writing this, I can hardly believe it is really happening, as many years ago, visiting the Seattle's campus for the first time, seeing all the students' happy faces, basking in the sunlight reaching through the branches of the cherry trees, the thought of being a student of UW was my wildest dream.
I chose to pursue a degree in computer science, because I have always had interest in how computer software and hardware work, and I always loved mathematics and physics. In the community college I took the introductory programming class, using C# programming language, and I really enjoyed it, as I found programming very creative and thought-provoking. Being able to start with an idea and create a functional, logical, and efficient program to solve real-life problems is what really interests and satisfies me. In mathematics I also liked the fact that one has to put in a lot of thinking and analysis to solve a problem and I find it the same with programming. I found programming challenging in a good sense, as it made me think logically and critically, be more accurate and pay more attention to small details. While taking this introductory programming course, I also was writing a research paper in my English class, and the topic I decided to explore was "Women in Computer Science". I learned from my research that women are still outnumbered by men in the world of information technology, but there are many successful women, such as Sheryl Sandberg, Anita Borg and Marissa Mayer, that inspired me to make a decision to major in computer science. After the research and a C# course I took the Fundamentals of Microsoft's SQL Server out of curiosity and never regretted it. This course not only helped me to make a final decision in pursuing computer science as my major, but also made me interested in database administration as a future career.
Getting a bachelor's degree in CS at the University of Washington will help me prepare for a career in CS field, fulfill my dream and succeed in the future career. My long-term goal is to complete a Master's Degree in Computer Science and become a real professional in the industry.
Besides my interest in computer science, I am also interested in learning web development and design. Currently, I am studying web development myself, using tutorials online and books from a local library, hoping to apply this knowledge in a coursework at the university and in my future career. Computer-related subjects do not restrict me from having spare time for a few hobbies, such as learning Spanish, which would be the third language I am fluent at, and photography.
My work experience is not diverse: I have worked in food service industry for eight years total, including for over four years at my current job as a training associate in a bakery-café. My hard work, responsibility and reliability paid off, when I was offered a management position, but I had to reject it due to my commitment to studies.
I strongly believe that my perseverance, diligence and love for analytical problem-solving make me an ideal candidate for a degree in computer science. I am looking forward to all the challenges awaiting me in the pursuit of my education goals.
Being an undocumented student has made me overcome significant obstacles to receive education in America. I came to the United States from Belarus and my dream of studying at an American college seemed unreachable, because of my status, as at that time I was not aware of HB1079 legislature, passed in Washington State. I had to work in fast food restaurants for 60-70 hours a week at a minimum wage rate to make the ends meet, until I met my future spouse (also an undocumented immigrant), whose support was crucial on my way to getting education in the United States. With my husband's help I was able to work less and started the research on where and how I can receive education I was so ready for. I went to a community college and spoke with someone there about my immigration situation, but they told me there was no chance to be enrolled and pay in-state tuition being in the country illegally. Eventually, I realized the person misinformed me, as one day I came across the information on the Web, regarding HB1079, and this day was one of the happiest of my entire life. I went on getting my GED and completed all the tests with the highest scores. Soon after that I was helped by an admissions advisor at Bellevue College to prepare all the necessary documentation and was admitted to a degree program in October 2012.
Currently, I am completing the Associate Transfer Degree in Arts in Sciences to be able to qualify for the admissions at the University of Washington in Bothell. Writing this, I can hardly believe it is really happening, as many years ago, visiting the Seattle's campus for the first time, seeing all the students' happy faces, basking in the sunlight reaching through the branches of the cherry trees, the thought of being a student of UW was my wildest dream.
I chose to pursue a degree in computer science, because I have always had interest in how computer software and hardware work, and I always loved mathematics and physics. In the community college I took the introductory programming class, using C# programming language, and I really enjoyed it, as I found programming very creative and thought-provoking. Being able to start with an idea and create a functional, logical, and efficient program to solve real-life problems is what really interests and satisfies me. In mathematics I also liked the fact that one has to put in a lot of thinking and analysis to solve a problem and I find it the same with programming. I found programming challenging in a good sense, as it made me think logically and critically, be more accurate and pay more attention to small details. While taking this introductory programming course, I also was writing a research paper in my English class, and the topic I decided to explore was "Women in Computer Science". I learned from my research that women are still outnumbered by men in the world of information technology, but there are many successful women, such as Sheryl Sandberg, Anita Borg and Marissa Mayer, that inspired me to make a decision to major in computer science. After the research and a C# course I took the Fundamentals of Microsoft's SQL Server out of curiosity and never regretted it. This course not only helped me to make a final decision in pursuing computer science as my major, but also made me interested in database administration as a future career.
Getting a bachelor's degree in CS at the University of Washington will help me prepare for a career in CS field, fulfill my dream and succeed in the future career. My long-term goal is to complete a Master's Degree in Computer Science and become a real professional in the industry.
Besides my interest in computer science, I am also interested in learning web development and design. Currently, I am studying web development myself, using tutorials online and books from a local library, hoping to apply this knowledge in a coursework at the university and in my future career. Computer-related subjects do not restrict me from having spare time for a few hobbies, such as learning Spanish, which would be the third language I am fluent at, and photography.
My work experience is not diverse: I have worked in food service industry for eight years total, including for over four years at my current job as a training associate in a bakery-café. My hard work, responsibility and reliability paid off, when I was offered a management position, but I had to reject it due to my commitment to studies.
I strongly believe that my perseverance, diligence and love for analytical problem-solving make me an ideal candidate for a degree in computer science. I am looking forward to all the challenges awaiting me in the pursuit of my education goals.
