Graduate /
*The Monday That Changed My Life* Personal statement for MPH program [15]
Let's start at the end and work our way to the beginning. Working in reverse should help you better understand the reasons behind the revisions to your essay that I will be suggesting :-) I know, this isn't easy to write because a personal statement is so open topic that one will tend to write a novel if given a chance. We will try to avoid doing that.
Updated one: Urgent help please: This is due today. I made additional changes. I am not sure how to edit the previous document. I apologize for long posts. Thank you for your guidance and support.
The Monday that Changed My Life
It was an unforgettable day during my internship when I realized that Public Health was not just my interest, but my calling. Although I had a vague idea of a career in health promotion, meeting Lal, my first refugee client at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian aid organization, blossomed my idea into a firm desire to become a public health advocate. I saw an opportunity to improve health equity by addressing the barriers that cause health disparities in vulnerable communities such as refugees, displaced persons and victims of human trafficking.
It was Monday, and the Health Team at IRC had walk-in hours for individuals who needed assistance.When I sat down with Lal in my cubicle in the darkest corner of the office, little did I know that I was about to begin one of the first emotionally intense and empowering conversations of my career. Lal was a Bhutanese refugee who had spent almost 20 years in the refugee camps of Nepal. A week ago, the IRC had resettled him in the U.S. My role as a Public Health Intern was to support and assist refugees in navigating the intricacies of healthcare and other social services as they walked their road to self-sufficiency and assimilation into a new culture. I introduced myself to Lal with my biggest smile and greeting in Nepali: "Namaste."
As nervous as I was, I noticed that Lal was more anxious. I asked, "How are you this morning?" "Exhausted" Lal frantically replied. He had accidentally fallen asleep and missed his bus stop. As an immigrant myself, I understood how disconcerting it feels to get lost in an unfamiliar land with language barriers.
I grew up in a small landlocked country called Nepal, a land known for the bravery and hospitality of the Gorkhalis and the tenacious Mount Everest. However, what most people are not aware of is that many in my country struggle with poverty and suffer from rampant corruption. Twelve years ago, my parents sacrificed what they had established in Nepal and crossed oceans to come to the USA.
As Lal began telling me his story, our conversation lapsed into Nepali. Using a shared language, I could feel him become more comfortable, both from the familiarity of the language and for that little shared background between us. It reminded me of my own struggles as a young woman in America. Looking back at that moment intensifies my desire to study at the famed Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
"I am ready for a new journey," said Lal as I was shuffling through papers to explain Medicaid to him. Amazed by his resilience and determination, I sat still with tears in my eyes, feeling immense gratitude for this encounter. Meeting Lal, experiencing his indomitable perseverance, and discovering how organizations like IRC could help immigrants like him proved to be a turning point in my career and life.
This internship not only helped me grow as a person, but also as a student. Prior to the internship, I lacked a concrete sense of direction for post-graduation and felt unmotivated to perform well in my classes which reflected through my poor grades. Working with Lal and refugees like him exposed me to the gaps in the healthcare system. For the first time, I realized that something that seemed rudimentary to me such as scheduling a primary care appointment could be a challenge to someone such as Lal who had never had a physical exam in his entire life. Seeing how health literacy could help someone advocate for their own health care rights opened my eyes to the field of Global and Community Health. My curiosity to learn about public health and health equality brought a renewed sense of dedication to my final two years of college. Academic classes became enjoyable! Despite working as a full-time assistant manager at a retail store and interning at IRC, I was determined to excel in my classes. Consequently, I was placed on the Dean's List for four consecutive semesters.
My determination to learn did not end with academics. Along with full-time college, internship in the Bhutanese Community program and volunteering with the Health Team at IRC, I also participated at non-profit organizations such as Domestic Violence Resource Project as a Bilingual Advocate for survivors of domestic abuse. Being able to support and advocate for individuals who have battled with abuse and control for years taught me to become compassionate, non-judgemental and resourceful. Furthermore, I learned about racial and ethnic disparities in health care as a Health Promoter at Asian American Health Initiative, which validated my passion for public health education, awareness and advocacy in the underserved communities. Upon graduation, I received an Undergraduate Community Health Service Award for my contributions toward building a healthier community.
Because of its world-class reputation, vivacious campus and stimulating environment enriched by a diverse student body and faculty, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is my first choice for MPH program. I was fortunate to share in this expertise and diversity in 2012 when I took the class "Quality Assurance Management Methods in Developing Countries" and successfully completed it with an A grade. Learning amongst individuals with vast experience in public health and medicine was inspirational. As part of this course, I completed a very fulfilling project in Improving Language Access in Emergency Rooms in the USA. This project equipped me with skills to identify problems and offer solutions which helped me improve my performance at work and think strategically about issues in my personal life.
As a Masters candidate at JHU, the concentration "Health in Crisis and Humanitarian Assistance" will equip me with competencies that would allow me to pursue my goal of advocating for individuals such as Lal so they do not get lost in the chaos of conflict or stymied by systemic barriers everywhere. Courses such as "Refugee Health Care" will help me understand the health journey of refugees. "Project Development for Primary Health Care in Developing Countries" will give me insight into the health care systems in developing countries and prepare me to support vulnerable communities effectively.
I yearn for the learning experience where I can improve my critical thinking skills and academic knowledge on Public Health. I recognize that MPH at JHU will require relentless effort and dedication, which I promise to deliver. I see the Johns Hopkins University Masters in Public Health program as a valuable next step in my personal and professional growth.