GKS Personal Statement - Chem Eng - Applying via Uni

Guidelines:
o Motivations with which you apply for this program
o Your education and work experience in relation to GKS.
o Reason for studying in Korea
oAny other aspects of your background and interests which may help us evaluate your aptitude and passion for graduate study or research.

Thank you everyone for your help

Korea is the place

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog" - Mark Twain
Five years of undergraduate education with a year of internship, and a year at a full time job abroad right after graduating developed a strong interest in me to pursue higher education and keep learning in order to have the knowledge to contribute to society through science, by improving our surroundings and changing the world we live in, making it better for ourselves and our future generations. I want to pursue a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering as I am confident that, with my background in biotechnology and engineering, plus my international perspective, and the industry experience I have acquired through my professional life, I will be able to learn how to achieve my goals, which are to develop innovative bio-packaging solutions to reduce plastic consumption and reducing air pollution by focusing on the development of biofuels, which can be a substitute for fossil fuels, thus reducing emissions of carbon dioxide.

I am a Bachelor of Science with major in Biotechnology Engineering from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), Mexico's best university and the third best in all Latin America, and I was granted a scholarship due to my academic performance throughout my studies. My major allowed me to get a multidisciplinary education in areas of great applications potential which developed in me a strong interest in biofuels and alternative energy solutions. To acquire an international perspective on my major, I studied abroad two times, being the first one here in Korea, at Kyungpook National University. It was an enriching experience; not only because of learning Hangeul and all the knowledge I learned from my professors, but also thanks to the friendships I made with Korean students and getting to know their perspective in terms of self-improvement and dedication towards their academic preparation. Upon finishing my semester in Korea I went to Spain, to study abroad at the University of Cadiz, where I attended several laboratory courses focused on developing biomarkers and studying cell therapy.

Shortly after going back to Mexico, I got selected as an Analytical Chemist Intern for the Colgate Palmolive Company, where I had the opportunity to learn how to operate several instruments and perform analytical techniques, learn from the scientists and their research, and undergo validation projects on my own. My responsibilities were to perform validation analysis on new products to make sure they complied with specifications and, as I gradually advanced and fulfilled my tasks with excellence, I was given more responsibilities such as submitting complete laboratory reports on my own, and analyzing active ingredients in all the raw materials and finished products, which I always carried out with a strong sense of responsibility.

In addition, during my last semester at university I was assigned to a Research Project focused on the extraction and purification of betalains, phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity in beets; which I was in charge of completely; however, due to my graduation and job offer in United States, I needed to step down from the project before its completion. I later became a Production Supervisor for JBS USA Food Company, where I was in charge of meeting production volumes, maximizing yields and the development and implementation of PDCA projects to improve efficiency at my area. I designed a complete layout for the boxing and final inspection areas, managing to reduce time-outs to the minimum and meeting the Key Performance Indicators month after month. Despite having a good working experience and acquiring knowledge of the food industry, I kept feeling unfulfilled as my career did not allow me to do anything for the environment as I have envisioned; and, one year later, I decided to resign from my job with my focus being the pursue of higher education.

When thinking about why Korea is the place where I want to study a Master's Degree many things can be said: how according to the OECD this is the most educated country in the world as it is hard to find another country that places greater emphasis on education than South Korea, and how the high education levels aided the country to overcome the war and become a first world, advanced high technology nation; but what interests me the most are the similarities Korea and Mexico have, as both struggle massively against environmental pollution and lack solutions to carbon dioxide emissions. Korea has the highest consumption of plastic per capita in the world, which leads to a tremendous risk in public health due to the difficulty in waste management; Mexico is no different, there is a massive amount of plastic ending up in the oceans, and increased air pollution due to burning waste and CO2 emissions. In hand with the courses offered for the major I pursue, there is a considerable amount of patents and publications in Scientific Journals from the PNU academic staff with research on the areas of my interest, like Dr. Jung Rae Kim, who took part in an interesting research on the Journal of Cleaner Production about cleaner production of biodiesel. In addition to my background and qualifications, being able to learn from him and the whole faculty at PNU will be an asset for me to contribute to the improvement of the environmental situation in my country, and globally, which is a concern that must be taken care of.

---my main concern is that I don't feel the final paragraph has a strong ending, if I should focus deeper on the courses offered at PNU for my major, or if I should focus more on my semester here in Korea.

EDIT: I am actually here in Korea at the moment, I am enrolled in a Korean Language Program and have been studying the language for a semester already, with my next semester beginning in 10 days. I also signed up for the TOPIK 1 test in April

I was planning to write about that in the Statement of Purpose (at the study plan, mentioning I plan on obtaining the topik 3 level in less than a year so I can begin my masters studies) but I don't know if I should write about that in the Personal Statement instead

First things first. Let's remove the Mark Twain quote. Your essay is already strong enough for consideration without that reference. Be direct to the point. The boring run-on introduction you created for the first paragraph should be removed. Inform the reviewer immediately about your interest in pursuing your masters degree. Don't bore him with irrelevant information and introductions. Keep his attention by keeping him informed.

Now, I can tell you that your graduate research ability and research abilities in relation to graduate studies are good. It is strong enough to support your application. The Korean connection is strong, but can be made stronger by informing the reviewer that you are currently in Korea and that you plan to take the TOPIK test. Don't place those information in the study plan. The study plan is the thesis proposal for your masters degree graduation project. It does not include plans on improving your language skills. That type of information is only for undergraduate scholarship applicants.

Do not over focus on the university reference. Keep it down to 2 major reasons why you chose this university instead. It will help you create a more connected paragraph in relation to your interest in the masters course offering. Close the essay on a hopeful note that you look forward to helping improve the university through whatever reasons you can think of. Don't just discuss what you can take from the uni, talk about what you can give them too. That is the best way to close the essay.