Studying Economics / Korean culture - Personal Statement
When I was a high schooler, I immersed myself in Korean history and Asian cinema. The Korean culture left a great impression on me, and I thought about how to connect my studies with my interests. Figuring out which major I should choose took a long time, a lot of research and in-depth analysis, I looked into art, science and everything in between. Aside from this, I considered my knowledge, interests, and passions. In conclusion, I wanted something that was not only part of me but had an impact on every person's life, even in the simplest ways. I hope to pursue my dream of becoming a great Economist while connecting this knowledge to my biggest passion that is the Korean culture and language.
The study of Economics is the one that can give us the critical thinking of deciding, for example, daily life decisions that a university student has to made "should I buy this *brand* coffee or should I save money so I do not starve at the end of the month?", and then we have more complex models, for example, stock prices or an investment plan to reactivate the country's economy.
Furthermore, Economics can teach us a structured way to reach efficient solutions. The purpose of a theory is to take a complex, real-world issue and simplify it down to its essentials. If done well, this enables the analyst to understand any problems surrounding it. Once we understand the problem, we can decide which solution is going to work. Being able to give a firm and structured answer is one of my daily life goals. I am particularly interested in econometrics and microeconomics.
My motivation for studying Economics grows each day with more intensity because of the current problems and uncertainty that the world faces, I want to take advantage of the scholarship so I have a chance of helping my country's economy, so society can move forward and overcome this crisis.
I admire and applaud the positive relations between Mexico and Korea, being allies from the commercial to the cultural field. We can recognize a prosperous future. I want to help create a stronger bridge between these countries, so university students on both sides can access to better education, learn and benefit from the potential the countries have. I am aware of the academic level required to study in Korea, the Economics curriculum from the universities I choose are excellent and I could not be more excited to learn in one of the most successful countries in the world. I present myself as a person with the skills and conviction to achieve each goal that I set for myself in the short and long term.
My family has always been a supporting one, I look up to my parents as role models for their honesty, loyalty, integrity, diligent, and persevering thinking, such values my sister and I have learnt and chosen to practice in our daily lives to become better members of this community. My little sister, Mariana, whom I admire very much, has chosen a different path from mine in the science department. Our parents have been hard-working people all their lives to give us a better future, and I want to make them proud. I want to be an outstanding example for my sister, my parents, and those around me.
I take inspiration to continue learning about Korea in every single aspect of my life. Motivated by culture, I started studying the basics of the language on my own. Soon I learned about daily life and traditions. The vision and social behavior of the country captivated me. Now, I take the Korean Language Program in the Center for Studies and Certification of Foreign Languages (CCL) of the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon (UANL), the same university where I am a full-time Economics undergraduate student. I took the TOPIK 1 exam with last year ever since I have prepared myself to take the TOPIK 2.
I have been studying English my entire academic career, communicate and understand English is easy for me. Apart from my studies and Korean class, I have work experience tutoring foreign children in the Spanish language, my mother tongue, using English as a means of communication. Learning different languages has enabled me to appreciate different cultures, see from multiple perspectives, and it is something I genuinely enjoy. Last summer I taught basic Korean to teenagers and adults through an online platform, to share my knowledge in the language and as a result, develop new abilities. This has helped me improve my teaching and communication skills. In addition, the need to prioritize my time given the hectic schedule of schoolwork allowed me to develop my time-management skills.
In an extracurricular level, I love to represent my interests in film and photography; during high school, my team was awarded a silver medal in the "Latin American contest of visual projects", Korean music concept videos inspired this project. I also have taken part in multiple contests organized by the Korean Culture Center in Mexico, including video making and book translation contests. Now, I volunteer in a university association for the environment and sustainability (ARSAFE).
The connection between my interests and how did I end up choosing my major is very strong, every time we learn a new language, it comes with a new vision and perspective of seeing the world, and every social science focuses on the behavior of people and tries to explain it. Getting this scholarship would help me plenty to fulfill my goal of becoming a better economist. Learning Korean while majoring would open many doors for me in the labor sector, both in my country and in the world.
Fueled by my passion and equipped with the above qualities, I hope to learn Economics at a higher level in South Korea as I believe that an excellent education overseas would be an invaluable experience to me and would allow me to become a more mature and independent individual.