PERSONAL STATEMENT/ Masters in Human Nutrition in South Korea / [SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION]

from Mexico to korea

Growing up in Mexico I realized the importance of food and nutrition when learning about the impact it has on humans health and national development. The deficient nutritional education provided in the country made Mexico one of the top countries with the highest numbers of obesity and metabolic-related diseases. This matter showed me how early nutritional education and strategic nutritional programs could be used for the prevention of diseases and the wealth of a country. Food affects everyone's lives no matter their age or nationality.

Being a nutritionist gave me the ability to improve the living conditions of people and it gave me a great responsibility. I wanted to study nutrition because having the knowledge of what a healthy lifestyle is would allow me to improve the nutritional status of the youngest generations. Studying Clinical Nutrition as a higher level subject has equipped me with great research and practical skills. My public health and research subjects made me more sensitive to the credibility of sources. My exchange semester at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas exposed me to different cultures and religions and prepared me to adapt to the diversity

Interacting with international students during my exchange semester and traveling twice to South Korea gave me the opportunity to analyze the similarities between Mexican and South Korean diets. I also got to realize the great importance of supporting the preservation of traditional food. Furthermore, Traditional food is an essential precedent to analyze the nutritional transition of a country by looking over the roots and origins of its dietary structure in order to retain the healthful elements. My Worlds Cuisine course prepared me with a foundational understanding of the international dietary structures and their unique features. I was able to apply this knowledge to my Food Services final project by incorporating the structure of a Traditional Asian Diet into a healthy menu for an Institution.

My community social service for different national institutions exposed me to several case studies where nutrition was essential to reduce and prevent the main national health problems, which forward encouraged me to learn more about the application of nutrition in different contexts. Working with international students at the University of the Incarnate World put me in touch with the benefits of the Asian diet for the prevention and management of metabolic disorders and the regular consumption of functional foods. Working with Korean students gave me insight into Korea's adherence to traditional food patterns and its support for the initiatives of health promotion at the national level. I export this issue into my research about Mexican governmental programs to promote a healthy lifestyle for the reduction of metabolic diseases. My research made me aware of the potential limitations of nutritional education as a cause of the main public health problems.

Having half scholarship for my Bachelor degree from 1st to 8th semester I developed the ability to be constantly active and be always open to new challenges. I maintained a total GPA of over 90/100 points until the 8th semester and I obtained an Awarded Bachelor of Science Diploma with honors later that year. Leading my Bachelor's degree with a required GPA to preserve my scholarship equipped me with the ability to prioritize tasks and plan all steps in the work process. A demanding course such as Nutrition requires the ability to be organized and keep oneself continuously updated in order to succeed.

Studying Human Nutrition at the graduate level will provide me with the basic knowledge to analyze the importance of strengthening a healthy traditional diet and skills required for the development of strategies for the reduction of metabolic disorder cases of the present and future generations. Korea is one of the countries with the most efficient health systems with a well-preserved and healthy traditional food culture which makes it an influential country in the creation and enforcement of human nutrition. Its international significance makes it the perfect country to pursue my nutritional studies.

Since the personal statement requires you to present a strong connection to South Korea, it would be in the best interest of your application to focus more of your discussion on what you learned about Korea and their diet during those 2 trips that you took. What you learned about their diet and how it affected your outlook as a dietician would have a strong impact on your motivation to study in Korea and clearly explain why you have chosen to study in Korea, without falling back on the amateur K-Pop and Hallyu references.

Overall, this is the most well connected personal statement I have read for a GKS - M applicant. You have strong credentials based on an overall stand point. Although, the reviewer will of course be highly interested in the 2 trips that you made to Korea. That should be the strongest focal point of your ability to mingle, learn, and observe others through a specific cultural reference. In this case, it would be nutrition based on the way it applied to you while you were in Korea. Explain how the 2 trips are different and how Korea helped grow your skills, interests, and learning as a nutritionist. These can be used as additional reasons for why you want to study in Korea aside from the final paragraph that you presented.