Who or what influenced you to apply to Syracuse?
For most of the college process the only exposure I had to Syracuse was through the opinions and stories of my fellow classmates. Of course the school's athletics were widespread over various T.V. networks, but I did not have any idea what the school itself was like. I began to research Syracuse, and I attended two information sessions where I listened as the representative talked about all the opportunities Syracuse offered. I hope to pursue a career in business, so when researching online about the Whitman School of Management I looked at student testimonials. One that really caught my eye was a testimonial on the Whitman website by a student named Justin. Justin talked about the various ways that the Whitman school helped him get involved with other organizations around campus. I believe that Whitman's ability to place its students in prestigious internships will be invaluable to my future. Having two older brothers who participated in internships, I understand the value that they hold for a student's future. That is exactly the reason why I wish to apply to the Whitman School of Management. My dream is to attend a school where I get to study to pursue a career I am really interested in, while at the same time be exposed to unique experiences and wonderful people. After all of my research I believe Syracuse University offers me the foundation I need to pursue a career, and further myself as a student and a person.
Who is the person you dream of becoming and how do you believe Syracuse can help?
I believe we all have aspirations to become the worlds most powerful, influential, beautiful and wealthy. Who wouldn't want to be on the cover of a magazine, or driving an expensive European sports car? For me, I derive my ideal future from the movie Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps starring Shia LaBeouf and Michael Douglas. Plot of the film aside, the character played by LaBeouf, Jacob Moore, is a top-level trader at a large investment firm. The directors show this young man just a few years out of college achieving everything he could hope for in life. He has a beautiful girlfriend, fancy apartment, and ties to some of the most important financial executives on Wall Street. Most importantly he has the drive to succeed. This is where I believe Jacob Moore and myself are very similar. In the town that I grew up in, everybody knows everything about each other. It is unbelievably competitive, and for most of my life I have loathed it. However, ever since sophomore year I have begun to embrace. I do not know where my drive to work hard came from, but I believe I owe a lot of it to the environment I grew up in. I have aspirations of working hard and making sacrifices to get where I want to be in life. I believe that Syracuse University offers me a wonderfully intelligent faculty, and state of the art facilities to motivate me and push me to be the best that I can be. As I have stated before, School of Management's ability to place its students in internships is an invaluable asset. After much research and exposure to the university, the core values of the school, such as exposure to educational experiences and development of future business leaders, are very much in tune with my own values. That is why I believe that Syracuse will help me achieve my "Jacob Moore-ian" aspirations.
If you have had work experience, what skills and/or knowledge did you gain?
In the summer, I work as a lifeguard for the local pond in my town. On my shift there were seven lifeguards, a lifeguard captain, and a beach manager. My job entailed daily duties of cleaning up in the morning, and monitoring the swimming area during the day. However, I do not derive the value I gained from this job through the everyday chores I was asked to perform. The most important part of the job was teamwork, and the ability to cooperate with my fellow employees at all times. This value of teamwork is universal in many aspects of life including the classroom. Working with people of all ages, has taught me to be more patient and understanding. These characteristics translated into success in the classroom. In my AP Economics class, we were asked to work in groups a lot on collaborative projects. I found myself being able to work with other people much easier as I was more understanding of other people's ideas and patient when I did not necessarily agree with their ideas. Another characteristic from the job that I have obtained is a stronger sense of responsibility. As a lifeguard, it is my job to ensure patrons are safe. If I am not doing my job diligently there is potential for serious harm to the patrons who I am in charge of monitoring. As a result of the high stakes of my job, I hold myself responsible for any task given to me. With school I am more focused on completing my assignments and making sure I understand the concepts. If I don't I understand that it is my responsibility to speak up and seek help in clarifying my questions. The knowledge that I gained from lifeguarding is invaluable to me. I owe a lot of my successes in the classroom to the skills and attributes I have acquired as a result of my job.
Our mission of Scholarship in Action extends beyond the classroom to include engagement opportunities with our campus community, the City of Syracuse, and locations across the globe. Based on your academic interests, tell us what real world experiences you might pursue during your education at Syracuse University as part of this mission?
One experience I wish to continue during my time at Syracuse University is incorporating the world of business and finance into the classroom. I currently take an AP Economics class at my high school. So far it has been the most interesting and stimulating class of my high school career. I wish other teens could have the opportunity to learn more about business in their high school. I would like to explore the integration of finance into a high school curriculum. Specifically, teaching business part-time to under-privileged teens would be very rewarding to me. As a student growing up in a wealthy suburban town, I have been blessed with many opportunities and a stable home environment. I appreciate everything I have been given in life, and feel like I should give back to other children less fortunate than I. I do not know if there is a program in the Whitman School where I could spend time in a school teaching, but I would very much like to explore this opportunity.
