My country, Georgia, needs to escape beyond its borders

This essay/motivation letter was made for the UGRAD program. It is meant to answer the question: WHY would you be a great UGRAD participant? UGRAD is an exchange program that lets students from all around the globe spend a semester in the US.

Educational Foundation and English Studies

"I learned English from the Simpsons" I said once again to one of the many people that wanted to know the origin of my accent. This, of course, does not mean I use slangs or curse most of the times, in fact I have been an English teacher and a part-time translator for 2 years, now working from home and helping various students. This has allowed me to communicate with people from various backgrounds fluently and has inspired me to achieve the many things I am so proud of today.

As an educator I believe education is the foundation of success and is a lifelong learning process. UGRAD offers undergraduate students a great opportunity to study abroad and experience a different study culture, which I would like to be a part of for many reasons. In order to fully understand the objectives of the program, knowledge of English is almost crucial. I would not experience any language barriers and think would be a great representative for my country, Georgia, which needs to escape its borders'. Being a teacher has given me not just experience, but has improved my communication skills significantly which can be used for this program as well.

I have been a successful student since first grade, but I didn't want numbers on paper to define me. Even though I was an honors student in the US as well as Georgia and received a full grant to attend International Black Sea University, I always tried to stay active in society. I have recently won a grant for my project, which includes going to Georgian regions and training students and showing them the skills that are necessary to become successful leaders. This project, along with many others, such as TeamLab a cross-disciplinary business pitch contest, where my team and I won an educational trip to Prague has given me leadership and team-management skills that are always useful and they will be in the US as well. I would like to show my ideas and projects that are yet in my mind to the world, UGRAD could be a bridge for many successful ventures.

I believe people should work together to minimise the importance of borders in our lives, meaning physiological or ideological borders. My friends include people from more than fifteen countries and I cannot wait to add more names to the list. Experiencing different cultures and traditions is what we were made for and as someone who knows the importance of it; I would appreciate it and use the opportunity wisely. UGRAD will change me and my life path as well, which is still in the process of shaping and I would like it to be shaped with the help of you.

Mariam, instead of telling the reviewer how you learned to speak English, which is really of no importance to him since you can write the essay in English, you should use the space to show how you developed your leadership skills. Rather than stating it as a matter of fact in the third paragraph. It is not enough to tell the reviewer that you have the skills. You also have to qualify them with evidence within the essay. Make sure that the leadership skills showcases your openness to cultural exchange as that is the main objective of the UGRAD program. If possible, highlight your abilities to connect with people from diverse backgrounds as well since that is one of the purposes of the program. The rest of the essay is really strong and offers a competitive look at your qualifications as a candidate. I am not sure if it will be enough to get you the scholarship, but I am sure that you will at least get a fighting chance as a candidate.