Describe a significant experience from the past two years which required you to interact with someone outside of your own social or cultural group (ethnic, religious, geographic, socio-economic, etc.). How did this impact you? What did you learn and what surprised you?
The sweet smell of freshly baked bread surrounds me as I enter my new workplace, Panera Bread. It was my first day on the job and I was in a completely new setting. I didn't know anyone or anything about the people I was about to work with. Keeping this in mind, I was a bit shy because, just like anyone else in my situation, I wanted to make a good impression.
The first person I met was Alex. She was 19 when I first started working at Panera, so she had graduated a year before. After she told me her age, I was a bit surprised that she wasn't in college. At the time, I had not been exposed to very many other people aside from family and friends, so it was something new for me. While getting to know Alex more, I found out that she did have some financial issues; otherwise she would've been off to college.
As I got to know everyone that I work with, I learned about their lives and why they're working at Panera. For some, it was just a part-time job, but for others, it was one of the multiple jobs that some of my coworkers had. I was so used to seeing my parents and my friends' parents with one job that it came to me as a shock that the people I work with have other jobs. They all had different reasons for why they work: to pay for tuition, their kids, etc. It's amazing how some even juggle school with two jobs. Although there's nothing wrong with having more than one job, learning about everyone's' lives was an eye-opener for me.
Today, I now understand that not everyone's life is like mine. Some people have it harder and some may have it easier than I do. It's one of those things you hear, but you don't really think about or completely believe until you see or experience it. This revelation has motivated to me strive hard, just like some of my Panera friends do.
The sweet smell of freshly baked bread surrounds me as I enter my new workplace, Panera Bread. It was my first day on the job and I was in a completely new setting. I didn't know anyone or anything about the people I was about to work with. Keeping this in mind, I was a bit shy because, just like anyone else in my situation, I wanted to make a good impression.
The first person I met was Alex. She was 19 when I first started working at Panera, so she had graduated a year before. After she told me her age, I was a bit surprised that she wasn't in college. At the time, I had not been exposed to very many other people aside from family and friends, so it was something new for me. While getting to know Alex more, I found out that she did have some financial issues; otherwise she would've been off to college.
As I got to know everyone that I work with, I learned about their lives and why they're working at Panera. For some, it was just a part-time job, but for others, it was one of the multiple jobs that some of my coworkers had. I was so used to seeing my parents and my friends' parents with one job that it came to me as a shock that the people I work with have other jobs. They all had different reasons for why they work: to pay for tuition, their kids, etc. It's amazing how some even juggle school with two jobs. Although there's nothing wrong with having more than one job, learning about everyone's' lives was an eye-opener for me.
Today, I now understand that not everyone's life is like mine. Some people have it harder and some may have it easier than I do. It's one of those things you hear, but you don't really think about or completely believe until you see or experience it. This revelation has motivated to me strive hard, just like some of my Panera friends do.
