Personal Statement Essay Example for Free

Personal Statement Essay My academic background, which has been both varied and informed by different academic settings, has seen my succeeding as a student in South Korea, Guam, and Seattle. Because of the nature of my father’s job, I have had the rare opportunity to study and to learn in a variety of different educational settings with a variety of different intellectual approaches and cultural influences. My family and I arrived in Seattle from Guam in 2003; the family’s collective goal was to relocate in order to find better educational opportunities for my younger brother and myself. Though I had taken piano lessons for many years, I decided to pursue piano as a hobby while I devoted more attention to working part-time in order to finance my studies. As a student in Seattle, I soon learned that music and psychology were my passions and my music professor truly seemed to respect my musical ability and constantly encouraged me to pursue my musical interests. Taking my professor’s advice, two years ago on Christmas Eve, a Korean woman’s association had a party to raise money for a charity organization. Needing some form of entertainment, they invited me to perform a piece of music on stage during dinnertime. I played Schubert’s impromptu op 90. Eb major. I was nervous but on the other hand I felt delighted and hoped it wouldn’t be the last performing in public and for a worthy charitable cause. Music, in sum, allows me to blend my personal passions with my academic talents in a manner that can be used to benefit society. In terms of my career goals, and my specific interest in the University of Washington, the fact is that Id like to transfer to this university because I want to learn from experts with more experience and to share my interests with peers with similar goals and aspirations. My greatest dream, is to comfort peoples’ hearts as a Music Therapist. I genuinely enjoy sharing what I have learned with everyone and I am most delighted when I sing with people while playing piano. I enjoy getting to know peoples’ minds and emotions because I have empathy and this influences my musical styles and performances. Personally, for example, I have played synthesizer in church bands throughout Korea, Guam and Seattle, and gave my time to serve as a music tutor to many students. If I’m admitted into this school, Id like to be attend in schools choir and jazz club. Sharing, both personally and academically, is the greatest way to learn and the greatest way to give back to the community/ Culture, in my view, is a manifestation of diversity. That excellence cannot be attained without diversity it seems, in the modern world, to be a rather intuitive deduction. Such a deduction is perfectly consistent with the underlying nature of any intellectually honest type of inquiry. A thesis must be formulated, tested against all of the available data, and conclusions drawn. Diversity contributes, indeed it is a necessary ingredient, for any type of rigorous analysis. Social truths cannot exist in a vacuum; truths must be tested in the real world and with real people rather than with imaginary prototypes that do not reflect the true diversity of opinion and contrary world views that reflect both our own society and the world at large. What might seem a perfectly plausible theory to one individual might seem extraordinarily unjust to another individual; a traditional approach that seems to one individual to bring the greatest good to society to another individual might threaten to socially ostracize minority opinions; and, finally, ethnocentric views inhibit academic inquiry whereas culturally diverse pools of learners break down biases and contribute to more meaningful discussions and theoretical paradigms. In the final analysis, the University of Washington is an ideal setting in which to study and shares ideas that have profound social implications As a young person already immersed in an increasingly multicultural community and world, I am especially interested in the emphasis given to multicultural approaches at the University of Washington. Such an approach, respecting and encouraging both personal development and academic development through the embrace of different cultural values and perspectives, lends itself exceptionally well to my own goals and aspirations. One of the causes of so much conflict in the world today can be attributed to a lack of effective communication that results in unnecessary misunderstandings and confusion. In reality, in my experience, people around the world have so many positive characteristics and dreams in common. People throughout the world desire peaceful environments in which to live; people desire to pursue harmonious relationships with family members and neighbors; and, most of all, people desire to avoid conflicts that are damaging in so many ways.

No Tax Dollars for Religious Education Essay -- Argumentative Persuasi

No Tax Dollars for Religious Education Tax dollars are your money at work.   Do you want your money to go to fund private religious schools?   Tax dollars should not fund religious education because it is a violation of the separation of church and state clause of the first amendment to the constitution. Lately we have seen proposals for vouchers.   These vouchers are public money given to low income family so they may send their kids to private schools.   Most of the schools who use this program are religious.   In the Cleveland voucher program we see there were 3,761 children are enrolled and 96 percent of those children are attending religious schools.   Also 82 percent of the participating schools were sectarian.   This voucher program was challenged in the 6th circuit court with the Simmons-Harris v. Zelman case.   It was ruled the Cleveland voucher program â€Å"clearly has the impermissible effect on promoting sectarian schools†. Voucher plans have been brought up in many different places and most of the time they seem to receive the same reactions.   They are being shot down a...

The Filipino Christmas: A Reflection of One’s Tradition

Christmas is more than just a celebration; for most Filipino-Christians it is a way of welcoming the coming of their savior Jesus Christ. Being in a country were catholic is dominant, church plays a big role when it comes to Christmas, for the nine dawns before Christmas they have something called Simbang Gabi where they attend mass for the nine mornings leading up to Christmas. I think it is believed that if you attend all the masses, you can make a wish. Since it was really early in the morning and a bit chilly Filipinos normally look for something warm to eat and there are vendors selling food such as Puto Bumbong and Bibingka. Simbang Gabi is forever a part of the Filipino Christmas which is distinct from other countries who also celebrates Christmas.Another tradition is the reunion and for young Filipinos, it is the time when most grins are seen, parents are less likely to scold them, school works do not give too much pressure because there’s none, candies and chocolates fill their stomachs, and ninangs and ninongs fnally appear with their heart-warming gifts or aguinaldos, best dresses are worn and new shoes pamper their feet. For the old ones, this is the time when â€Å"thank you† becomes a common expression, sweat shirts and long sleeves which were kept in the deepest part of the closet are finally worn, and friends, both old and new, finally meet for the longest time.Living in a place who has different traditions during Christmas has showed me something very different even though we don’t celebrate it, I learned to be thankful for the family that I have around me during Christmas and I learned that receiving is not everything, it is always better to give.

Should Smoking Be Effective - 1350 Words

Introduction One of the most contentious debates in the United States relates to the topic of smoking. Some argue that smoking has risen to the level of a public health crisis, and cite some very distributing statistics in order to support those claims. For example, the Centers for Disease Control (2015) estimates that 6 million Americans die each year from tobacco, and the direct medical costs associated with treating smokers tops 150 billion dollars annually. These facts have motivated many public policy makers to consider new ways to deter Americans from smoking, including heavily taxing tobacco products, as well as considering an outright ban on smoking. This paper will argue that banning smoking would not be effective, and that continuing to tax tobacco products offers the most positive outcomes for all stakeholders. Arguments against a Smoking Ban For some, the default response to a public health crisis is to consider an immediate ban on the issue that is causing the crisis. The direct line from â€Å"smoking is bad† to â€Å"we should ban smoking† is an appealing choice to some who are concerned about smoking’s impact on American society. However, there the powerful arguments against instituting a complete smoking ban within the United States. These arguments can be neatly separated into pragmatic arguments as well as theoretical arguments. From a pragmatic perspective, a complete ban on smoking within the United States would be impossible to enforce. For evidence of this,Show MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Smoking Cessation1555 Words   |  7 Pages Smoking is an addiction that can risk one’s health, which in turn can lead to death. As time advances, both smokers and non-smokers are beginning to understand the harm in this deadly habit because not only does it harm smokers, it can impact anyone who encounters the smoke second-hand. Since the public has become aware of the health risks induced by smoking, cessation tools such as nicotine replacement therapy are being invented to help terminate the desire to smoke. As technology improves, smokingRead MorePersuasive Essay On Smoking1236 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout history, smoking cigarettes has led to higher risks of developing different kinds of cancers and other health problems. Most people who are smokers are unaware of how serious their addiction actually is. Not only are they deteriorating their bodies, they are harming others in the process. Even if people are not concerned about their own health, they should at least be thoughtful be considerate enough to be mindful of people around them, particularly their own family. Smoking cigarettes isRead MoreNegative Externalities Of Cigarette Smoking849 Words   |  4 PagesI’ve decided to analyze the negative externalities that come from cigarette smoking, particularly the negative externality of second hand smoking, in which a non-smoker, therefore a non-buyer and non-seller, is still inhaling smoke and suffering from it. Worldwide, 40% of children, 33% of male non-smokers, and 35% of female non-smokers were exposed to second-hand smoke in 2004. This exposure was estimated to have caused 379000 deaths from ischaemic heart disease, 165000 from lower respiratory infectionsRead MoreHow Advertisements Are Effective Or Not Towards The Audience864 Words   |  4 Pagespossible and it would be hard not to encounter it in form for the few years it has been present for the public to see. Throughout my essay, I will discuss how these advertisements are used and whether they are effective or not towards the audience in preventing smoking. The most effective ways these Real Cost advertisements are used is by showing pictures in magazines or on billboards in places such as train stations of tobacco’s effects on your health. These advertisements also air different videosRead MoreBanning Smoking On Ohio University s Campus833 Words   |  4 Pages Banning Smoking on Ohio University’s Campus Ohio University president, Roderick McDavis stated that â€Å"We will join more than 1,000 campuses nationwide who ban the use of tobacco on their campuses,†(Lee). Banning smoking will help make the campus area healthy by encouraging the smokers to quit smoking, Ohio University decided to ban smoking on any campus property. The University campus will begin the Smoke and Tobacco-Free Initiative policy in August 2015. The policy will impose by using a communityRead MoreRhetorical Essay687 Words   |  3 Pagesthe Anti-Smoking Advertisements Joshua Martinez DeVry University ENG-112-64585 Anti-smoking advertisements occasionally pop up throughout our society which is often showing the viewers the harmful effects of tobacco through startling images. This advertisement uses the elements of ethos, pathos, and logos in order to make people rethink about smoking. The video advertisement uses children to make a point across by showing real scenarios on the effects of smoking. It showsRead MoreThe Need to Ban Smoking in Public Places: A Persuasive Essay744 Words   |  3 Pagesnot to ban smoking in public places has been ongoing for quite a long period of time. While there are those who are opposed to the banning of smoking in public places, quite a number of studies conducted in the past have clearly demonstrated that second-hand smoke has serious health implications for nonsmokers. In this text, I concern myself with the need to ban smoking in public places. Smoking in Public Places In the past, there was a widely held assumption that cigarette smoking only harmedRead MoreWhy We Smoke Essay1061 Words   |  5 Pagesclassroom lecture on all the negative side effects that smoking causes in the human body, I felt somewhat concerned that the habit that I have had for 10 years of my life might be a serious problem to my health, even at this young age. We spent a great deal of time discussing the negative side effects of smoking covering heart disease, cancer, and respiratory failure, but there was very little discussion given to how and why we started smoking in the first place and what steps we have to take toRead MoreHow Persuasion Is The Most Important Aspect Of Advertising988 Words   |  4 Pages(video) is anti-smoking. It is known that in order for an ad to be successful, it must appeal to an audience or certain people. After watching, it may become clear that the advertisement targets smokers. In the video, a little boy loses his mother in the mix of a v ery large crowd and becomes very upset and begins to cry. It is not clear whether the mother leaves to go smoke a cigarette or if she accidentally let’s go of the child’s hand and walks away. The narrator then states that one should imagine howRead MoreTeen Smoking : By Chris Woolston950 Words   |  4 Pagesciting ample convincing evidence from prior researches. He also gives the causes of the augmentation of the smoking behavior among teens and effective ways through which the matter could be solved. However, I could have liked categorization of the status of the teen more affected by the smoking habit (students and non-students). This article is Chris Woolston’s work entitled ‘Teen Smoking’. Woolston begins a brief reflection of Bubba Ash, a 15 years smoker who gives a short description of the painful