Personal Statement
When I was growing up in Saudi Arabia, I attended Alshfa High School, having just graduated in 2012 with a perfect score of 100. While there, I had a leadership position for a student organization that would advocate for student problems to be addressed by the faculty and administrators. Students would come to me with problems, and I would help them get the assistance they needed. One day, a good friend of mine came to me in order to express their displeasure at one of the poorer students in our school being bullied. I did not want to involve the administration without allowing him a way out of his own problem, so I told the student to stand up for himself the next time that happened. However, that did not work, and he continued to withdraw from others - the problem was never fully resolved.
This was the first time something I had done to help a student had not worked. I felt like I had failed the student, but it taught me a very important lesson about my own sense of responsibility. I had to understand the fact that I was not going to be able to help everyone, and that not every single idea I would have would work flawlessly. Even if I do the best I can, I cannot control every single facet of a situation – all I can do is work hard and control my own work and reactions to events. Understanding my flaws is the first step to overcoming them, and also being at peace with the times that I am less than perfect. All the same, by being introspective and thinking about what I do, this allows me to make as few mistakes as possible, and become a better person as a result. Even the most perfect people do not win 100% of the time, and being free from that pressure permits me to put more calm and focus on my life and work.
