Challenges make life interesting. It is these challenges that make success a journey rather than a place we arrive at. I was born in Hong Kong, a part of the People’s Republic of China. Growing up I faced several challenges such as raising my school fees, and common adolescent problems such as trying to fit in with the rest of my peers. However, my parents have taught me never to let my challenges make me consider myself as weak or worthless. Instead they taught me that challenges are what make the world go round. Some may argue that challenges are merely shifting goal posts in life that lead to frustration, however I believe that challenges are just goal posts in life that we are required to score through as part of our growth. When we start with the goal posts that are out of reach we get frustrated, but when we start with easy goals going to the harder ones we achieve fulfillment.
When I was young I always wished to pursue a course in nutritional science. For one, the many talks my grandmother had given me about the value of various foods had made me really interested in the subject. Also, the nutritional problem existent in our country made me desire to get relevant knowledge to help my people overcome this challenge. When I was small it frustrated me to feel so inadequate on seeing members of our society suffer from malnutrition. But my father always told me that I should not concentrate so much on them but rather on me, because it was only when I was equipped with relevant knowledge that I could actually be of any help. For this reason I concentrated on my studies to help me become a good nutritionist; this is one of the main reasons I am undertaking a course in nutritional science. I however wish to transfer and continue my studies in the United States as I feel that the country has more developed mechanisms of dealing with its nutritional problems such as obesity. I hope to learn from these mechanisms and help in formulating similar policies for Hong Kong in future. I hope to complete my studies in the United States at Seattle Pacific University and then get a job as a nutritionist to gain experience before going back to help my people. I want to first empower myself, like my father always advised me, before I can seek to empower my community.
I chose Seattle Pacific University because it is not only an institution of academic learning but also provides an environment for moral development. The university offers a Christian learning environment which I believe will be beneficial to me as I seek to learn the religion more having attended a Christian school previously. One gift I will forever thank my parents for is raising me up using religious teachings; they equipped me with a gift, my faith, which has helped me overcome various challenges in life. I have always relied upon prayer and scriptural teachings to face various issues in life; and these two have never failed me. When I told my extended family that I was coming to the United States some of the members feared that I would be swayed by the secular culture in the USA as portrayed by the mass media. I knew my faith was stronger than that and could not be easily swayed, however I am glad to find a university that will not put me in a high risk situation to prove that but rather will allow me to grow my faith and also learn the Christian faith more.
My spiritual mentors since I was small have taught me the significance of helping those in need; because of this I want to help my community members that suffer from nutritional problems. Having studies in a Christian school I got to learn several things about this religion. One of them is that I now believe God has given us a lot in life; however we access these only by working and conquering various challenges in our lives. I believe that by pursuing my degree in another country I will be conquering part of what God has given me in life.
