308 Ranch House Road
Cibolo, Texas 78108
[Professor’s Address]
Dear [Professor Name],
My name is Brandon Guindin and I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on the 24th of January 1994. I currently live in Cibolo, Texas. I have two siblings. Mario is my older brother, he is 24 years old. I also have an 18 year old sister named Iolani. My heritage is Puerto Rican and my father was just 18 when he joined the United States Army. My father’s military career meant that I spent my adolescent years moving around the world with my family. Our family spent time in Germany, Hawaii, Fort Lee, San Antonio and Texas. While my father served in the military, he completed two combat tours of Afghanistan and Iraq. I experienced living in many cultures throughout the world as a military dependent and lived in Hawaii for the majority of my teenage years. In Hawaii they say this word “Ohana” which means ‘family’ and I observed how the children really embrace their heritage and culture. My hobbies include sports such as basketball, bowling, baseball, football and running. Running has become one of my favorite pursuits and it is part of my daily routine.
My goal for the class is to not only to fulfill the academic requirements but to develop in areas that I feel I am lacking, such as oral and presentation skills. I would also like to develop more knowledge of academic writing and to improve referencing and citation during the course of the semester. Eventually, I would like to earn my Bachelor Degree and continue developing as an academic. I am committed to my family and hope to make them proud of my achievements. I also have a strong yearning to return to Hawaii at some stage in my life but understand that I have a life to fulfill in the meantime.
I enjoy writing but it is often complicated and depends on my own longing for knowledge about the topic. Sometimes it is not easy to write when the topic is uninteresting and you feel mentally drained or lack focus. I have become aware that good writing involves motivation and inspiration. I try to find ways to look outside of what I am writing when I get writer’s block. Obviously I am inspired to write so that I get good marks but getting inspiration is much more difficult. Breaking up the boredom with some sport or even listening to music can help filter through new ideas. I also try and work on something else to give my brain a rest from writing on one topic and then return later.
My personality is more towards the introverted side of personality types. I use the strengths of my intuition to find the best solution for overcoming obstacles in my studies. I have no problems with setting myself tasks and implementing good time management skills. I am at my best alone studying and with a small group of study companions where I can exchange ideas. I am still developing the more extroverted side of my personality and see it as a challenge to help me become a better student, employee and citizen. Therefore I hope to develop skills in larger groups including oral skills, interviewing and networking. I will try and set myself goals to overcome the more difficult sides of extroversion in my personality during my time at college.
[Signature]
