Question 1
Coming to United States alone was my first real challenge, which started five years ago, when I was 13 years old. I adjusted rapidly to the new environment and I joined St Croix Lutheran High School. Residing in the dorm, I sought the opportunity of better knowing my colleagues and other students my age and I started working as resident assistant in the dorm, which besides enhancing my networking abilities with my peers, also allowed me to become familiar with the administrative responsibilities that my position implied.
Because I am a dynamic person and constantly searching for new challenges, where I can optimize my abilities and my talents, during high school years I was the soccer team manager. This helped me to discover and to polish my leadership abilities, by understanding the significance of assertive communication and active listening, top qualities required for materializing team spirit and for coordinating team members. Likewise, because I love singing, during high school I transformed my passion for singing into a talent, as I have joined the chapel worship band and I performed in multiple choir concerts and in various auction shows. Nevertheless, while constantly focusing on my formal and informal education, I never forget to give back, so as a high school student I made sure to dedicate my free time to volunteering in nursing home.
I am continuing my volunteering work during my college education, volunteering for “Ten Thousand Village” association and providing tutoring for refugees. I am currently studying General Business as my major in Seattle Central Community College (SCCC), from Seattle. I came here two years ago, seeking to formalize my business education and to capitalizing on my previous leadership experience formed during high school, being currently the President of Vietnamese Student Association Club, which is one of the strongest clubs in SCCC, registering 100 members.
Given my interest for business, for exploring, for accommodating to new environments and for constantly pursuing a challenging education, I am seeking for the opportunity of studying international business in Johns Hopkins University (JHU). My choice is explained also due to the fact that JHU is renowned for its spirit of exploration and discovery, which match my personality and for its multi-dimensional education, which answers my need of capitalizing my formal education in informal settings. My volunteering works as well as my leadership skills, developed while coordinating various teams, plus my cultural identity, represent assets that JHU can benefit of, in enlarging its diverse educational environment, while preserving its focus for exploration and discovery. I am planning to build on my leadership abilities and on my ongoing personality, by driving my permanent interest in finding new challenges towards contributing, in an organized and professional manner, to JHU’s educational achievements. This plan includes conducting research on international business and accommodating experience exchanges with students coming from various educational backgrounds, aiming to maximize their diverse experience into a unique learning-sharing program, of which students and JHU alike will benefit.
Question 2
My opinion about higher education institutions is that they are responsible for forming individuals and preparing them for facing and embracing challenging situations, approaching them with professionalism and proficient skills, in order to generate innovation. Looking at John Hopkins University’s mission statement I see this institution’s commitment towards attaining personal and professional performances, preparing students to foster independent and original research through promoting life-long learning for the benefit of the entire world. I resonate with JHU’s mission statement and I see myself as an independent researcher, contributing to the world’s development through bold and original approaches to business.
Since I came to United States from my home country Vietnam, when I was 13 years old, I have learned to rely on my own resources, but I permanently sought to enrich them and to adapt them to new environments and situations, which shaped my interest for never stop learning.
I am a proactive person and I am looking for an academic institution that can answer my educational expectations of assuring a professional training and a personal fulfillment, relevant for the outside world. Aligned with this objective, my short-term goal is to seek for a higher level of education, while my long-term goal is to go back to Vietnam for applying what I learned and for driving the change in my home country, pursuing social, economic and business development while aiming to attain my own professional success. I believe that John Hopkins University will answer my educational objective and my short-term and long-term goals.
I consider Johns Hopkins University an outstanding academic institution, promoting Excellency in learning and motivating individuals to be autonomous and self-motivated towards achieving performances, while polishing students’ skills and competencies. I am seeking to transfer to Johns Hopkins University because I associate myself with the values that this academic institution promotes: innovation through exploration and discovery, self-motivation, autonomy, performance, life-long learning.
