University Scholarship Personal Statement

I am applying for Ohio State University (Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster) special scholarship. I seek to major in International Business in this institution. It is my conviction that a course in International Business will help me to achieve my dream of becoming a financial analyst of a major multinational company such as Diageo, Gillette, and IBM. I possess excellent skills in finance and accounting developed through a natural aptitude for mathematics and education. These skills, coupled with a thorough understanding of the international businesses environment and investment in securities, will enable me to become an outstanding financial analyst.

Family Background

Currently, I live with my parents. My dad is unemployed while my mother works as a tailor. Moreover, I have two sisters both of whom are presently in college.

Education and Interests

I have always taken education seriously throughout my life. When studying in high school, I selected tough courses such as physical science, biology and chemistry, geometry and algebra 1 and 2 in mathematics. Despite the fact that these courses are challenging, I graduated with honors in all of them. I was also an excellent student in English language. My ability in mathematics, in particular, has always stood out and, as a result, I was able to win the first position in the mathematics competition of Algebra 1 in John Caroll University. This ability will be very useful in enabling me to develop into an expert financial analyst in an international business context.

I have travelled and visited many places during my educational career, including China (Hong Kong), Guangdong, Macau, the U. S (Chicago, New York, Ohio), and Canada (Toronto). I have also been able to attend study programs abroad in Europe, Asia, and South America. During these visits and studies, I got the opportunity to interact with members of the international business community who grounded me on the nature of international business and the challenges faced. I learnt that the key challenges faced by multinational companies are mostly economic, political or financial in nature such as foreign exchange risk, risk of expropriation of assets, volatility in international financial markets, and capital budgeting problems. Another challenge facing these corporations is operating in a multi-cultural environment. I find a career in International Business to be very rewarding because of the multiplicity of challenges that one is expected to deal with, particularly in the realm of finance which is very volatile. I also like interacting with people from different parts of the world in order to learn other cultures. Indeed, one of the reasons why I love travelling is the opportunity to meet other people in other countries and learn about their ways of life. A career in international business will help me to build on my level of other cultures awareness and my exposure to other communities of the world.

Industry

Working in the international business will require having experience in a specific industry and, thus, my chosen industry is information technology. Since your university offers courses related to information technology, it will be very fitting for me to pursue a course in international business in your university. Consequently, by the time of entering the job market, I will have all-round knowledge and will not require a lot of training to be productive. Employee training is costly to companies in terms of time and money and, therefore, many companies prefer to hire employees who are already well-trained. Besides, I have done international business-related courses including accounting, international financial markets, statistics, economics, and marketing. The knowledge from these courses fits well with a course in international business.

Work Experience

Apart from education, I have been able to obtain several internships in international businesses in the past from which I gained significant knowledge and experience in the field of finance. Examples of some international businesses I have worked with include IBM, Monsanto, Proctor and Gamble, and JP Morgan. During these internships, I was able to establish strong relationships with the staff and managers of these companies which I can leverage on when I finally start my career in the field.

My work experience involves small companies as well. For example, during one of my stays in China, I had the opportunity to work as a cashier in Human Coventry, a Chinese restaurant. The experience in this job was great as I was able to learn the Chinese culture besides enhancing my interpersonal and communication skills.

Language Skills

A career in international business requires one to be an expert in more than one language since one has to deal with people from different regions of the world. Therefore, I have made effort to ensure that I am fluent in the major world languages including English, Chinese (both Cantonese, and Mandarin), and French.

Social Studies

One of my key interests is social studies as it helps me to understand the different cultures of the world better. As a result, I have become very knowledgeable in the areas of World History, World Geography, American History, and American Government.

Information Technology Skills

A career in international business requires one to be well acquainted with information technologies. Therefore, I have made sure that I keep abreast with new developments in the technology industry which are relevant to the field of international business. In addition to proficiency in Microsoft applications, I have skills in website development and using internet communications such as Voice-over IP (VoIP) among others. I also read international business journals to keep up with the emerging issues such as the milestones that are being achieved in e-commerce with regard to internet security and privacy.

Volunteer Work

I happen to be a firm believer in community service, a passion which I think has developed due to the fact that I am a beneficiary of other people’s goodwill in the form of educational scholarships. Therefore, I always seek to give back to the community whenever such an opportunity presents itself. For example, I did volunteer work in Asian Services in Action Inc. where the responsibilities involved mentoring and assisting young children to do their homework assignments. I also acted as a teaching assistant for Chemistry and Chinese classes in Lincoln-West high school. In both of these volunteer jobs, I gained skills of dealing with people and developing empathy for others.