Interest in the Business - Personal Statement Example

Prompt My intention to pursue a major in business is one that I have nurtured since the fourth grade. I remember vividly how my fathers eyes lit up when I told him it was his footsteps that I aspired to follow, being asked what I wanted to become when I grew up. That was the fateful moment when from the look in his eyes I realized that not only would I pursue the business field but that I would strive to attain heights to make him proud. That has led me to what I want to pursue today, a baccalaureate in Business Administration. I have realized that business is integrated to an extent in the modern day lives of everyone such that it simply cannot be avoided or ignored. Be it even as simple an act as that of buying a cheeseburger without attaching any thought to it is essentially within the very premise of business transactions. Frankly, I am often quite baffled and maybe even offended by individuals opining that business is a very easy major and that people should not spend money or time to learn it or even acquire a higher education degree since it is not worth it. But then, what explains the fact that a significant number of aspirants are simply rejected by prestigious universities, or what explains for that matter that in spite of there being quite a large number of aspiring business men, why is the number of successful ones relative to that so small? I am thereby convinced that business acumen is a very special form of knowledge and success requires considerable skills that people should acquire from theory as well as learn their applications in order to realize their dreams of being successful businessmen. My involvements in various clubs and organizations have also helped me to develop an interest in business. De Anza UNICEF, the first club that I joined and was involved in since the time of my enrollment in De Anza, fall of 2008 also provided me the opportunity of perceiving the importance of leadership firsthand. Having observed firsthand the significant role that leadership has and also glimpses of what being a successful leader demands, my conviction regarding business being my true calling has been only enhanced more. Living away from home and specially from my parents has been quite a challenge and has by no means been simple at all to say the least. One of the main concerns has been the challenge of effective management of my finances. I am quite proud of the fact that in spite of having to survive independently I was not at all afraid to become an investor to try and increase my financial independence. After some contemplating and careful consideration of my options I finally invested most of my savings into the stock exchange. I knew it was a risky venue, especially because of my lack of experience, but then Business is about taking risks; an entrepreneur will not gain anything if he does not take risks. I believe that in order to achieve great tasks, I should not be afraid of the risks that I will encounter and take (I must confess that calculated risks are better). This certainly was another phase in my life that strengthened my beliefs regarding being on the right track. Prompt 2 Like everything else my interest in public speaking also had a beginning. The moment when I won the 2nd place at the state level speech competition two years ago was such a defining point in my life as not only did it make me realize my great potential in speaking in front of an audience, it also showed me how great one could feel from having harnessed the true power of effective communication. I have always felt public speaking to be akin to ice skating in that it is quite a difficult challenge initially, but with time and practice it is great fun. The extent of fun is contingent upon ones skills and experience. Public speaking is more or less the same. The more we practice, the more fun we end up having and the more strategies we develop to maintain ourselves in a vertical position. Being horizontal, at times, hurts and it is embarrassing. My interests in public speaking grew as I believe that speaking in front of an audience contains emotional aspects which can influence and inspire people to follow your thoughts if delivered correctly. In fact, spoken words have the power to hurt people, help in the healing process, help build a person´s personality, and even transform someone. I realized the true power of speech while trying to help my brother during his rough times. And I must admit I have rarely felt as great as I have having healed a fellow human being through speech. I find that people with great skills in public speaking are usually great advisers. People ask for their opinions and suggestions because they project confidence and security of their knowledge. I strive hard to go on improving my skills. I attempt to expand my skills is by expanding my grasp over various languages. Mandarin is a language that I can speak besides English and Indonesian and have just started to learn German. My pursuit of learning many languages results from my belief that it brings many benefits as well as opens the doors to other cultures. In fact, I have found that by speaking Mandarin with my Chinese friends helps me communicate with them and share our cultures to extents which would definitely not have been possible if I tried to talk with them in any other dialect. In short, public speaking plays an important role in my life. I am able to talk in front of people, speak several languages, influence others, and socialize with new friends from different countries. I believe that my talent in public speaking will enhance my opportunity in achieving my dream: becoming a successful entrepreneur. As George Bernard Shaw said, “You see things and you say, “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say, “Why not?” I have a dream and the willingness to become an extraordinary entrepreneur. I hope that UC will help me attain this dream. Read More