My Life Is a Representation of My Intellectual Journey - Scholarship Essay Example

IIE Scholarship My life has been a representation of my intellectual journey and ability in fields such as InternationalBusiness. Through this discipline, I have had the opportunity to step into the International Relations field that has allowed me interact with persons of diverse groups. To succeed in this field, one has to perfectly execute the concepts of the theories taught in the classroom setting. It is through receiving of the Gilman Scholarship that I believe I have been offered a golden opportunity to show my talents, and even contribute effectually to the demanding workforce. In essence, I envision my scholarship as a pathway to pursuing my dreams and ultimately attain my career goals. First, I wished to study abroad since I am an International Business major student. My studying abroad will indeed give me an opening to venture into the International Relations field with ease since I will be presented with an opportunity to interact with diverse persons of different cultures. Apart from offering me a chance to interact with other persons in the International Relations field, studying abroad will greatly impact on my academic and future professional goals. The Gilman Scholarship will boost my resume to a great extent; thus, place me a notch higher than my competitors in the job market. This is because I am more exposed and experienced in my line of profession as opposed to other candidates. On another note, the Gilman Scholarship will give me an opportunity to gain novel perspectives on how other cultures handle their work environment and employment prospects in different contexts. As far as my language skills are concerned, I will definitely gain a lot and even improve my academic credits. Since I will be on the path towards self-discovery, I will gain confidence in trying new things in my line of work. My employers will definitely see my developments as valuable skills especially in terms of handling conflicts in business and even making resolutions. It is evident that the Gilman Scholarship will help me become a true working professional in a real world since I will be presented with a chance to develop a global network and credentials. A successful completion of the Gilman Scholarship will also allow me move to other countries in the quest to seek employment. Secondly, a selection of the country to have an experience abroad has major impacts on my career. The country selected determines what one will gain and how their experience will boost their career. The choice of country will determine if one will record an improvement in their social and communication skills. Through the choice of country, it is expected that one will develop time management skills in different contexts, organization and planning since different cultures operate differently. I hope to learn creative thinking through interactions with different cultures. I also hope to develop stress management skills and adaptability even when I am faced with tasking situations that force me to embrace different cultural contexts. My studying in a different culture will also help me appreciate the differences of other persons and have experiences that are greater than personal possessions. I also hope to be a great problem solver after my international experience. I was initially inspired to want to study abroad in this China and learn the Chinese language since it is one of the most spoken language in the world. A third of the world’s population today speak Chinese. The language has a relatively straightforward grammar; thus, easy to learn (Jeffrey 52-59). In relation to business, International businesses show preference to people who speak more than one language. Such persons are given more priority while hiring over persons that speak one language. The Chinese language is also an official language of the UN, and it will give me a competitive edge for an important position (Jeffrey 52-59). I chose China as my country of study because of its international recognition. I also selected China because of its unique language, culture and current economic growth. Through my studying in China, I will enjoy the opportunity to network with people of a different culture. China is at the peak of education revolution and appreciates the presence of international students in their institutions. This shows the importance the country places on its education role. China also plays an important role in the world affairs. My study in the country will allow me be a good source of information in my workplace. My Gilman Scholarship program will last for three months. From the program, one month will involve extensive lessons on Mandarin language classes. The total classes will be twenty in a week; each class lasting an hour. I selected this program and length of study as I believe through the program, I will gain international business experience with a two-month internship with a Chinese company. The program will also help me gain insight into the ways in which Chinese companies operate. Since I will be studying in Beijing, it is indeed the best place to study if one wants to learn Mandarin language appropriately. This program has distinctive components that will impact on my overall learning experience abroad such as an internship with a Chinese company, and the language classes are small; thus, individual attention while learning Mandarin is possible. I have chosen to select an internship placement within the NGOs, Charity and Not for Profit sector. The organizations selected deal with Environmental Protection, Labor Rights and Women Rights that are major issues facing China. This will broaden my experiences in international matters. I encountered several challenges, in the course of my decision to study abroad. First was the financial challenge. My mother’s highest education level is middle school. My father was, however, lucky to finish high school. I also have learning difficulties. I am a first generation college student and always struggles with learning since I am dyslexic. I repeated the first grade, since professors were not aware of my disability. After graduating high school, my reading comprehension was not very high. Improvements were only noted when I joined a community college, where I learned of techniques that helped me with reading and writing. I sincerely hope that through my scholarship, I will gain as much as possible in my line of study. I am also confident that I will come out as a better person than I was before. Work Cited Jeffrey, Gil. A Comparison of the Global Status of English and Chinese: Towards A New Global Language? English Today, 27.1 (2011), 52-59. Print. Doi:10.1017/S0266078411000149. Read More