UC Berkeley / UCLA | |
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UC Berkeley/UCLA ÇÕ°Ý¿¡¼¼ÀÌ
Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?
I gazed out in awe at the 20,000 people who had gathered that day, on the
one-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. It was a solemn
occasion, and people from around the nation had gathered in solidarity. Looking
out at all those faces, I was struck by what an immense honor it was to be a
part of something so significant—especially since just a year ago I had been a
foreign student just arrived from Korea, barely even able to communicate in
English. I clutched my trumpet tightly in my hands. The performance I was about
to give meant much more than just another song; it represented the hard work
and determination that had made it possible for me to be there in the first
place. It represented the fighting spirit that I learned to embody in
everything I do.
A personal quality that is important to me is my fierce determination.
Once I decide on a goal, I will stop at nothing to accomplish it. My learning
of the trumpet is a representative example that illustrates this quality. I
started the trumpet when I was in the seventh grade, which was the very year I
had moved to the United States. The alphabet was the only English I knew, and I
found it extremely difficult to adjust to a military school in a completely
foreign environment. One day, I noticed how grand the trumpet sounded when it
was played during the raising and lowering of the American flag. Thinking it
would be a rewarding extracurricular activity as well as a great way to meet
new friends, I set my sights on learning to play the trumpet and began
practicing over six hours every day. I never missed a day of practice, and
within a year, I was captain of the marching band and the school Bugler. The
student I had looked upon just a year ago was me now—I was the one playing the
trumpet in the morning, during the raising and lowering of the flag, and while
marching. I had started with nothing, but with sheer motivation and the refusal
to give up, had gained both leadership positions and friends.
This quality is especially significant to me because through
determination I was able to experience success, and these successes (however
little they may be) gave me the confidence to attempt new things and never give
up. This essentially defines who I am—always striving, always working towards a
goal. I came to this country frightened but hopeful, and it is through my
determination, more than anything, that I am still here hoping to make
something of myself.
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