My decision to participate in my university's study abroad program was well thought out. Just kidding. My university's financial responsibilities are a mess, and they are firing people left and right. I know that as a student, I want to get out of my university as soon as possible. But the opportunity of being able to study in a different country, at a different university (while unfortunately still being attached to my home university), became much more appealing as the financial crisis began to rise. If I could go away from my university and still be able to graduate on time, I will take the risk.
That's right, I am in my last year in university. With my university's unfortunate graduation rate, the idea that I am graduating within four years is a feat. To top that off, I changed my major about two semesters ago. I went from wanting to participate in the hospitality industry, to being an English major (and probably the worst English major).
While going through the process of applying to the study abroad program, I had to submit an essay or personal statement as to why I would like to go to London. This is what I wrote:
Here in Hawaiʻi, we have an undiagnosed illness that affects
many local children as they grow older, especially those of Native Hawaiian
ancestry, like myself. I call it Island Kid Syndrome (IKS). This illness
hinders those who grew up in Hawaiʻi from leaving the islands and exploring the
world. We believe Hawaiʻi to be our most prized possession, our greatest
ancestor, and the only way we can remain with her is to physically be with her.
What we forget is that within our island home we build roots. Growing up in
Hawaiʻi for twenty-one years, I feel my roots have planted themselves deep within
my culture. I am ready to expand my branches outside of IKS. That is why for my
last semester, I would like to participate in the London, England study abroad program.
Participating in the program would allow me to learn more about the British
culture, as well as the many other cultures that make London their hub.
I am interested in the London
program because of the courses offered at the host campus of Roehampton. I am
an English major, and my interests lie in Romantic era literature, especially poems
from this time period. At the University of Roehampton, during the spring term,
they will be offering a course focused on Romantic era poet, William Blake. I would
like to enroll in this class. I believe that by being taught his works in London,
I will gain a better understanding of them. I will also be able to learn a
different perspective than what I have already been taught. I enjoy the
Romantic era because it is a shift away from the Renaissance period. There was
no longer a need to be scientifically enlightened, instead, there was a shift
for man to reconnect with man. As Romantic era poet, William Wordsworth wrote,
it is “man speaking to men.” The Romantic era no longer deals with poetry as a
way to honor God, but a way to honor human beings.
Although my grades do not seem to be on
par, I feel I will be able to keep up with the academics necessary to succeed.
Before I was an English major, I was a Travel Industry Management (TIM) major,
and I was taking many business courses. By my third year I realized at least
one of my classes every semester was an English course and that those classes
were ones I enjoyed the most. Before the spring semester of my third year, I
left the TIM program and declared myself an English major. My cumulative GPA
lies at a 2.92, however, based on classes taken in the English department, my
GPA would stand at 3.24.
Hawaiʻi has her own past history with
London that spans over centuries. Only having been alive for two decades, I have
a strong desire to develop my own history with London. I hope that the past
relationship my home has with this country, and my own curiosity with its Romantic
era, will satiate my IKS that I grew up with. Participating in the London,
England program will allow me to expand further than Hawaiʻi.
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