Since my childhood, I have had plucky fingers. I could never remain idle, insisting on touching and experiencing everything I could see; nothing could escape my plucky fingers, as my mother affectionately called them. Fortunately for my parents, my actions were not out of mischief, but of an insatiable desire to learn. I learned from experiences and at the time, the easiest way to gain experience was by doing. I needed to be everywhere, insisting taking things apart as I tried to understand them.
Through experience, I have learned much about the world, and most importantly, about myself. I play a variety of instruments and sports and enjoy dancing on a Latin dance team. As I grew older, I realized I was not afraid of difficulty. Skills like playing instruments, drawing and painting came naturally to me and while it would have been far easier to join the high school band or art club, I chose to join the golf team.
It would be quite picturesque to read that I joined the team without prior golf skills but was soon appointed team captain through my hard work and determination. However, this is not the case. Over the years, my skills did improve, but I was far from the best on the team. I rarely scored below par as my balls seemed to be attracted to lakes, trees, and sand traps. It would have been easier to quit the team and participate in something in which I could easily excel, but such thoughts were erased every time I did hit the ball straight and over the lake. I still remember the smirk on my coachs face, as if to say Huh, he actually did it. It was for these moments that I played golf, because the feeling of success preceded by hardship is far greater than any other.
Like every other experience, I took what I learned from playing golf and applied it to my life. The hardships of school and life were soon rewarding with one A on an exam or the smile on a childs face while I volunteered in the hospital. Playing golf also taught me to be conscious of my strengths and weaknesses. Instead of hacking at the ball in hopes of it doing what I wanted, I learned to analyze my capabilities, weigh my options, and act accordingly. When working with Children in the UNC hospital, I take each childs interests and hobbies into consideration to create a unique hands on learning experience that turns a childs stay in the hospital into volcano adventure or Dinosaur excavation. I intent to share the lessons I have learned with my students so they too can more efficiently study.
When asked, What is ones greatest weakness or strength, It is almost common knowledge to idiomatically present weaknesses as strengths. Alternatively, I have chosen to act on my words, using my weaknesses to my advantage. For example, I am well aware that my youthful impulsiveness to experience and learn everything I saw, acting on each thought as they raced through my head, had translated into my habit of completing tasks quickly, but not to the best of my ability. I grew to understand the significance of brainstorming different approaches and other preparative analysis, learning to thoroughly complete each task to the best of my ability before moving on.
In addition to my emphasis on self-reflection and learning from my personal experiences, I also value the experience of others. I enjoy working with others because it is an opportunity share, exchange, and learn from each others experiences thus building lifelong connections. As an aspiring physician, I believe that the empathy required to successfully impact health care begins with a true appreciation of each patient's individual experience, acknowledging the significance of cultural and socioeconomic factors. This is the same philosophy I have towards education. Every student is different and must be treated accordingly. I aim to create a unique tutoring experience for each student in order to maximize their learning.
