My Experience Studying Abroad by Jelani

My Experience Studying Abroad by Jelani - November 2017 Scholarship Essay

I lived in India during my freshman and sophomore years of high school while attending Miri Piri Academy, a private school in Amritsar. During this time became very familiar with the culture and the environmental issues the city faced, which allowed me to gain a higher understanding of what I could to do to help those in need. In addition, while in Amritsar I gained a worldview that allowed me to look at the world's issues through the lense of those it effects, so that I could be aware of how the issues could be fixed in the most efficient manner.

While in India I witnessed extreme poverty. I saw malnourished children beg on the streets and families with no home suffer without aid. Seeing people live in these conditions triggered a reaction inside of me, I could not sit back and watch these people suffer, I had to help in any anyway possible. In turn, I dedicated a lot of my time to community service, I would volunteer at local temples and help feed those in need, pick up litter, sweep floors, pass out clean water, and even cleaning dishes. Helping those in need has given me a stronger sense of self and greater confidence of what I can do to make a change in the world.

In order to make a global change, I strive to become an environmental engineer. My job will be to decrease air pollution, control waste management, and maintain sustainable environments in a plethora of ecosystems. I am cognizant of the hard work I will be faced with in the years to come, but I will embrace any challenge with open arms, for my goal in life is to see all people, animals, and plants flourish alongside each other in a healthy and balanced environment.