Scholarship Essay Of A Student From Low-income Family In Korea University Business School

«I got fired!» I heard my dad telling it to my mom in our small, but cozy apartment on the outskirts of the county in a little village. I was a child about 6 or 7 years old playing with my newly born brother in another room, but the sounds of my mom’s cry after those words had grabbed my attention. I came to their room to ask whether is everything good and my mom took me in her lap: «Ooh my sweetheart, we are going through some difficulties, but I and daddy will do our bests for your carefree smile». On the next day, I got up with the feeling that I have to help my parents no matter what and came up with a genius idea. My mom had a recipe book with plenty of delicious food and tasty drinks, with the help of my grandmother I prepared fragrant apple pies and refreshing strawberry beverages. I took a small wooden table outdoors and started offering our products to people passing by. My first client was our neighbor Aidyn, he always was nice to me and paid the threefold price of my $1 pie by saying that it was the most savory pie in his life. I am truly believing that it was indeed. I suppose that thanks to his word of mouth, almost all people living nearby came and bought a piece of pie or glass of strawberry drink. Eventually, at the end of the day, all products were sold out and I earned my first money. I was over the moon when I came to my mom and gave her that dollars. In her eyes, for the first time, I saw the unshakable pride for me and the maternal happiness that she experienced at that moment. My mother told me that I have an entrepreneurial drive and I will certainly conduct my business in the future. My parents promised me that they will by my side all along the way.

After a while our life turned on a dime, my parents have been working day and night and we moved to the city from our tiny village. My dad recovered at military work and my mom became a qualified doctor. Sadly, such noble professions are paid almost the least in our country. I saw my parents working to the bone, from that time I began to appreciate everything my parents give me as I witnessed that every penny is earned by hard work. The primary goal of settling down in the city was giving me the opportunity to attend a desirable school with highly qualified teachers. From now on, my journey has begun. Since the very beginning, it was very tough for me to do well in school, I didn’t get along with the exact sciences and felt underperforming in comparison with my peers. My mom sensed something was amiss and I explained the whole situation. Unfortunately, she couldn’t afford to hire a tutor or send me to after school extension programs. However, after having a long working day, she devoted time to help me in my studies. Sometimes we lingered until midnight analyzing new concepts or trying to resolve problems in an alternative way. My mom, by nature, is a very smart and intelligent person, with the help of an analytical mind she got a college degree without paying any tuition fee and studied for almost 10 years to become a doctor. Over time, our efforts have paid off, I eventually began receiving only A’s and revealed my talent in mathematics. My math teacher even recommended me to participate in Olympiad, at that time I remember how my classmates were preparing with the best tutors and newest materials to pass this competition, whilst I had the opportunity only to prepare on my own with the books my teacher lent me. Surprisingly, I was the only person from my school who reached a national level and even I was sent to International Olympiad, where I managed to take 1st place.

From that point I, realized that everything I want depends solely on me and how much effort I put to achieve it. I set a goal that I definitely will get a college degree in a prestigious university abroad and I began moving towards this target. At the same time, we were pushed to move to the northern capital of our country – Nur-sultan due to my father’s work obligations. I tend to believe that this crucial moment gave me chance to apply for a special school for gifted children, where I ultimately ended my high school years and managed to finish it for one year earlier by being the best student in almost all criteria. I was an active participant in a variety of events starting from raising money for disabled people to being a supervisor in a debate club and creating subject clubs to give a helping hand for students struggling with their studies. Moreover, I didn’t stop paying proper attention to my lessons and exam preparations. As a result, I graduated with all A’s in my diploma and passed the national exam with the highest possible score. With the solid foundation I had under my belt I applied to various universities and was accepted by all. However, I decided to continue my academic path in Korea University Business School as I wanted to become an entrepreneur from the early childhood and make my mom’s dream come true. I am sure that Korea University is my gateway to a better life not only for me but for my family as well.

One and a half years ago my new life has begun here, in South Korea. It was a tipping point, all around me was new and unknown, at the same time I was scared, but I was full of anticipation and ready for new adventures. As a freshman, I experienced difficulties in attending lectures in English, which is not my native language, making new connections with Korean or International students, and being away so far from family for the first time. However, I have never regretted my decision as today I can see that the knowledge and skills I gained in university life are irreplaceable and are the key to my future career. I learned so many useful things from my courses, where professors are attempting to deliver information in the easiest and accessible way. I met so many different people and cultures and created new friends from all around the world on our campus. Regrettably, the only problem that bothers me is the financial burden that lies on my parents because if tuition fees and living expenses. Even though I work on holidays to cover at least my living expenses, it is not enough to greatly contribute to this matter. After receiving a need-based scholarship for the first time, my parents were truly thrilled about this. Finally, I had the opportunity to fully concentrate on my studies and took more major classes. Eventually, I end up having a higher GPA in comparison with my first semester. However, last semester I couldn’t receive this scholarship and was going through a very tough period. I couldn’t afford to pay bills for the dormitory, so I moved to a small apartment that I share with the other three girls. I was trying to do a part-time job, but it is enormously hard to combine it with studies. Another important event that recently happened in our family is the birth of a new family member. My mom was forced to take maternity leaves and leave all financial obligations on my father’s shoulders. Considering current conditions, I am afraid that I wouldn’t have a chance to continue pursuing my dream education at KU. Either way, I can’t just sit back, so I decided to apply for this scholarship to ease my family’s financial situation.

My blueprint after graduating from university is to set up an international educational center for children from low-income families to allow them to learn with the best teaching techniques and the most updated materials available from everywhere in the world. This scholarship will give me a chance to keep on track in my academics, thereby allowing me to acquire needful skills and tools for implementing my plan for the sake of the same children with a difficult fate.