Study Abroad: Statement of Purpose

In order for my trip application to get approved, I had to submit an essay as to why I wanted to do this and the significant impact a year abroad would have on my life. In hopes of finishing my application, I half-heartedly typed a wordy, but empty, essay. Upon multiple revisions, I was able to inject some sincerity, and ultimately, form a concise statement of purpose. (as follows):

My grandma was 100% Irish and came to America through Ellis Island with her sister. From that heritage, I have always felt a deep connection to the culture and history of Ireland. When I was young, she passed away and I have always wanted to learn more about her by understanding the land she came from. Not only will this study abroad be a good opportunity to further my education, address my career goals, and be fun - all of which I will address later - but it will also allow me a chance to connect with a woman and family I never had an opportunity to know. Hopefully, fostering this connection will let me learn more about myself.

I am currently a math major and plan to teach high school math after graduation. I hope to move my way up to administration and end up being a superintendent or work for educational reform and curriculum development. Learning about the educational system in other countries is a great way to develop ideas for change in ours. I hope to learn about the way Irish schooling works and broaden my understanding and criticism of the education system in the US. Also, seeing how college education and class structure differ there will aid me in my own teaching and broaden my scope of education and methods of teaching and learning.

I am very excited at the prospects of studying a semester in Cork and Dublin! Dublin is such a cool city (from what I remember of my travels there before), and incorporates the tradition and culture of Ireland with all of the amenities found in a bustling capital. Cork will prove a wonderful contrast to Dublin, and these two semesters should provide a vivid taste of this great country. My brother is currently studying in Ireland, and I have family in Dublin that I am excited to spend time with.

In my time as a college freshman, I have maintained the high academic standard that I first fostered in high school. I hope to be a strong representation of the United States and let Irish and foreign students learn about the US from me as I will learn about their countries from them. That being said, a lot of my academic success has come from me sticking to things I am good at and succeeding in relatively comfortable and controlled situations. That is why I am most excited to study abroad. I will be in a completely new environment, which will be very foreign and at times nerve-racking. Is there any better way to learn about life and myself than by pushing outside of my Kansas-girl box into a new and exciting world? 

So ready I am, and here I go!