Personal Essay

I have had the great opportunity to be a foreigner my entire life. When I was only a year old my father sold his cabinet building business in Miami, Florida and bought a large ranch in the middle of the jungle in Ecuador. I grew up as an American sandwiched between two other cultures. On the one side there were the Indígenas, and on the other the Ladinos. Because of my family's unique situation I had the opportunity to have friends among both groups and become acquainted with both cultures. During the time that we lived in Ecuador my father started a small tourist business where people from all over the world would stay in our home with us for a week or two at a time. Because of this I was able to come into contact with different cultures from all over Europe. During my entire childhood my family and I were the only Americans I ever knew. Being a small child cultural differences were not such a big deal to me, and it seemed like everyone was the same no matter where they came from.
When I was twelve my family moved back to the U.S.A., and for the first time in my life I was surrounded by other Americans. I thought I should feel at home, but my cultural training and my upbringing were so different from that of my peers that once again I found myself to be a foreigner. At first it was almost more than I could bear. The rules of engagement were so different that I really struggled to fit in, and for a while I felt that I never would. It seemed that everyone was mean and selfish. I had grown up in a very collectivist society, and now I was thrust into the most individualist society on the planet. My confusion was almost unbearable. Even though it was very hard to adjust to a new life, and new cultural and societal rules, I feel that the experiences I had as a young person have been my greatest asset.
Because I have always been different I find myself able to put myself into the shoes of those who are different than me. Another great advantage of having lived in different cultures is that I am able to see that while the way someone else does things may not be the way I do it that does not necessarily make their way wrong and my way right. I developed a broad perspective that I do not think would have been possible to obtain any other way.
It was not until I was working on my Bachelor’s degree here at Utah State University that I began to realize how great of an asset my background was to me. I had the opportunity to take some classes about culture, and communication that helped me to understand a little more just how complex, and interesting culture is. As my understanding of culture grew I was also able to come to a greater understanding of myself, and my own experiences. It was then that I decided I wanted to take my studies further and get a Master’s degree in international relations.
As the world becomes more and more interconnected, and as the Latin American world begins to flourish it will become increasingly important for businesses and government to have a firm understanding of their cultures and way of life. I chose to apply to Utah State University for my Master’s because of your good reputation, because I have loved my time here as an undergrad, and because there are professors here who know and study Latin America like professor Sanders, and professor Furlong who I have taken classes from and would love to work with in the future. I feel confident that my upbringing and academic preparation have prepared me exceptionally well for this next step in my life, and I look forward to a new adventure.