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Prompt: Tell us about your personal history and family
background and how they have influenced your intellectual
and personal development. What unique personal qualities or
life experiences might distinguish you from other applicants?
How will your background, values, and non work-related activities
enhance the experience of other FSB students and add to the
diverse culture we strive for at Fuqua?
I proudly followed the torchbearer around the soccer stadium
in Gothenburg, Sweden. "USA! USA!" I felt a tremendous
sense of honor as I marched in my stars-and-stripes uniform
and listened to the roar of 36,000 people cheering for us.
I was the captain and center forward on a national girls'
16-and-under soccer team, representing the United States in
the Gothia Cup, the largest youth tournament in the world.
As my team proudly marched through the enormous stadium during
the opening ceremony, I looked up into the stands and saw
my parents frantically waving and cheering.
"Light the fire within" is the Olympic torch relay
motto. Yet it does more than simply encapsulating the spirit
of the games -- it perfectly describes how my family shaped
who I am today. The torch was first passed to my father by
my grandfather, who with daring spirit and foresight led my
family to Palestine (now Israel). The extended family that
remained in Poland was tragically murdered along with countless
other Jews in Auschwitz. My grandfather later made my father's
impossible dream of becoming a doctor possible through great
sacrifices, financial and otherwise. As there were no medical
schools in Israel at that time, my father learned German and
enrolled in the University of Zurich in Switzerland. After
graduating, he immigrated to the United States.
My mother lit her own fire within. She is one of five siblings
born in Indiana to an Irish-Catholic truck driver and a second-generation
Lithuanian mother. She was determined to build a different
life for herself, so she struggled and paid her own way through
Indiana University. She was the only member of her family
to go to college, and upon graduation, she moved to Chicago
to become a teacher.
After my younger sister was born, my mother and father moved
from Chicago to Lake Forest, Illinois. My parents believed
that the suburban setting, the excellent school system, and
the close-knit community would help provide the idyllic childhood
they always hoped to offer their family. At first my family
faced certain challenges because of our background. For example,
we were one of only two Jewish families in a town filled with
Catholics and Protestants who had lived there for many generations.
But because of the foundation of values my parents had instilled
in me, I learned to overcome such obstacles with equanimity.
Even today, although my world and the problems I face have
changed a great deal, I still utilize the basic principles
they taught and attribute my confidence and sense of balance
to their support.
My parents put a strong emphasis on education, hard work,
and ethics. My mother taught me to read when I was two and
a half years old, and I was the only child in nursery school
who could already write and perform basic arithmetic functions.
After I started middle school, she embarked on an extremely
successful career in real estate, yet if my sister and I wanted
to have spending money, we were required to have jobs. I babysat,
worked in local shops, and waited tables throughout high school
and college. Many children have it much worse than I did,
and I certainly would not complain about the jobs I held.
In fact, I am fortunate to have begun learning responsibility
from a young age. As a professional now, I still feel a deep
sense of respect for hard work whenever I see it, regardless
of its nature. Moreover, this understanding puts me in a better
position to cooperate with all levels of personnel in a company,
or more generally with people from all different backgrounds.
My parents succeeded in their wish to give us a great childhood.
I grew up with a loving and supportive family, was involved
in a myriad of activities, and enjoyed many accomplishments
at our local high school. One of my proudest days -- and my
parents' -- was the day I found out I was accepted to Penn.
I came home to find a blue and red "P" banner taped
onto the front of our house. It was a victory for all of us.
They had succeeded in passing the torch on to me, just as
they had to my brother and my sister. Given all the determination
and courage that preceded me and made my opportunities possible,
I try to approach every moment and aspect of my life with
the same kind passion and dedication. Now I plan to carry
my family's flame of perseverance into the next stage of my
life -- business school.
Building on the childhood that my parents created for me,
I have had, of course, to take responsibility for my own life.
What I have to offer the Fuqua community comes from the wide
range of experiences to which I have dedicated myself. For
example, my work experiences have spanned industries and employed
a broad range of skills: my television, technology, sales,
product management, and Silicon Valley boom and bust experiences
have shaped the professional I am today. But the details of
my work cannot account completely for what I have to offer
as an individual. I am from a multicultural family and therefore
have had the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe and
the Middle East. Since I stayed with relatives, I was able
to experience local cultures more directly than a typical
tourist might. I've lived in the Northeast, in the Midwest,
and on the West Coast. I am married to an extremely talented
architect and have gained significant exposure to his particular
industry. I have had experience as a Division I athlete and
have brought the principles of teamwork to my business career.
I have many other varied interests, ranging from the intellectual
(language study, chess) to the athletic (completing a triathlon,
skiing) to the artistic (creative writing, photography) to
the spiritual (yoga, religious study) to the altruistic (community
service, tutoring). Never one to get trapped into routine,
I have always thrived on new experiences, and they do not
easily pinpoint me as one or another type of person. On the
other hand, I am also not the sum of a random set of pieces.
I always integrate my diverse interests so that my skills
and activities complement each other. I have sought experience
actively in all areas of life, and I plan to share both past
and present with my classmates. More broadly, I look forward
to passing the torch on to future generations, and before
that, sharing its flame with all I come in contact with.
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