so i just recently applied for a bajillion scholarships and hope that i get lots of money for school! here was my personal statement essay... let me know what you think!
Why do people label themselves? Why do they label others? Is it to make them feel better about who and what they are? Is it to justify hate, fear, or ignorance? Or is it to give distinction, respect, and recognition? Labels exist in our daily lives; they have the power to shape our actions, as well as the actions of others. I have many labels: woman, minority, biracial, bipolar, bisexual, disabled, military veteran, borderline personality, wife, and student. These labels I carry with me everywhere, at all times. Some are obvious by looking at me and others lay deep beneath the surface of my atypical existence. The labels I am given have created in me a tremendous ambition to eradicate the adversities and prejudices that are attached to possessing those labels.
I was raised by a single mother in Phoenix, Arizona. My parents divorced when I was 2 years old, resulting in our move here from my birth place in Camp Pendleton, California, where my father was stationed in the Marine Corps. My mother, with two small children came back to Arizona, to a family anxious to tell her "I told you so." My father was physically, emotionally and verbally abusive to my mother, younger brother and I. Getting away from him wasn't easy, nor was going home to a family that was quick to judge and offering little support, but she had to. Growing up with my mother's family was no easy task. Not only was it a very large Spanish-Mexican family, but my younger brother and I were the only ones that had a father that was part black, which obviously makes us part black. We had to endure the sideways comments and names from the rest of the family, plus the people we went to school with, such as "blaxicans," "half-breeds," and whatever other creative things they could up with. To top it off, we didn't learn how to speak Spanish because my mother didn't like to speak it, and never passed it on to us. Consequently, I was never considered Mexican enough by our family and most of my peers, yet on the other hand I was never black enough by the similar standards because I appeared predominately Hispanic. Because I didn't fit in with my peers and family because of my labels, I used education as my escape of sorts. As a student, I didn't have to deal with the negative labels I had become accustomed to. I did very well in elementary and middle school, usually staying within in the top 50f my class. I graduated high school as a junior and quickly enlisted into the United States Army at the age of 17. I am the only female in my family to be in the Armed Forces.
In the military, I was at constant battle with my labels. I had to be that much smarter, work that much harder, and be that more resilient to discrimination because I was a woman and a minority. Being a biracial female was the most apparent label I had to deal with, but the hardest label to combat was the one that was hidden inside me, which is my bisexuality. Now obviously, homosexuality is a "don't ask, don't tell" issue in the military, so to be at a constant struggle with others and then to fight myself was thoroughly exhausting. I had to be extremely cautious as to not "out" myself or the others I knew to be homosexual or bisexual. I had to tolerate not only the sexist and racial jokes and prejudices, but the anti-homosexual connotations and remarks as well. I got married a few months before I got out of the Army to a high school friend of mine. At the time, he was in the Marine Corps Infantry and barely coming home from combat deployment. When we were both out of the military, we moved back home to Phoenix and started our civilian married lives together.
I filed and was granted disability through the Department of Veteran's Affairs for my service connected injuries. The labels of being a disabled and a Veteran were new for me, and provided me with both positive (praise, honor and respect from some people) and negative (association as murderers, Gestapo, and overall evil beings from others) experiences. Other labels that were difficult to get use to were bipolar and borderline personality, because of my lack of knowledge and information about the illnesses. Once I learned their meanings and impact on my life, I now had to aid in educating my husband and family about my disabilities. My husband is an amazing man to have stood by my side through most of my hardships. Though my family has yet to understand and accept what my labels are and especially what they aren't, I have hope that maybe one day they can.
I have currently returned to my label of student. At present, I am a transfer student from South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, WA which I attended while in the Army. I was on the Dean's List and had 3.66 GPA. Currently, I am enrolled in the Developmental Disabilities Specialist Program at Glendale Community College. My educational goal is to transfer to ASU in September of 2007, to pursue a Certificate of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Studies, as well as a Bachelor's Degree of Interdisciplinary Studies focusing in the same. My aspiration is to become an advocate for individuals with disabilities as well as military veterans in the LGBT community. Working to provide awareness and promote equality for the discriminations and prejudices of the labels that I identify with is extremely important for me because I know the difficulties of living with these labels and want to end the adversities of those encompassed in them. Nobody should ever have to hide or deny who they are in fear of being rejected, discriminated, tormented, disowned, or even killed.
Presently, I am a volunteer with Planned Parenthood, Phoenix Pride, and Make a Difference. I am in the process of becoming a volunteer with The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG), The Arizona Human Rights Fund, Body Positive, and Maricopa County Adult Probation Victim Services Unit. I am also a part time nanny for three children.
My education is the cornerstone to which I can provide assistance to individuals battling with labels. I believe that without continuing schooling and completing my educational goals, I will not be able to fully offer the support for those in which I am intending. Knowledge is power. It opens up doors and windows of opportunities that wouldn't otherwise be available. Unfortunately, I am unable to finance the education in which I desire, hence the reason for my scholarship application. I hope to be consider as a recipient for this scholarship because of my intense desire to improve the lives of others struggling with labels by offering them support and providing general awareness and education of these labels to the community.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Why do people label themselves? Why do they label others? Is it to make them feel better about who and what they are? Is it to justify hate, fear, or ignorance? Or is it to give distinction, respect, and recognition? Labels exist in our daily lives; they have the power to shape our actions, as well as the actions of others. I have many labels: woman, minority, biracial, bipolar, bisexual, disabled, military veteran, borderline personality, wife, and student. These labels I carry with me everywhere, at all times. Some are obvious by looking at me and others lay deep beneath the surface of my atypical existence. The labels I am given have created in me a tremendous ambition to eradicate the adversities and prejudices that are attached to possessing those labels.
I was raised by a single mother in Phoenix, Arizona. My parents divorced when I was 2 years old, resulting in our move here from my birth place in Camp Pendleton, California, where my father was stationed in the Marine Corps. My mother, with two small children came back to Arizona, to a family anxious to tell her "I told you so." My father was physically, emotionally and verbally abusive to my mother, younger brother and I. Getting away from him wasn't easy, nor was going home to a family that was quick to judge and offering little support, but she had to. Growing up with my mother's family was no easy task. Not only was it a very large Spanish-Mexican family, but my younger brother and I were the only ones that had a father that was part black, which obviously makes us part black. We had to endure the sideways comments and names from the rest of the family, plus the people we went to school with, such as "blaxicans," "half-breeds," and whatever other creative things they could up with. To top it off, we didn't learn how to speak Spanish because my mother didn't like to speak it, and never passed it on to us. Consequently, I was never considered Mexican enough by our family and most of my peers, yet on the other hand I was never black enough by the similar standards because I appeared predominately Hispanic. Because I didn't fit in with my peers and family because of my labels, I used education as my escape of sorts. As a student, I didn't have to deal with the negative labels I had become accustomed to. I did very well in elementary and middle school, usually staying within in the top 50f my class. I graduated high school as a junior and quickly enlisted into the United States Army at the age of 17. I am the only female in my family to be in the Armed Forces.
In the military, I was at constant battle with my labels. I had to be that much smarter, work that much harder, and be that more resilient to discrimination because I was a woman and a minority. Being a biracial female was the most apparent label I had to deal with, but the hardest label to combat was the one that was hidden inside me, which is my bisexuality. Now obviously, homosexuality is a "don't ask, don't tell" issue in the military, so to be at a constant struggle with others and then to fight myself was thoroughly exhausting. I had to be extremely cautious as to not "out" myself or the others I knew to be homosexual or bisexual. I had to tolerate not only the sexist and racial jokes and prejudices, but the anti-homosexual connotations and remarks as well. I got married a few months before I got out of the Army to a high school friend of mine. At the time, he was in the Marine Corps Infantry and barely coming home from combat deployment. When we were both out of the military, we moved back home to Phoenix and started our civilian married lives together.
I filed and was granted disability through the Department of Veteran's Affairs for my service connected injuries. The labels of being a disabled and a Veteran were new for me, and provided me with both positive (praise, honor and respect from some people) and negative (association as murderers, Gestapo, and overall evil beings from others) experiences. Other labels that were difficult to get use to were bipolar and borderline personality, because of my lack of knowledge and information about the illnesses. Once I learned their meanings and impact on my life, I now had to aid in educating my husband and family about my disabilities. My husband is an amazing man to have stood by my side through most of my hardships. Though my family has yet to understand and accept what my labels are and especially what they aren't, I have hope that maybe one day they can.
I have currently returned to my label of student. At present, I am a transfer student from South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, WA which I attended while in the Army. I was on the Dean's List and had 3.66 GPA. Currently, I am enrolled in the Developmental Disabilities Specialist Program at Glendale Community College. My educational goal is to transfer to ASU in September of 2007, to pursue a Certificate of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Studies, as well as a Bachelor's Degree of Interdisciplinary Studies focusing in the same. My aspiration is to become an advocate for individuals with disabilities as well as military veterans in the LGBT community. Working to provide awareness and promote equality for the discriminations and prejudices of the labels that I identify with is extremely important for me because I know the difficulties of living with these labels and want to end the adversities of those encompassed in them. Nobody should ever have to hide or deny who they are in fear of being rejected, discriminated, tormented, disowned, or even killed.
Presently, I am a volunteer with Planned Parenthood, Phoenix Pride, and Make a Difference. I am in the process of becoming a volunteer with The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG), The Arizona Human Rights Fund, Body Positive, and Maricopa County Adult Probation Victim Services Unit. I am also a part time nanny for three children.
My education is the cornerstone to which I can provide assistance to individuals battling with labels. I believe that without continuing schooling and completing my educational goals, I will not be able to fully offer the support for those in which I am intending. Knowledge is power. It opens up doors and windows of opportunities that wouldn't otherwise be available. Unfortunately, I am unable to finance the education in which I desire, hence the reason for my scholarship application. I hope to be consider as a recipient for this scholarship because of my intense desire to improve the lives of others struggling with labels by offering them support and providing general awareness and education of these labels to the community.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
deathbyopus:
i hope you get the scholarship too, sounds like you earned it. Good luck with everything 
jocelynd80:
Good luck with school and the scholarship, I like the essay hopefully they will too.