Personal History Statement

Personal History Statement
I decided to pursue my graduate degree based on two simple motivational goals. These are the passion for exploration of knowledge and the enthusiasm to assist stigmatized people. The two impetuses are a source of direction that channels me in the pursuit of my career. Furthermore, they guided me in the pursuit of a Ph.D. Degree in Psychology at the University of California, Berkely. They instigated me to maintain my focus on research even in stressful environments and acquire the best skills in the diversified atmosphere of this university.
I am the first person in my family to attend college in this current generation. My grandparents did not acknowledge the relevance of education. Consequently, my parents stopped learning after completing high school in the 1970s. Their life and experience inspired me to work hard and access a higher level of education. They used to encourage me to take my education seriously. As a way of returning the favor, I took the opportunity they granted me seriously in my entire school life. This led to the manifestation of my outstanding performance without the necessity of cram schools like most of my peers. As an affirmation of my efforts and determination, i was position 2 out of 47750 students in the College Entrance Examination. The results enabled me to secure a chance in Tsingua University, which is the top most university in China. The city that I grew up in was small and not well exposed. Consequently, I was motivated in my middle and senior high school stages by the urge to see the world.

Upon entering the University of Beijing, my motivation changed from the passion for knowledge outside my city to the passion for academic and scholarly research. I used most of my time in the week testing participants in the experiment room and deriving answers to questions about the mind, behavior, and the brain. My passion for knowledge in this field directed me to pursue psychology. It enabled me to improve the quality of life and find answers to questions about behavior. The transition from a passive acceptor of knowledge to an active seeker of answers was the greatest motivation that inspired me to pursue academic excellence.
The challenges I went through in my childhood stage enabled me to assist underrepresented groups of people with exceptional enthusiasm. In spite of the tight academic schedule and pursuit for my goals, I still made time for volunteering activities. While in high school, I participated in the initiation of a volunteering organization with four of my other friends to assist middle and senior high school students residing in rural regions to access higher education. This organization managed to enable more than 100 students from rural villages to join their dream colleges. As a founder and a leader of the group, I accrued skills of coordinating internal relationships, managing conflicting ideas, and allocating work effectively. These skills are crucial in conducting research. While in the university, I helped in enhancing the academic performance of 24 students in primary school through replication of miracles. The parents of these students were peasant laborers in Beijing.
In my academic life, I integrated my personal interest in research with my psychological experience and enthusiasm in helping disadvantaged groups to assist psychological minorities. The group entailed discriminated people based on physical and ideological differences. I believe that nobody is a minority in our respective society. As a way of helping these people, I participated in various kinds of volunteering work. I worked in international orphanages and regional crisis hotlines to help the mentally and emotionally disturbed. Through this experience, I acknowledged that the phrase ‘mental disorder’ is meant to guide specialists to treat the condition but not as a definition of the patients. My experience in interacting with different people has enhanced my expertise and suitability of working at UCB. I also took a day-off every week to work at the Beijing LGBT center where I participated in creating awareness regarding homosexuality. While working at the center, I interacted and handled cases of people who were excluded and punished based on their sexual orientations. This enhanced the level of competence in handling people at UCB.
The 22 years of my life have been a success based on my capability to achieve my goals and objectives. The experience has enhanced my confidence, determination, and happiness in exercising my passion of caring for others. Through my struggle with challenges in striving to acquire education and my observation of stigmatized people in China, I learned to appreciate the preciousness in living and studying in a place that values equality and personal care. I developed most of my experiences and skills interacting with different groups of people in the field. My educational experience and exposure created a good platform that enabled me to overcome challenges and helped me to maintain the enthusiasm of helping underrepresented groups. The experiences enhanced my capability of working in the diverse culture of UCB. I am anticipating that my determination and passion would make a difference in the field and inspire my successor to follow their dreams.