1) Terps are diverse.

They bring intellectual, social and cultural

differences to our community. Describe the different parts of you which will
contribute to our diverse campus community.
SAT scores, GPAs and percentiles define a student in their ripe years of
adolescence through their growing pains of young adulthood. We are taught to
apprehend that these numerical values measure our worth and fail to remember that
the quality and quantity of the strenuous work put forth in obtaining these numbers
is equally important. The Asian American standard is to excel in academics but I
do not wish to be defined just by these standards. Instead, I would like to take the
process of gaining and contributing from and to society to create my own standard.
As a Korean-American, I have felt the need to work even harder to become
noticed. Growing up as a minority, I have developed a motivation that pushes me
to fulfill my goals. Also, being the man of the house and growing up in a family of
women, I have a natural instinct to help others in any way possible. I have grown
up with the idea that others come first; I am willing to sacrifice my own time and
effort in order to benefit others.
My familys financial and social background may not hover in the top class,
but my familys drive to push beyond social walls defines my true worth as an
individual. I take this quality and use it to fuel my standing amongst the masses
and measure my character and values. I am willing to share my social background
and values with fellow individuals who will do the same to create an environment
where everyone can feel equal. Even if race may not segregate, stereotypes still
afflict people to this day. I too like others, am responsible for creating or using
stereotypes towards a certain group of people. However, I am willing to grow
relationships with students by looking past stereotypes and judging people solely
of their character and true nature. It excites me that I may have the possibility to
interact with a diverse institution with various ethnic backgrounds and cultures. I
am looking forward to intertwining my own cultural values with others to learn and
take in different cultures.
In an aggressive pool of thousands of other students; talent, and hard work
are redeeming qualities that leave a lasting impression and propel forward
progress. I would like to integrate my Korean background where family is a very

strong focus in the model of group work. UMD is recognized as a prominent

research institution and I believe its status derives from collaboration and
challenge. The interaction of people is key to understanding the issues of the world
and applying knowledge and a cultural background to combat growing problems in
a growing world.
Living in the United States for the past sixteen years has introduced me to a
multitude of cultures. I have engaged with individuals who are aware and take
pride in their culture. Interacting with such people has allowed me to grow
confident in my own culture which will allow me to share with others what I know.