Personal statement example

She was so young and she said nothing; but her eyes and her body movements exuded joy. Her singing made her parents proud of her and her Disability could only stand there and look at her enjoy her life. She brought in the winds of change in my life.
Life is something that each of one has been blessed with and it is up to us what we do with this wonderful gift. Being born in a competitive world, I intended to acquire profound skills in the field of Economics and make something out of myself, initially. However, it is known that even the smallest action such as a single flapping of a butterfly’s wings has the ability to initiate a cyclone and in my life, this butterfly came in disguise of the young child I mentioned before.
“ She” is a child diagnosed with cerebral palsy, whom I met during my internship at a childcare centre in Hong Kong. My decision to study Economics Major changed once I completed my internship at this childcare centre. This young girl caught my attention from the very beginning. She was so full of life, so bright and so happy in spite of her disability. To her every second of her life was precious and she lived each second to the fullest. She did not want to be pitied upon but needed love and care. Her courage made me feel so inferior and that was when I realised that real happiness lied in helping others live a happier life. One particular instance is still vivid in my memory where the child was called by her class teacher to perform in front of the class. The little girl sat on the wheel chair and could only move her tiny hands to express her emotions through her gestures. I went ahead and pushed her wheel chair through the classroom and the face of the little girl instantly lit up. She smiled confidently during the performance and this stimulated me and made me realise that I also had the ability to “ push” other children like her in their lives towards a brighter future. My interest in the cognitive studies escalated from this stage. I felt inspired to study more about mental disorders and disabilities especially those associated with children such as autism and ADHD and attain skills in helping such children. Truly speaking, prior to this experience I had no in depth knowledge about such special children but interacting with the young child was almost a revelation to me. During my small stint I also interacted with the girl’s father who highlighted the fact the young girl was perceived in a very negative way in the society. I could not help but realise that numerous other children like the young girl were subjected to such unwelcoming attitude every single moment and there was something in me that wanted to change this. Therefore, now I am inspired to study Psychology which is the only subject that would help me understand, interact and help these children directly. I hope to use the skills I acquire during the course not only to help and care for young children like the girl who changed me but also redefine the social norms.
Studying Psychology major is my first step towards my goal of initiating a better care and education system for children with special needs and for disabled children. I want to make a difference in the lives of others in the same way that the little butterfly from Hong Kong made a difference in mine.