International Relations Personal Statement Example 19

As a child, I traveled everywhere with my parents. Washington D.C., Toronto, Chicago, Zambia, London, you name it, I’d seen it. But through it all my favorite place to visit was always the airport. For me, the airport was a miasma of confusion and solidarity that summed up a giant psychosocial experiment, which became root of my fascination for social relations. Growing up in an extremely politically driven American household, with one parent a democrat and the other a republican, created a huge forum for discussion, especially during Barack Obama’s first campaign in 2007, with the amount of controversy that went on at the time. As a result of this, and despite my young age, I soon was an enthusiastic participant in my parents’ political discussions and followed the evening news frequently, and due to my father's influence I frequented the history channel as well. I became fascinated by the way my nation's politicians interacted with the public, and how their elections, decisions, and the entire nation’s decisions, affected not only America, but the world.

My AP English Language and Literature courses also presented such a forum of discussion, providing me with the ability to evaluate and synthesize evidence to form effective and coherent arguments, skills that are necessary for an aspiring diplomat. These classes, along with my courses in Professional Communication and Theatre Arts, a course in which I was voted class president, not only further developed my communication skills, but made it my responsibility to inspire focus and cooperation in my classmates. This responsibility fostered my organizational and leadership skills, giving me the confidence I will need to excel in university debates, discussions, and presentations. Additionally, my Psychology course has provided excellent insight into the study of the mind, and how the way we think affects our decision-making processes. An extremely interesting part of the course was when we discussed behavioral theories that study cultural behavioral paradigms, and how each nation’s culture, political atmosphere and history, affect how each nation’s leaders will react to the global political climate in the future.

Aside from academics, I participate in extracurriculars such as speech, choir, basketball, and art, in addition to my passion for musical theatre, where I enjoy connecting with with a variety of audiences, learning how to best communicate through a variety of vocal mediums. I have balanced my academics, athletics, and other extracurriculars for more than 5 years, a balance that has taught me precisional time management, a skill needed in order not to be overwhelmed by university life. However, the activity that I believe has prepared me to work in the realm of international relations the most, is the officer position I campaigned for, and held, as overall secretary of my school’s Student Council. It helped me hone my diplomatic skills while working with each grade level’s council to plan events to the best of our abilities, and required me to use the tact necessary for negotiation and compromise.

I believe that understanding politics is imperative in the 21st century because politics affect our quality of life, our rights as humans, and shape the future. I want to play an active part in international relations because, I have been fascinated by the constantly changing world that we live in, and I want to understand and explore the causes and effects of current and future international interactions, and I believe that studying in the UK will help me achieve that goal.

When we are young, we learn about great leaders who are charismatic, and self-sacrificing, and we aspire to be like them. My ambition is to become a leader in the global community that others can look up to, and I hope that this degree will be the first stepping stone I take to achieving all my future goals in international relations.