This document is a collection of organizational elements and examples to help you write a personal statement centered around your upbringing and home environment. Take a look at these examples to help you write a personal statement that is authentic and contributes to your company’s motto of well-rounded education.
Curious and independent child
As an only child, my parents were concerned that I would grow up to be an individualistic child, so they always made sure that I had frequent opportunities to socialize with my cousins and older siblings. As a result, I’ve always been a people person. I loved being around my family and friends, and I loved hanging out with my friends. When I started kindergarten, I would invite my friends over to my house on a whim, and my mother was always busy preparing food for my guests.
When I was alone, I read a lot. My mother loved to read, and spending time in the library with her inspired me to read as well. As I read, I began to develop interests in different fields, and I grew up to be a curious and independent child.
When I was in middle school, I went to visit my maternal grandmother’s house in the country with my cousin and my sisters without any adults. My cousin’s brother was in college, so we all followed him on trains and buses, arrived safely, had a good time, and returned. After that, I calculated how to get to my maternal grandmother’s house, how to book a train, how long it would take, how much it would cost, and so on. My parents naturally assumed that I was going with my cousin and brother, and were surprised when they realized that after I arrived at my maternal grandmother’s house, I was traveling alone. My mother immediately wanted to come down to the countryside, but I confidently told her that since I had come to the countryside on my own, I could go back on my own, and I actually made it home safely without the slightest difficulty.
From that point on, my parents treated me as an independent person and respected my opinions more. From then on, when I said I wanted to do something, they listened to me seriously and gave me advice and encouragement to do well in new challenges rather than worrying about them. This kind of support and backing from my parents has given me a confident attitude in everything I do.
A legacy of integrity and responsibility
I am a person of integrity and responsibility. My father worked diligently and responsibly at the same job for 32 years until he retired last year. Although the global economic recession led to restructuring across the financial sector, and he had to give up his position to make way for juniors, he was a branch manager at the bank’s branch office and performed so well that he was named the best branch manager twice in his performance evaluation.
Since I was in elementary school, I walked to school with my dad in time for his workday, and the conversations we had in his car on the way to school helped me to fully understand and respect him. He never tried to instill the values of integrity and responsibility, and he made us feel that every morning was his time to go to work, and he never missed a day. He also made us realize the importance of social life by telling us stories of exemplary junior employees at work. I grew up looking up to my father, so I always strived to emulate his example, and my sincerity was recognized in school, where I served as class president and led my classmates well.
When I worked part-time during college, I was recognized by my managers and employees for my “steadfast integrity” by always fulfilling the responsibilities of my job, no matter what I was assigned. Many people in the company remembered me for this and would come back to me even after my job was over.
Sincerity and responsibility are valuable legacies I inherited from my father.
Showing a mature side by taking care of younger siblings at a young age
Unlike other kids my age, who could go to school or do whatever they wanted after school, I was always rushing home to help my dual-earner parents. I had a younger brother at home who relied on me more than my parents, and I was always on the go to take care of small chores and other errands, such as preparing ingredients. At times, it was difficult to not be able to spend as much time on my own as my peers, but it also gave me a sense of pride when I reflected on my ability to mature on my own. When I went from cutting my fingers and fumbling with simple ingredients, to being able to perform flawlessly, with neat workmanship that left little to no mess, and thorough separation of food waste, I was able to shrug my shoulders when my parents joked that it was time to send me off to college.
Also, having a younger sibling to take responsibility for at such a young age gave me an even stronger foundation to stand on, because while it was hard to swallow my entitlement to be the older sibling when I sometimes wanted to make a fool of my parents, it made me feel proud that I was doing my part to help my parents, as I saw how my sister had grown accustomed to my care, following me more than them.
An environment that fosters curiosity and creativity
I grew up with a conversational education from a young age, thanks to my parents, who are both clear-headed and rational communicators. My father, a professor of physics, would always tell me interesting science stories to keep me interested in the scientific phenomena in life.
Growing up in this environment, I was very curious and creative from an early age. In elementary school, I won science competitions, and in middle and high school, I was active in science classes and represented my school in the city’s high school science fair.
While I had a father who stimulated my curiosity about objects and natural phenomena and nurtured my logical thinking skills, my mother took care to raise me to be an emotionally rich and sensitive child. Although I didn’t enjoy poetry and fiction as much as she did, I grew up with an appreciation for the arts, being exposed to a wide variety of literary works, music, theater, and musical performances.
In high school, I once participated in a science fair with a group of friends, where we had to research and present materials on a given topic in the field, and each of us had to take responsibility for our roles in order to produce better results in a limited amount of time. My friends and I divided up our roles to find materials, organize the content, and fill in the gaps with each other, and we won the first prize for our well-organized presentation. We were able to do this because we encouraged our friends to relax even though we were under pressure due to the time constraints.
Growing up with parents who always communicated with each other and paid constant attention to each other at home, based on their trust in each other, helped me grow into a loving and caring person in my relationships with my friends.
Cultivating an artistic sensibility with my parents
My father, a vocal music major, and my mother, a piano major, are both artistically inclined. Thanks to them, I’ve been exposed to classical music from a young age, as my mother was classically trained before she gave birth to me. My father and mother wanted me to pursue a career in music, but somehow I felt that music was a hobby and not a career. At first, they were disappointed, but eventually they respected my choice. From a young age, attending concerts and performances with my father and mother helped me develop an artistic sensibility, which helped me to stay true to my feelings and express my emotions honestly. I think this helps me to form stronger bonds with people, as my sensitivity allows me to quickly grasp the other person’s feelings and build empathy with them. I think this is why I was able to become a trusted person among my friends in school, and I think it has also been a great advantage in the workplace, where I can collaborate with my colleagues to improve work efficiency.
Sharing diverse experiences in a family that loves to travel
My family loves to travel. We traveled not only in Korea but also overseas, and we were able to share various experiences together. I love traveling, but I’ve always been particularly interested in hotels, and while traveling to different places, I’ve had the opportunity to explore their unique characteristics and think about what makes them interesting. With so many different people coming in and out, there are some unique services to understand their culture, but there are also universal systems that are common around the world. I realized that the biggest thing they all have in common is “genuine service with a heart for the customer.” I felt like I was being pampered when I stayed in a hotel, and I started to think that maybe that was what shaped the image of the hotel. Growing up in a family that traveled a lot, I was naturally interested in hotels, and I think it had a big impact on my life’s work. After I realized that I wanted to be a hotelier, I did a lot of preparation to become a hotelier. Kindness doesn’t come out of nowhere, so I’ve always tried to be considerate of others and keep a smile on my face. I think this attitude has changed my life as well, and I think my efforts to keep a smile on my face have helped me to fill my life with smiles.
Family communication is important
I think I developed my cheerful personality and friendliness because of my parents’ emphasis on family communication. They were very interested in me and wanted to know how I was doing at school, and if I had any problems, they would discuss them with me. This family environment provided me with a sense of security, and I think it helped me to live with confidence.
My father and mother are both artistic. Although she didn’t major in it, she developed her taste by constantly reading books and visiting exhibitions. Thanks to my parents, I was able to have many opportunities to visit exhibitions from a young age. At first, I just followed them around, but as the number of times increased, I became interested in the exhibits myself. Sometimes there were works that I didn’t understand, and my father, mother, and I would discuss them together. It was interesting to be able to look at the same piece and have different thoughts about it. I also learned about art myself. My father and mother gave me their full support. I think they wanted me to pursue their dreams for them, but I didn’t have any intention of majoring in art, I just wanted to learn it as a hobby, so I didn’t fulfill their dreams. However, learning art helped me to appreciate art even more. I realized that there is a big difference between doing art and not doing art. I won many art competitions in high school and won awards in amateur art competitions in college, so I will select good works based on my art skills.
What makes me happiest is being ordinary
My father, mother, and younger brother. I was a normal boy, but suddenly my parents divorced due to circumstances, and my sister was taken away by my mother, so I was left to live with my father and my brother. My father, who was very discouraged and emotionally hurt by the situation, overworked himself and suffered from a herniated disk in his spine for a while. I had a confusing childhood, thinking that I missed my mother and wanted to be with my father. I wandered around, and then later on I got my mind straightened out and thought, “From now on, I shouldn’t think about leaning on anyone, I should be the center,” and then I tried to take care of my father, and gradually his health improved and I was able to get my mind straightened out as well. Now his wounds have healed a lot, and he sometimes calls my mother to say hello, or I see my sister.
In the midst of it all, what I wanted most was to live a normal life, and I realized how great it is to live a normal life without any big desires, so now I am grateful for the fact that every day is normal, and I am living positively. I have been working in the administration of the College of Science at Kookmin University for a year, and now that my contract is over, I am going to challenge this company.
I grew up with parents who taught me that the end is more important than the beginning
My father was a tax accountant and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. Both of them were very meticulous, and they were the kind of people who worked hard to build a family without spending anything frivolously. Growing up under them, I naturally became a person who was good at managing money and time. They set certain principles for us and gave us the freedom to do whatever we wanted as long as we followed them. I was given that freedom from the age of 10, which was a pretty radical deal compared to my friends. And the only line they set was “finish the job” – if you want to do something, ask them to let you do it, and then finish the job. So I grew up with a lot of different experiences. For example, when I was younger, I was very interested in drawing and I told them I wanted to go to art school. Instead, my parents would tell me that I had to finish this year, and they would send me to the institute without saying a word. I grew up with parents like that, learning about freedom of choice and how to follow through with it, acquiring a sense of autonomy and responsibility. I think the responsible habits they taught me helped me get into a good university, even though I started my studies late.
Honesty, responsibility, and consideration for others are emphasized
My parents emphasized honesty, responsibility, and consideration for others. They didn’t just talk about it, but they also set an example for us through their lives. My father is a principled man and strictly adheres to rules and standards. He was even stricter with us than he was with himself. He was a gentle man, but when we did something or thought something that didn’t make sense or wasn’t moral, he would reprimand us relentlessly, and it would be a reprimand so severe that we would never make the same mistake again. My father’s scolding would bring tears to my eyes. Even though he never ate sashimi, his words always hit me in the chest and made me reflect on myself. I believe that this family environment was the foundation for me to grow into an exemplary person.
My mother, who has a good relationship with everyone around her, is a person who actively enjoys life. I always envied my mother because she is constantly learning something, and right now she is learning painting. My mother has the idea that there is no end to learning, and she is always striving to develop her abilities and grow. Seeing my mother like this makes me reflect on whether or not I’m becoming complacent. I think I have inherited a lot of my mother’s personality because she is very cheerful and often takes on the role of leading a large group of people in any gathering. I am also very interested in embracing and getting to know people wherever I am. Part of my desire to know a lot of people is that I want to have a variety of experiences. I think getting to know people from different walks of life also helps me build wisdom, because I can’t experience everything, so I can experience it indirectly by getting to know them. I think relationships are important in life.
Values that don’t change with the generations
In an age where we’re constantly bombarded with articles about people getting rich overnight with an idea, the most important values my parents taught me were sincerity and hard work. They taught me that no matter how much talent you are born with, it’s your own hard work that makes it sparkle and shine.
Thanks to this teaching, I have been diligent and punctual to class throughout my schooling, and it was only natural that good grades would follow. Even when I worked part-time, I was recognized for my diligence and responsibility, and when I quit, my boss asked me to continue working.
Growing up in the metropolitan area, but not in the city, my parents were vegetable farmers and raised four siblings, which is rare these days. I was born the second of four children, and as the eldest, I played a role in mediating conflicts between my sister and my younger siblings. During my childhood, I often fought with my sister and complained to my parents about my second place, but as I grew up, my sister and I became closer than friends, and I became a big sister and big sister to my younger siblings, who listened to their problems.
I developed leadership skills in elementary school, serving as vice president and class president. I was also active in the choir, becoming the vice president in the sixth grade, and participated in the city’s choir competition, winning a silver medal. Always helping those in need around me taught me humility and caring, and cultivating leadership through various school activities helped me grow into a more people-oriented person.
Growing up playing
One of my most enduring childhood memories is of going for a walk with my father after he got home from work and dinner and playing on the monkey bars and seesaws at the local elementary school playground. My dad always told me that the healthiest way to grow up was to play outside.
On the weekends, I would always go hiking with my dad, and when he would take me up a mountain, he would never give up on getting to the top, even if he had to take frequent breaks whenever I was struggling. I grew up watching him hike with me, always saying hello to strangers and sharing whatever food he had packed. As we pushed through the tough moments and took in the breezy views that only those who had made it to the top could enjoy, he would often say, “Go out there and play in the big wide world.” As I got older, he never changed his belief that I should play outside.
Playing outside and hiking and biking with my dad helped me grow into a stronger, more energetic personality. Climbing taught me patience and gave me a competitive drive to get to the top of the mountain. As a kid, I loved hearing him say “go play,” but as I grew up, I realized it was because he wanted me to grow up healthy. Even now, when life gets tough, I’ll climb a mountain and look down at a world that seems smaller than my fingernails.
Valuing friendships with peers
From a young age, I would occasionally follow my parents to the university where they were working on a project and observe the program, but to stay true to my parents’ request for me to have normal friendships, I spent my school years surrounded by kids my own age. My friends looked on in admiration as I quickly solved math formulas or answered problems, and I felt more comfortable being around kids my own age who knew how to praise me with straightforward words and eye contact, rather than in a group of adults who would wax eloquent about my abilities.
Also, watching my parents and their friends interact and enjoy each other’s company for so long, I dreamed of having friends like that to share my life with. I loved friendships with peers who could look at me as an equal and interact with me as an equal, rather than “looking up” to me as a child with special talents, or “looking down” on me for being smart for being so young. Maybe it was because I realized that I had a slightly smarter brain than everyone else, and I had a premonition that I would never be able to blend in with everyone else’s group, that I preferred to hang out with friends who could see me as an equal. The support of my parents, who made sure I didn’t retreat into my own world just because I was the more thoughtful and prolific type, paved the way for me to grow in a hands-on way that books and research alone could not.
Experiencing a lot to find what I love
I had to experience a lot to find what I love to do. My parents, who are both in education, wanted me to find what I love and be passionate about it, rather than just compete and study aimlessly, which is why I was able to experience so many different things. As a child, I learned to swim, ballet, and play the piano, which helped me grow into an active person. But I was a little bit good at everything, but not exceptionally good at anything, and that was the problem: if there was something I wanted to do, my parents always let me do it, but I didn’t learn it for long because my interest faded quickly. But book discussion was different: it was a class where we read a book together and then discussed our views with our peers about what was in the book, and I would stay up all night reading and preparing for that presentation. It was the book discussion that brought me passion, and I realized then that when you are passionate about something, it pays off. At that time, I read a lot of books, and I think I was able to expand my knowledge and expand my thinking. I think I was able to feel passion because I had parents who helped me find what I liked through various experiences. I haven’t forgotten the thrill I felt through passion, and I approach everything I do with passion.
Being interested in different foreign languages
My parents, who run a cram school, have always been interested in education policy. Private education has had to experience crises whenever there is a change in education policy, so my parents have always paid attention to education policy and analyzed and anticipated the future. Both of my parents majored in English and taught English, and they also worked hard to develop teaching methods that would help Korean students learn English well. I was the guinea pig for their experiments, and I can say that my English language skills were exceptional compared to my peers. I had never been to a foreign country and had never studied with a native speaker, but I had no problem talking to my foreign friends. My interest in Chinese and Japanese led me to study other languages, and I continued to learn them as well. This interest in languages led me to attend a foreign language high school, where I majored in Russian. The unique methods and mysterious writing system fascinated me. Speaking multiple languages gave me a vague idea of what they had in common, which helped me to improve my language skills. I believe that growing up learning different languages has not only improved my language skills, but also my thinking skills, as it has given me the ability to combine what I have learned and develop new ideas.
Growing up in a family with a positive mindset
My family has always had a positive attitude. My father’s job took us to many different places, but instead of seeing it as a hassle or a negative thing, I saw it as a positive thing that gave me the opportunity to experience different places. In fact, I believe that moving once or twice a year has helped me grow into an organized person who only packs what I need, doesn’t feel guilty about throwing things away, and is good at staying organized. One of the hardest things for me to deal with in the midst of all this positivity was parting ways with my friends. Saying goodbye to friends I’d been close to for a year made me burst into tears at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it wasn’t a complete breakup and it wasn’t something to be sad about. I realized that there are many ways to keep the connection alive if you put your mind to it, and that it’s not something to be sad about just because you’re parting ways forever. So I started to value the relationships I’ve made and try to keep them alive. I think it takes effort to make a relationship last, because it’s hard to meet someone if you don’t put in the effort. My friends from my study abroad days are hard to meet due to time and space constraints, but I use email, phone, Facebook, etc. to keep in touch with them.
Kindness and help during childhood travel experiences abroad
When I was a kid, on my first international trip with my parents, I was filled with the excitement of traveling: immersing myself in a foreign culture and food, packing gifts for my friends, and reminiscing about the last few days. So much so, that I forgot my parents’ warnings to stay in my seat as I was only going to run a few errands, and decided to wander off on my own to buy a snack with my leftover pocket money. My pre-trip self would never have dreamed of such an act of independence, and would have waited for my mom and dad to come back and take me home, but the excitement of having just returned from a trip somehow gave me the strength and courage to take off.
I managed to wander into a store and grab an ice cream cone here and there, but the crowds of people coming and going, the gates and queues that all looked alike, and the inability to find the seats I thought I’d be able to get back to in no time, left me with a pale face. The more I wandered around trying to find my seat, the more disoriented I became, and it was my sister, an airport worker, who found me crying, because to my young mind, the airport looked like a giant castle, and I was worried that I would never get out. Thanks to her kindness in taking my frightened self to her office, taking care of me, and promising me on the air that she would find my parents, I was able to find them instead of remaining a lost child in a huge airport. Looking back on it now, her pretty face seems like an angel from heaven, and I am grateful for her kindness and help. The memory of the airport on the last day of my trip, which could have easily been a nightmare, is one of the most precious and necessary memories I have, thanks to the presence of an angel who brought me back to life.
Growing up, I loved helping my parents with their office work
I was much more eager to help my parents in the office than to play with my friends. My parents were always careful to make sure that I didn’t neglect my friends too much in favor of helping out in the office, but what started out as a fun hospitality job when I was in elementary school gradually grew into something more, and as word of mouth spread about my parents’ office and the number of customers who liked my coffee or tea grew, I was able to secure my own place in the office, not just by showing them to their seats or serving them drinks, but also by picking up knowledge and tasks that I learned from watching them from the sidelines and trying to explain them in my own way.
Gradually, my mother would entrust me with the task of guiding, briefly entertaining, and explaining to guests, and even at a young age, I would strive to do my best to understand the guests and use the right words and language to communicate with them. My parents trusted me with the job because they believed in my abilities, and I didn’t want to be the kind of person who conveniently shirked my responsibilities because I was young. Unlike other children my age who were used to talking to their peers, teachers, and parents, I gradually became accustomed to dealing with a large number of adults, and I was told that I had a mature, straightforward pronunciation that put people at ease. Visitors to the office would often praise me for being “soothing,” and I was encouraged by such comments and tried to improve my posture.
Discovering another side of myself through exercise and travel
Thanks to my athletic father, I was exposed to many sports from a young age, not only seasonal sports but also running and jumping rope every morning. He always emphasized that exercise is the power of movement, and that movement gives you energy, and energy gives you the power to do anything. While I now realize how good his habits were, it wasn’t easy for my adult mind to wake up early and follow through with those early morning workouts every day, but it gave me a strong physical strength that gave me a competitive edge over my peers, whether I was studying hard or working through the night. Once I got to university, I decided to take on the challenge of running a marathon, and even though I thought I was confident in my fitness and endurance, it wasn’t an easy challenge – it’s the ultimate sport where you don’t just run, you have to control your body quite scientifically. But even after all that, the process itself is a battle with yourself, and the feeling of accomplishment when you get through it is priceless. I still run marathons twice a year, and I challenge myself during the preparation period to push myself to new heights.
Another thing that has had a huge impact on my life is traveling. My first backpacking trip after college was another challenge for me. It was my first solo trip as an adult, so I was both scared and excited. I remember spending hours and hours on the plane, both excited to see world heritage sites, museums, and art galleries that I had only read about in books, and anxious about what would happen if I had an accident in such a faraway place. These worries were put to rest the moment I landed at the local airport, and by the time I returned from my three-month backpacking adventure, I was already planning my next trip with a heavy heart. The trip was a great experience, not only because I got to see meaningful places, but also because I got to hang out with fellow travelers from all over the world in hostels, sharing different cultures, and discovering a new side of myself. To this day, I still keep in touch with my Spanish friend from that first trip via Facebook and email. I don’t know when I’ll be able to go back there, or when he’ll be able to come visit us, but I let him know that we’re still friends across the world, sharing memories and doing well.
Following my parents to art museums and dreaming of being a designer
When I was a kid, I went to a lot of museums with my parents. My parents were art collectors, and they had a great eye for artwork. I think it was while admiring the artworks in museums that I developed the dream of becoming a designer. I once went to a fashion show at the invitation of a friend of my mother’s, where I fell in love with the fascination of design. It was the power of design to enhance the gorgeous models and lighting that made me want to create something that would make the viewer feel ecstatic.
I had access to many books on art and design. I had a large amount of books at home, with one wall of my study filled with specialized books. I read them, as well as design reference books in Korea and abroad to familiarize myself with current trends. I also often participated in various seminars and exhibitions, which helped me realize the importance of foreign languages and study English hard. I attended an institute where I could study design professionally and organized study groups with like-minded friends. As I believe that creativity is important in design, I have developed the habit of writing down every time an idea comes to my mind, because if I don’t write it down immediately, I won’t be able to think of it later. I believe that the scope of design is wide. Since I had the dream of becoming a designer, I have tried to design my life. I believe that the effort of designing my beautiful life has shaped me into the person I am today. I want to function as a competent designer with creative thinking and open-mindedness.
