Free MBA Meaningful Experience Essay Samples
While an undergrad student I volunteered in the Equalizer Foundation. This project aspires to build a better society through education and soccer, providing underprivileged children from the periphery a social-athletic-educational framework.
I was fortunate to combine soccer, one of my greatest passions, with the ability to influence the next generation of the community. I developed a deep connection to the children, the staff and other volunteers.
For the children, this was more than just a soccer practice. Being part of a team was a real opportunity for them to practice leadership. I remember one of them, who continuously encouraging his team mates to show up for practice and tournaments. Even when injured, he insisted on coming to tournaments and acting as “assistant manager”. He soon became team captain and was awarded a special trophy for his behavior. He taught me the important roles passion and dedication play in leadership.
I was fortunate to become a significant figure for the project’s participants and their families, pushing them to embrace new values while improving their grades. This experience taught me the importance of a positive role model in shaping children’s futures. I learned to appreciate how lucky I was growing up with everything I wanted and I constantly remind myself not to take this for granted.
I would like to expand The Equalizer Foundation’s activities globally. I plan to raise money for this cause through the Berkeley-Haas annual Challenge for Charity (C4C) campaigns. I believe my experience at Berkeley-Haas could help me reach more kids who could use soccer as a bridge to better life.
At the age of 5, I asked my grandfather to teach me to play chess after watching him play with his brother. Following this introduction to this ancient strategy game, I signed up for chess class.
Mastering chess has changed my perception and helped me gain a greater understanding of the world in numerous ways. Dealing with unexpected moves and changing plans in the game taught me resilience in the face of setbacks in life. I realized I have to put myself in new situations, move on and be flexible to recalculate and create new plans. As an officer in the navy, I brought an outside tester to give me an objective review of my soldiers’ skills and knowledge. When he said there was room for improvement, I checked my ego and changed my way of teaching. One year later, my platoon won first place in a tournament assessing their skills.
Moreover, I learned that in order to be able to navigate and improve a given situation, you have to anticipate others’ thoughts and incorporate them in your decision-making.
As I improved in chess, I started exploring new strategies, methods and ideas from chess traditions around the world. This multicultural approach inspired me to explore new languages and cultures in life, and I have traveled to more than 20 countries in Europe, North America, Central America and South America.
Fundamentally, chess is responsible for shaping the ways I think and how I understand the world around me.
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