When I began my journey as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, I was seventeen and had little idea of where this path would take me. At the time, I did not know my decision to turn down a Wharton appointment to instead enroll in the College of Arts and Science reflected my need to better understand my role in society. I did know I was a "learning differently abled" student and I lived with the daily presence of ADD, dyslexia, and dysgraphia as well as memory lapses. This personal journey is why education is so important to me and why a graduate education is my next goal. I also knew I would never be your typical all A's Ivy League student, but I was undeterred and persevered. Honestly, I knew then interactive learning is how I learn …show more content…
I was also able to finish the University of Pennsylvania in three and a half years with a degree in Urban Studies and a minor in Jazz and Popular music, all while playing division one basketball for four seasons. My advisor in “The College,” Professor Elaine Simon, introduced me to Urban Studies (URBS) during the spring after my freshman year by offering me a pathway to educate me on my role in society as well as a how this role could impact a global culture. My Urban Studies education was a wonderful opportunity to explore the diverse major through an interdisciplinary approach. Urban Studies was an easy transition because my early coursework at Penn included academically based community service (ABCS) courses that were far beyond the freshman curriculum. These courses forced me to attack my role in society head-on by giving me a space facilitate, interact and learn about the importance of policy, education, and economics in our country through the academics of the Philadelphia school system. I have since tried to enroll in classes that I felt would best prepare me for a future in graduate school by studying topics in urban education, urban research and the effects of global affairs on